one bowl vegan wacky cake is AMAZING!

one bowl vegan wacky cake is a recipe you NEED to know about!

Wacky Cake.

Crazy Cake.

Depression Cake.

This is one of the very first cakes I ever made, yet I abandoned it years ago in favor of more complicated and exciting recipes. But I returned to it recently because I needed something easy (couldn’t get to the store), fast (no time), delicious (DUH) and vegan (egg AND dairy allergies).

what is one bowl wacky cake?

The origins of the recipe vary, but the most commonly shared is that it was created during the Depression, when eggs and dairy were considered luxury items, and desserts needed to be made from inexpensive, pantry-staple ingredients. So this delicious chocolate cake is one of those “accidentally vegan” recipes that is actually really really good!

is this cake really vegan?

Yes! And it’s easy to forget that it’s vegan (and you’ll see for yourself when you make it) because it is impossibly rich, moist, tender and fudge-y. Without a speck of butter or milk, or a single egg.

what ingredients do you need to make one bowl wacky cake?

You need a short list of simple ingredients that you probably have on-hand right now:

flour
unsweetened cocoa powder
salt
sugar
baking soda
vanilla
white vinegar
vegetable oil
water

how do you make one bowl wacky cake?

This is where it gets fun – because here’s what you need to make wacky cake:

Yes, a fork. And the reason you don’t see a bowl is because the batter is mixed right in the baking pan (this just keeps getting better, right?). Simply combine the dry ingredients right in the pan, and create three “wells”:

Add the vanilla, vinegar and vegetable oil:

Pour the water over, stir and bake! Frost with your favorite buttercream, dust with confectioner’s sugar or serve plain.

do you have to use an 8 x 8 pan?

Though my preferred method of making this cake is in an 8″ x 8″ pan, I’ve included instructions for both a standard-sized sheet cake, as well as cupcakes.

is one bowl wacky cake gluten free?

It can be! I’ve used a cup-for-cup flour replacement when I made it for a gluten-free pal and it worked out beautifully.

Maybe we should call this “MIRACLE CAKE”????

Whatever you call it, make it. Because you will LOVE it, cherish it, devour it and make it again and again and again.

Promise.

One Bowl Vegan Wacky Cake

sherisilver

A delicious, vegan, one-bowl cake that you will find yourself making again and again!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 9

Calories 248 kcal

Equipment

• 8" square baking pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup cold water

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the oven to 350. Place all dry ingredients in a lightly greased 8 x 8 baking pan – mix with a fork to combine; tap the pan lightly to level.
• Make  three wells in the mixture – 2 small, 1 medium (smiley face optional). Place the vanilla in one small well, the vinegar in the other, and the vegetable oil in the medium well. Pour the cold water all over and stir with a fork till the batter is smooth and well combined.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or till a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack. Frost with your favorite buttercream (regular or vegan) or dust with confectioner's sugar.

Notes

To make a 9 x 13 cake, double the ingredients and bake for 35 – 40 minutes.

To make 24 cupcakes: double the ingredients and bake for 15 minutes.

You can use regular or Dutch-processed cocoa.

A cup-for-cup all purpose flour works beautifully to make this recipe gluten-free.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 253mgPotassium: 49mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg

Keywords cake, chocolate cake, dairy free, eggless, gluten free, vegan

did you make this recipe?tag @sherisilver on instagram!

Here are five more delicious vegan desserts!

2-Ingredient Tahini Maple Cookies

Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

Vegan Pumpkin Snack Cake

Vegan Sugar Cookies

3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

About the author

Sheri Silver

Sheri Silver is a New York-based food photographer and recipe developer who has been cooking and baking for over 30 years. She works with brands, authors and restaurants to create recipes that are as beautiful as they are foolproof - and every recipe on this blog has been made, tweaked and eaten in her own kitchen.

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