Wacky cake
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 Dry ingredients for a wacky cake | |
| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, vegetable oil, white vinegar, vanilla extract |
Wacky cake, also called crazy cake, lazy cake, Joe cake, wowie cake, and WW II cake,[1] is a spongy, cocoa-based cake.[2][3] It is unique in that unlike many pastries and desserts, no eggs, butter or milk are used to make the cake batter.[2][3][4][5][6]
Active ingredients in wacky cake include flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, vegetable oil, white vinegar, salt and vanilla extract.[2] The eggless batter means that the structure of the cake is entirely supported by gluten, which is strengthened by the acidic vinegar and salt.[7]
Wacky cake is typically prepared by mixing dry ingredients in a baking pan and forming three hollows in the mixture, into which oil, vinegar, and vanilla are poured.[2][5][6] Warm water is then poured over, and the ingredients mixed and baked.[6][8][9]
Some recipes add brewed coffee as an additional ingredient. The cake may be topped with icing or confectioner's sugar, or even served plain.
The cake is a popular delicacy at bake sales in numerous rural regions of the United States. The dessert has also been included in 4-H competitions[further explanation needed] as well as home economics textbooks after World War II.[10]
History[edit]
Wacky cake first gained prominence during the Great Depression, when ingredients such as dairy and eggs were harder to obtain.[2][3][5] Wacky cake later also became popular during rationing during World War II, when milk and eggs were scarce.[5][11]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, wacky cake again became a popular dessert to bake during quarantine.[3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Gray, Melissa (2010). All Cakes Considered. Chronicle Books. ISBN 9781452100135.
- ^ a b c d e "Try Wacky Cake, the Depression-Era Recipe Your Grandma Grew Up Loving". Country Living. 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ a b c d "No eggs, milk or butter? 'Depression cake' is making a comeback". TODAY.com. 2020-04-21. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ Welk-Joerger, Nicole (2020-12-19). "Personal Pan Histories: Wacky Cake". CONTINGENT. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ a b c d Carli, Kristen (2021-04-15). "Old-Fashioned Wacky Cake Recipe". Mashed. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ a b c "Wacky Cake". Southern Living. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ Corriher, Shirley (2008). Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with over 200 Magnificent Recipes. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781416560838.
- ^ Byrn, Anne (2016). American Cake. Harmony/Rodale. ISBN 9781623365448.
- ^ Corriher, Shirley O. (2008). BakeWise. Simon and Schuster. p. 82. ISBN 9781416560838.
- ^ Veit, Helen Zoe (2013-08-01). Modern Food, Moral Food. University of North Carolina Press. doi:10.5149/9781469607719_veit. ISBN 978-1-4696-0770-2.
- ^ Bracken, Peg (1960). I Hate to Cook Book. Harcourt Brace. ASIN B001C4NMQW.
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