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This week’s recipe was shared by Joe Kapsch of Side Lake. Joe, who is better known by the moniker Crappie Joe, has been one of my best recipe contributors.
He found this recipe in a cookbook called The Old Farmhouse Kitchen: Recipes and Old-Time Nostalgia (2007). Wacky cakes have been around since the Great Depression. This cake was developed as a way to make a sweet treat that does not require butter or milk, which were scarce at the time. Most wacky cakes also do not have any eggs, but some recipes, like this one, call for a single egg. However, the vinegar and salt help to stabilize the cake so the egg is optional.
What makes the cake “wacky” is that it is mixed right in the pan it is baked in. Some recipes call for making three wells in the dry mixture and adding a different liquid into each well, then whisking all to combine.
The cake is moist, fluffy, and full of chocolate flavor. You can frost the cake any way you like, but I threw together a two ingredient fudge frosting that couldn’t be easier to make.
I would like to thank Crappie Joe for continuing to send great recipes my way.
Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup vegetable or canola oil 1 large egg (optional) 1 cup cold water 1 cup strong black coffee (cooled) 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar (white or cider) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the dry ingredients into an ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Yield: 16 servings.
SIMPLE FUDGE FROSTING: Ingredients:
1 bag (11.5 ounces) milk chocolate chips 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
Instructions:
In a microwave-safe bowl, stir together the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave on high at 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Spread over the cooled cake. Let stand at room temperature until set.
