I didn't make up the name, I promise. This Depression-era cake takes advantage of ingredients that were readily available at the time. I suspect it is enjoying a new era of fame because it is also vegan. That means it is ok for people with dairy and egg sensitivities, too. That's why I bring it to potluck affairs.
After one recent affair, I was asked for the recipe. Nothing special about it, except that it is easy to make, always a hit, friendly to all but the gluten-intolerant, and tasty to boot.
Here's one version for Wacky Cake from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup white sugar
* 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
* 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 cup water
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into an 8x8 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three depressions. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour water over all, and stir well with fork.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite icing.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Wacky-Cake-VIII/Detail.aspx
The differences in my execution are as follows: I only use 2/3 cup of sugar; I use white vinegar instead of cider vinegar; I used 5T of oil instead of 6. Also, I don't bother to sift anything. I mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk. Then put your 1c of water (I used 1 cup of cold brewed coffee with an additional scoop of instant coffee powder last time - I couldn't taste the coffee, so if I did that again I would use more instant coffee powder or use espresso powder which has a stronger taste) into a measuring cup and add the other liquid ingredients to the water (vinegar, vanilla, oil). Dump the liquid into the dry and mix it up. If you do it the way the recipe says it is hard to get the corners properly mixed. I appreciate that mixing in the baking pan results in fewer pans to wash, but washing a mixing bowl is not such a big deal that I am willing to accept unmixed dry ingredients in the corners! I do not think that this needs frosting. I have dusted with powdered sugar for a special effect.
My other tip for maximum efficiency and reduced chance of cross-contamination -- measure the soda, then salt, and last the cocoa of the dry ingredients (so that you don't contaminate your salt or soda with cocoa powder). Then measure wet ingredients with the measuring spoons - oil then vanilla then vinegar.
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6 comments:
Hmm, I may try it with whole wheat flour for today's tea time.
I have done it with some whole wheat flour but not with 100% WW flour. It might be a little dense. For 100% WW I would probably change the order of mixing so that the flour and water +/1 vinegar have more contact time without the soda so that the leavening power of the soda+vinegar isn't used up. Make sense? Or use WW cake flour... I'm curious to hear how it works though - you have more WW experience than I.
My kids are used to dense whole-wheat cakes since I ONLY make whole wheat cake. I am the original No Fun Mom. ;-) If it doesn't work as a whole wheat cake, I won't make it except rarely and by special request.
I made the cake in the square dish (no extra bowl) and mixed the aqueous phase ingredients together -- mixed melted coconut oil into dry ingredients first, then added aqueous phase. Which I warmed in the microwave first to keep the coconut oil from solidifying.
The cake smells good and looks good - I only wish I had remembered I had leftover cooked oatmeal in the fridge, as that is a YUMMY addition to a chocolate cake. Too bad :-( Will report back after tea time.
Hi there! Back to report that I didn't think the cake was overly dense at all. It was actually quite light and fluffy. I thought it could have used a little more chocolate flavor -- it lacked "fudginess" -- but the kids devoured it fine, sprinkled with powdered sugar. A raspberry preserves topping might have worked nicely... So, my verdict is that whole wheat works fine.
With dairy allergy here, we love wacky cake. I was originally introduced to it on a camping trip where my brother-in-law made it in his dutch oven. What fun to have cake around the campfire and the ingredients are non-perishable.
I'll have to try it with WW flour.
We made something very similar for Jules' birthday party! I got the recipe from the Joy of Cooking.
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