Snack Size Chocolate Wacky Cake - SUPER FRUGAL (no eggs/milk/butter & no bowl); DELICIOUS!

I love having recipes that I can rely on when I have limited ingredients.  This is one of those recipes!  I have had other recipes for "Wacky" cakes, but I really like this one because it only makes one small layer cake or an 8" square cake.  I would guess that it would make one pan of 12 cupcakes.  

"Wacky" cakes were created by resourceful women during the depression when ingredients weren't as readily available as they are now.  Sometimes we all have limitations on ingredients, whether it be because of money or time.  I thought the recipe for this little cake would be a great one to have in my repertoire just for those days! It is for this reason that I'm sharing it on my blog.  I will definitely be making this recipe A LOT!

These days it also seems like there are increasing food allergies so anyone who would be needing a cake that doesn't call for eggs will really love this recipe!  

However strange it sounds, it WORKS!  It is a nice little moist and chocolatey cake that will do a dandy job of providing a frugal dessert for your family.  It wins on all counts in my book.  Delicious, frugal, made with pantry ingredients, AND you mix it right in the pan so - no extra bowl to wash.  Score!

I found this recipe at a great blog - Sweet Little Bluebird. You can find the original recipe HERE.  In fact, she has lots of versions of this Wacky/Crazy Cake, including lemon, vanilla, coffee/Kalua on her blog.  I can't wait to try more Crazy Cake recipes, and maybe come up with a few of my own.

Who needs a bunch of ingredients to make a cake?  Who even needs a bowl?  Not I!

Here's how I made Sweet Little Bluebird's Snack Size Chocolate Wacky Cake AT HOME MY WAY:

Snack Size Chocolate Wacky Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup white granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon baking SODA
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 5 Tablespoons oil (I used olive)
• 1 cup water

Directions  preheat oven first to 350°:

Mix first 5 ingredients in a GREASED 8" square or round baking pan until mixed well.  Make 3 depressions in the dry ingredients with the back of a spoon-two small and one larger.  Pour vinegar in one depression, vanilla in the other small depression.  Pour the oil in the third, larger depression.  Pour water over all.  Mix well with a spoon until smooth.

Bake for 35 minutes in fully preheated 350° oven.  Cool and frost.  (I just mixed up my own buttercream using a couple tablespoons of butter, a few cups of powdered sugar, a drizzle of milk and a little vanilla.)

ENJOY!

Gina