Wacky Cake

I haven't written much lately because...well, there just aren't enough hours in the day. There's been homeschooling, making meals, a birthday, apples, a troublesome rooster, Sadie talking like a robot, Miriam giggling, laundry, joke-telling by Sam, the last harvests to bring in and freeze or store. There's been Bible study and Bible study homework, PE class....

I'm going to stop there before I bore you to tears.

All that said, I'm back. At least for while. Jamey is on fall break and has given me the opportunity to upload all my photos and jot down the words swirling around in my head. As of right now, I have 9 posts sitting in my queue. Just sitting there, waiting for the green light.


One of the things I can't believe I haven't shared with you yet is wacky cake. I was reminded of this because Jamey had a birthday last week. Out of all the cakes, pies, crunches, cheesecakes, ice cream sandwich cakes, etc. that I make, he chose a wacky cake for his birthday cake. The reason this is surprising is because this is the easiest, fool-proof and tasty chocolate cake I know of. The reason this is not surprising is because wacky cake is Jamey's (hands-down) favorite cake. I doubled the recipe to make a two-layer cake and cupcakes for his lunches.


This recipe came out of my home church. While Jamey grew up in the Mennonite church as well, he had never tasted wacky cake until he met me. I think this is why he married me.

As to why it's called wacky cake...I can only make some guesses here. Maybe because this recipe calls for no eggs. Maybe because it calls for vinegar. Maybe because of the method you're to use to combine ingredients. Maybe you know and can enlighten all of us!

Wacky Cake (recipe from M. Huber)

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
6 tbsp. cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 cup and 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups tepid water

In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together and stir with a whisk. Using the bottom of your one-cup measuring cup, make three large indentations/wells in the dry ingredients.



In the first well, measure in the vanilla, vinegar goes in the second well and oil in the third.



Over everything, pour the water. Stir with a whisk until well blended. The batter will be runny and should contain no lumps.



Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Top with your favorite icing. Jamey thinks plain vanilla icing is best.


Sorry this last photo is blurry. That's what you get when you don't use a flash in our dimly lit dining room, at night. Also, you will note that I don't level my round layer cakes before stacking them (hence the rounded top). I just can't stand to. Cake is cake is cake.