Depression Era Cake with No Eggs!

Food supplies and money was limited during the Great Depression.  If eggs were to be had, they certainly couldn't be wasted in luxuries such as cakes.  Still, cakes were needed for special occasions to lift spirits during such hard times.  Ingenious housewives came up with this cake, named Crazy Cake, because it uses such simple staple ingredients and, crazily, makes a delicious and versatile cake!

Depression Era Crazy Cake

1.5 cups + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar*

1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 tablespoons oil**

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease an 8 inch round or square cake pan and lightly dust with flour.

Mix dry ingredients.

Indent a smiley face using the underside of a tablespoon; eyes, and mouth.

In one eye pour the vanilla.

In the other eye pour the vinegar.

In the mouth pour the oil.

Pour water all over the ingredients and blend well.

Pour into the cake pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*White vinegar works just find, but I prefer apple cider vinegar.  It improves the taste of the cake.

** olive oil or vegetable oil both work well

You can vary this recipe:

For chocolate, replace the 3 tablespoons of flour with 3 tablespoons of baking cocoa.

For a spice cake, add your favorite spices.

Turn a spice cake into a carrot cake by adding shredded carrots (raisins, too, if you wish).

Lemon cake just needs lemon extract.  For extra-lemony, grate some lemon peel into the batter.

Add half a bag of strawberry jello mix to make a strawberry cake.

Frosting is easy, too.

A simple glaze can be made with powdered sugar, a bit of vanilla extract, and just enough little bit of milk to make the glaze.

Buttercream can be easily made with half a stick of butter, a heaping of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and enough milk to desired consistency.