World War II Cake

Today, we experimented with a cake recipe taken from the back of an American Girl mystery book.

WACKY CAKE

A super-easy World War Two recipe that uses no butter or eggs and very little sugar and chocolate. The "wacky" mixing method helps the eggless cake to rise and turn out light and tender!

You can only imagine how easy it would be to stock up on these ingredients. No refrigeration needed!

RECIPE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8" square baking pan with cooking spray.

Measure into the pan: 1- 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt. Use whisk to blend dry ingredients together.

Use a spoon to make 1 large crater and 2 small craters in the dry mix. Pour 5 tablespoons vegetable oil into the large crater. Pour 1 tablespoon vinegar into small crater. Pour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the last crater. Pour 1 cup water into the pan.

Using wooden spoon, gently mix everything together until you see only a few streaks of flour in the mixture.

Bake cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

Cool the cake completely, and then dust it with powdered sugar. Serve plain or with a spoonful of ice cream or whipped topping.

** Our personal opinion about the cake was positive. I tasted a hint of baking soda, but was impressed with the moistness and richness of the cake - minus the eggs and butter! This cake is a sure winner for staples. Even better, very little ingredients involved, and easy (fun) for children to make. Give it a try. History is fun!

 

Wacky Cake

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup water
• Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt directly into the pan and whisk together.
3. Make one large well and two small wells in the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the vegetable oil into the large well, the vinegar into one small well, and the vanilla into the other.
5. Pour the water over everything and gently stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar, or serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

A Slice of Texas

One of the things I enjoy most about old recipes is discovering how resourceful previous generations had to be. During difficult times, families learned to make the most of simple ingredients they already had in the pantry. Recipes like Wacky Cake remind us that good food doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. It's a delicious little piece of history—and one that's still just as enjoyable around today's kitchen table.