Whacky Cake

 Some maintain it's the unusual addition of vinegar to the mix. Others insist that what makes Whacky Cake so goofy is how the vinegar reacts with the baking soda to create a light and fluffy decadent chocolate cake without a single egg added to the batter.  After making Carol Taylor's version, I'm convinced Whacky Cake just makes you crazy for more. Whacky Cake, it is believed, is one of those beloved "make do" cakes born out of difficult periods like wartime when staples like eggs, milk and butter were in short supply. But for the Taylor family, the Whacky Cake became their "everything" cake, so popular that it was made for every occasion and renamed accordingly.

 

"When I was a little girl, mom would have me do the baking and Dad would do the critiquing. He became the biggest fan of the Whacky Cake. Nothing will ever replace those memories of him taking a bite and acting like it was the first time he had ever tasted it.  When my children were little, they would pull out a bottom kitchen drawer and stand on it cracking eggs, measuring flour, stirring and most importantly licking the beaters. (My kids still judge people by their cooking. It's the first thing out of their mouths - great cook or not so good!)

Even my now ex-husband who never even liked chocolate absolutely loved the Whacky Cake. Believe it or not, when he remarried he asked me for the recipe so that his new wife could make it for him!"

We believe it, Carol. It's just that good! May you have many Whacky times ahead!

 Carol Taylor's Whacky Cake

 

Ingredients for Cake:

Sift together in mixing bowl:

3 cups sifted flour

2 cups sugar

½ cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

 

Make a well and add:

2 cups water

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla

 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat mixture until well blended. Grease and flour baking pan. (approx. 9"x13" or 10"x10") Top mixture with heaping teaspoonfuls of cream cheese mixture. (See below) Bake at 350 degrees for about about 1 hour or until toothpick comes up clean. (Check cake at about 40 minutes for doneness.)

 Cream Cheese Mixture:

In a bowl, combine 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese with 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat well. Stir in 1 (6oz) package of chocolate chips.

Frosting:

 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese

1 egg

 I stick of butter (1/2 cup)

1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla.

 Directions:

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. When cake has cooled, frost generously.

 Note From Carol: This recipe is also great in cupcakes with the cream cheese filling or the batter can be poured into ice cream cones and baked.