Have you ever heard of "Wacky Cake" or "Earthquake Cake" or "Depression Cake"? While it goes by many names, the idea behind this Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Cake is that it can be made without the pantry staples of butter, eggs and milk. I've updated it so it's also gluten free! Still completely delicious, so chocolatey and sweet. I was truly surprised by this recipe and I think you will be too!
How to make wacky cake in 1 bowl
One of the best parts about this gluten and dairy free chocolate cake recipe is that it can be mixed up in the dish its baked in! So the only thing to wash is a fork. Seriously, that's it. So let's dive in to this incredibly simple cake recipe.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (or 180°C).
- In an ungreased glass or ceramic 8-inch square dish (do not use metal), add the gluten free flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and stir to combine with a fork.
- Make three wells in the mixture and to those wells add the vinegar, vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Pour the coffee (hot or cold, it doesn't matter) over the entire mixture and mix with a fork until thoroughly combined and no dry ingredients remain.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make frosting easy to spread and deliciously fluffy, scoop into mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment. Whisk on medium until lightened in color and fluffy.
- Using a spatula, spread frosting over cake (it will create a thick layer). To keep this recipe extremely simple, I used pre-made frosting from the container (gasp!). It's the easiest way to get vegan frosting at a fraction of the homemade price. However, if you love homemade frosting like I do, try this delicious vegan chocolate frosting recipe from the beautiful Jessica in the Kitchen.
Ingredients for Wacky Cake
- Gluten Free Flour Blend — King Arthur Measure for Measure is my all time favorite, but this should work with any 1:1 gluten free substitute flour.
- Granulated White Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- White Vinegar — Used in cake it causes a reaction with baking soda and starts the chemical reaction needed to produce carbon dioxide and give cake a lift as it bakes.
- Vanilla Extract
- Vegetable Oil — Great replacement for eggs and add lots of moisture.
- Brewed Coffee — I love using coffee in chocolate cakes to help enhance the flavor of the chocolate. The coffee flavor does not come through, simply boosts the depth of the chocolate. Water can also be used.
The Best Gluten Free Flour for Cake
I've tried and tested many different gluten free flour blends and the clear winner is King Arthur Measure for Measure (always cheapest on Amazon). It can be used as a direct replacement in almost any recipe and it will taste just as good as the original. You can read about my gluten free flour blends experiment here.
I love smaller cakes like this. They're just the right amount to snack on for the week before it gets dry. Our Sweet Pecan Cake with Maple Frosting and our Banana Coffee Cake are both made in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
Some of our other most popular cakes are our Butterscotch Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting and our Lemon Layer Can with Lemon Buttercream Frosting.
Tell me all about this Wacky Cake
- Flavor – Tastes like a classic chocolate cake and gets extra-rich when topped with your favorite canned chocolate frosting.
- Texture – Not as fluffy as classic cake, but I find the slightly more dense texture to be really lovely and full of moisture.
- Time – About 40 minutes to mix and bake. I love using canned frosting, which is almost always vegan and gluten free, to save time and even money.
- Difficulty – The very lowest. It doesn't even require a mixing bowl or cracking an egg. Couldn't be easier.
How to make a larger cake
To make this cake bigger (yes, please) simply double the recipe and bake in a 9"x13" baking dish. For the frosting, one jar of frosting will still cover the whole cake, but I recommend using two jars to get a nice thick layer of frosting.
Whip pre-made frosting
To make frosting in a jar a little less densely sweet and easier to spread, scoop the whole jar of frosting into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until fluffy, lighter and almost doubled in size. This is a simple trick to make the frosting closer to the texture of homemade frosting, but with minimal effort.
I also like to add pre-made frosting to the top of our Gluten Free Cookie Cake.
The best part of frosting in a jar is that it is already gluten free and dairy free! While homemade frosting is still superior, in a pinch, pre made frosting it actually quite delicious.
Can I make cake ahead of time?
Yes! Cake is wonderfully easy to store and tastes great even after being stored a long time. To make this cake ahead of time, place unbleached parchment paper along the bottom and coming up the sides of the cake. Spray lightly with non stick spray.
Mix batter in a separate bowl and then pour into prepared dish and bake as per recipe below.
Once baked and cooled, use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the cake out of the dish and allow to finish cooling. Remove parchment paper and wrap tightly in saran wrap and then place in a large freezer bag.
Freeze for up to 3 months, or it will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 month (with no eggs, butter or milk to go bad, it may last even longer!).
To thaw your freezer cake, simply remove cake and allow to come to room temperature, then frost and serve as usual! Such a great way to always have a cake ready for the unexpected guest or just a treat to celebrate life's little moments!
Is this a vegan chocolate cake recipe?
This cake is already gluten free and dairy free and can easily be made vegan by swapping the granulated white sugar with its vegan alternative of raw sugar. Raw sugar is not processed and therefore does not come in contact with any animal products. The rest of the ingredients are already vegan.
How to make gluten free dairy free chocolate cupcakes
To convert this cake recipe into cupcakes, simple line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or reusable silicone liners and divide batter evenly, filling about ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes. Check for doneness by using a toothpick inserted in the center. It should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
The easiest way to frost cupcakes is to scoop frosting into a quart sized ziploc bag, snip about ½" off one bottom corner and squeeze out into dollops on top of each cupcake. Sometimes I turn the cupcake upside down and gently press into a plate full of sprinkles — this looks like it just came from the bakery!
How to store Gluten Free Wacky Cake
Keep this cake in the pan you baked it in and cover tightly with foil. It will stay fresh stored at room temperature for up to a week, or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (but it'll never last that long). My kids LOVE this cake as an afternoon treat after school, and it tastes wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Gluten Free Wacky Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1½ cups gluten free flour blend
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup brewed coffee or water
Frosting
- 1 jar chocolate frosting or favorite frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- In an ungreased glass or ceramic 8-inch square pan (do not use metal), add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and stir to combine with a fork.
- Make three wells in the mixture and to those wells add the vinegar, vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Pour the coffee over the entire mixture and mix with a fork until thoroughly combined and no dry ingredients remain.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make frosting easy to spread and deliciously fluffy, scoop into mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment. Whisk on medium until lightened in color and fluffy.
- Using a spatula, spread frosting over cake (it will create a thick layer). Enjoy!
Nutrition
Donna
I tried this cake recipe yesterday. Was a big hit. My husband didn’t know it was gluten free. I baked it in a large pyrex pie pan with high sides on it. Came out perfect I substituted vegetable oil with avocado oil. Will definitely be making it again. Thanks for the recipe.
Amy
I am hoping to make two 9 inch round cakes. Should I double this recipe to make 2 round cakes?
Amy
Yes! It might make a little extra, so be sure not to overfill the cake tins. Enjoy!
Jemma
Hi is this plain or self raising flour ?
Amy
Plain flour. Or feel free to use a gluten free flour blend.
Robin
I would like to try this, but I really dislike coffee. Never drink it. Could I use water instead or chai tea?
Amy
Yes! Water works just as well. You really won't taste the coffee in this recipe, it is just there to enhance the chocolate flavor. However, if you don't keep it on hand, water will work great!
Debbie
First time baking gluten free, and I am so happy. This was so good. I used bobs 1-1 flour and baked until a toothpick came out clean. Added a vegan frosting due to allergies and wow, so impressive. It got rave reviews from my coworkers, including those without allergen restrictions. Can’t wait to make for my cousin who is gluten free. 🙂
Amanda
Followed the recipe to a “t” and it was a flop. Tested cake with a toothpick and it came out clean however after I let the cake cool and frosted it, it didn’t stay in tact. It was like lava cake. Fell apart and couldn’t cut into pieces. I used King Arthur 1:1 GF flour.
Amy
Oh no! I'm so sorry it didn't work for you. Is is possible any of your ingredients were expired? The other thing to be sure of is that the flour is properly measured with the spoon and level method. I hope you try it again, it's SO good!
Teresa Namken
The flavor is amazing! Mine turned out a little gooey though. Any suggestions, I used Bob's All Purpose GF.
Amy
I haven't tried it with Bob's All Purpose, but increasing the bake time should take care of any gooeyness. Check the center before removing from the oven with a toothpick. Hope that helps!
Kayla
Trying to find a recipe for my food allergy babie’s 1st birthday smash cake. Is there any way this recipe could be altered to be white instead of chocolate? Could I add more flour instead of the cocoa? I would do water instead of coffee. Same question with omitting sugar and using maple sugar and vanilla for flavor? I know it’s a long shot, but I’m desperate!
Amy
I think that should work great! Great idea. Let me know how it goes!
Anne
So happy! I followed your recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. Will definitely be making this cake again. Thanks!
Donna
Looks fabulous. Going to try this as my daughter is anaphylactic to ALL nuts, most seeds, eggs and sensitive to gluten. I bake a lot of special diet food every week. Just wondering the reason for an ungreased baking dish. I know about glass/ceramic etc with GF baking. Just thought it would possibly stick a bit, or do you serve it straight from the baking dish.
Amy
This recipe has enough oil in it to keep it from sticking. I always make this cake in a ceramic baking pan, so that may help keep it from sticking as well. I hope your daughter loves it!
Erin
Hi! So white vinegar isn’t gluten free. Have you tried apple cider vinegar in its place? My husband has celiacs disease but I’m in the market for a solid chocolate cake recipe and I’m hoping this is it!
Amy
Hi Erin! I've never heard that before! I looked it up and this is what the Gluten Intolerance Group says about vinegars:
"Most vinegars are gluten-free. Most varieties are distilled and made from inherently gluten-free ingredients such as grapes. The only vinegar that needs to be avoided is malt vinegar. Malt vinegar is not distilled, and malt is derived from barley, a grain that is not gluten-free. The term “vinegar” in the ingredients list of a product that is certified by the GFCO or labeled gluten-free, in accordance with FDA regulations, means it is safe to consume for people with celiac disease. On products that are not certified or labeled gluten-free, the general term “vinegar” could refer to malt vinegar. In that case, the product should be avoided unless the manufacturer can confirm it is not malt vinegar."
So, even though distilled white vinegar is not labeled "gluten-free" it should be safe to use, even with Celiac disease.
Here's the site I checked.
Annika
I have used apple cider vinegar and it works fine 🙂
Erica Boykin
Impressed is an understatement! I have thrown away so many baked goods trying to find a treat! And gluten free baked good tosses are costly! This is my new go to! Thank you thank you for the share ❤️
Kathryn
I'm excited to try your recipe. I'm making my cousin's wedding cake who is allergic to dairy, gluten, and eggs; have you ever tried stacking this cake?
Amy
I haven't tried stacking it, but I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. Let me know how it goes!
Kathryn
My first attempt with Trader Joe’s flour blend was a disaster. It didn’t have any structure or the ability to stack.
My second attempt turned out amazing!!! I used Bob’s Red Mill flour blend, mixed the batter really well and then let the batter sit for about 15 minutes before baking. I’m not sure which trick helped the most, but it turned out really yummy!!!
Thanks for a great recipe.