A mama with ideas...

1. It's very cheap to make as it requires no eggs or butter.
2. It also can be made at the last minute with store cupboard ingredients only.
3. Containing no eggs or butter, it is low in saturated fat and contains no cholesterol!
4. It's Eco-conscious - raising animals for food requires massive amounts of land, food, energy, and water. The byproducts of animal agriculture pollute our air and waterways. Therefore, Veggie = Green!
5. It's moist and (did I mention?) delicious!

Okay, you're sold! Here's how to make it... You will need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (approx 190g/7 oz)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (approx 225g/8oz)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) cocoa powder
• 3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup (240ml) cold water

The origins of this cake recipe aren't really known for sure, but it became popular during the depression era when ingenious cooks needed a cake that could be made without expensive and scarce ingredients. Here in America it is fondly known as 'Wacky Cake'.


Preheat the oven to 350'F (180'C). Spray a loose-bottomed 8 inch cake pan with oil. Sift all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder) into a large mixing bowl. Then make 3 wells and put the oil in one, the vanilla in the other and the vinegar in the last one. Don't know why this makes a difference, but it's what I was told to do!






Pour in the water and then mix it all together. It will start to froth slightly as the vinegar and baking powder interact. This is what creates the light, authentic (without wanting to offend Vegans) cake-like structure that is so often missing in other egg-less cakes! And believe me I've tried. We are very close friends with a Vegan family and so I've tried all manner of techniques trying to cut the eggs in cakes (ground flaxseed mixed with hot water was one and commercial egg replacement another) and the results have invariably been dry or flat.






Once thoroughly mixed together, pour into the cake pan and put in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Then you can indulge in some guilt-free bowl licking, as the absence of eggs means no risk of salmonella (not that I've ever worried about that sort of thing before)!







This cake is moist enough that it is delicious without frosting, maybe just a dusting of icing (powdered) sugar. Of course, any frosting would go well! I served this with some leftover cream cheese frosting and it was divine! Yummy!