A couple of weeks ago, I provided a recipe for War Cake, perfect for slim pantries because it requires no eggs, butter or milk – perishables that may be in short supply while we’re staying at home and grocery stores have a hard time keeping shelves stocked.
There’s a whole family of cakes like this. Some, like Wacky Cake, are akin to War Cake in that they also don’t require eggs, butter or milk. Others use various ingredients including condensed cream of tomato soup and soda pop. Most include a lot of spices, probably to cover up the flavors of the oddball ingredients; most suggest cream cheese or some other kind of frosting.
These quick and easy snack cakes rely on an acidic ingredient and baking soda or baking powder for leavening. They’re typically mixed in a single bowl or directly in the baking pan, which means less cleanup for the cook. Their crumb, while more rustic than a classic cake raised by beating air into butter and eggs, is dense and homey.
This week, I’m offering two cakes from this category, including one sent to me by a reader which is unlike any other I’ve seen.
Reader Karin Mather (no relation to yours truly) was kind enough to share a chocolate cake that she says has been in her family for generations. In this recipe, the acidity of the Miracle Whip combines with the baking soda to raise the cake, and its sweetness reduces the need for a lot of sugar in the cake. The cake, perfect for smaller households, is satisfying and will keep for several days, covered, on the counter.
I don’t routinely keep Miracle Whip on hand and wonder if using mayonnaise and upping the sugar a wee bit (say, by a quarter-cup) would work. I haven’t tried it yet, though.
I’ve also included a 9-by-13-inch version of Wacky cake, in response to another reader’s request for that recipe. Adding a couple of tablespoons of strong brewed coffee will deepen the chocolate flavor. One of the beauties of this old-timey cake is that it’s mixed directly in the pan – which means your only cleanup are the measuring spoons and the fork or whisk you used to mix it.
Both cakes are equally good whether served plain, dusted with powdered sugar or iced with frosting or a glaze. Cream cheese icing, if you have the supplies on hand, is a natural for either of these cakes, but I’ve seen them iced with a plain butter-powdered sugar frosting and even marshmallow fluff. When I make them for myself, however, I usually leave off all the adornments and enjoy the cake in its humble simplicity.
With these cakes, you should be able to make something to scratch that snack itch no matter how your pantry is stocked. I think, though, that we’ll move onto more nourishing dishes in coming weeks.
What dishes are you wanting to cook?
Miracle Whip cake
Makes one 8-by-8-inch cake
Arizona Daily Star reader Karin Mather shared her family recipe for this unusual snack cake that is rich in chocolate flavor and uses ingredients you probably have on hand right now.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon baking soda
½ cup Miracle Whip
½ cup water
½ teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8-by-8-inch pan.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda into a large mixing bowl (or whisk the ingredients well in the bowl).
Place the Miracle Whip and water in a jar and shake well to combine. Stir the mixture and the vanilla into the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing or dusting with powdered sugar and cutting.
Wacky cake
Here’s a larger version of a wartime classic, mixed right in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Note that this cake is baked in an ungreased pan.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups water
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking pan, sift or whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Make four wells in the dry ingredients. Place vanilla in one, vinegar in the second, the coffee in the third and the oil in the fourth. Pour the water over everything. Use a whisk or fork to stir the batter until smooth and combined.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool before dusting with powdered sugar or frosting.
