Friday Funnies

Friday Funnies post is a bit different today as it contains a recipe for a cake that goes by many names, one particular amusing — Wacky Cake.

If you've ever made or sampled this rich chocolate cake, then you know that it's delicious. After recently trying the recipe, I can attest to this fact.

Wacky Cake is a moist, chocolate eggless, dairy-free cake which uses vinegar and baking soda for leavening. It's easy, inexpensive and mixed directly in the baking pan and eliminates the need for a mixing bowl. The wacky name comes from its lack of traditional ingredients and its mixing method. This cake also goes by several other names, including:

• Crazy Cake - similar to "wacky," refers to surprising, ingredient-less recipe.
• Depression or War Cake - so called when rationing made butter, milk, eggs scarce.
• Crazy Cake - like "wacky," refers to surprising, ingredient-less recipe.
• Three-Hole Cake - refers to traditional method of creating three wells in dry ingredients.
• Milkless, eggless, butterless cake - highlights the lack of popular ingredients.
• Poor Man's Cake - highlights budget-friendly nature of the dessert.
• Cemetery Cake - refers to a simple, quick, comforting recipe for hard times. 

While names differ, the cake basically follows the same recipe with basic ingredients of flour, cocoa powder, sugar, vinegar, oil and water. Often, coffee is substituted in place of water for a deeper flavor.

Historical Background

The recipe gained prominence during the Great Depression and then WW I and II when dairy and eggs were either costly or rationed. The recipe was created by home cooks using basic pantry staples to provide a sweet treat during times of scarcity. 

Years ago, radio shows and women's magazines played a large role in promoting the recipe. Betty Crocker's Cooking Hour provided women with budget-friendly recipes. General Mills, owner of Betty Crocker, employed nutritionists and cooks to experiment with different ways of ruining a cake by omitting certain items. Ladies' Home Journal offered baking tips during the Great Depression by recommending that eggs be replaced with baking powder and using inexpensive grains and produce.During the COVID pandemic, the recipe's popularity was renewed as a simple quarantine baking project. 

Here's what's needed, including optionals:

• 1-½ cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vinegar (white or apple cider)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5-6 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup water or coffee (optional for richer flavor)
• Optional: 1/2 tsp Espresso powder to boost chocolate flavor

How it Works

The reaction between the baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) creates carbon dioxide bubbles, which makes the cake rise without eggs. 

Traditional Preparation - "Three Wells" Method

Since prep time will be very quick, it's best to pre-heat the oven — 350℉ (175℃) before mixing ingredients together. 

1. Sift or whisk dry ingredients directly into an ungreased 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan. Make three depressions (wells) in the dry mixture, one large and two small. Pour oil into the large well, then vinegar and vanilla into two smaller wells. Pour water (or coffee) over everything and stir with a fork or whisk until smooth. 
2. Bake 25 - 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. For 8x8 or 9x9 inch pans, 30–35 minutes is typical. Cool completely before frosting or dusting with confectioner's sugar.

Because it contains no animal products, wacky cake is vegan and dairy-free. It's also a popular option for folks with egg or milk allergies. 

This Wacky Cake was done for a neighbor’s birthday last week; the above photo is before it was frosted by mixing confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, water, vanilla and softened butter before checking for recipes without dairy. One butter-free frosting would be to melt chocolate then add condensed milk and vanilla extract, stir until it thickens and cool before frosting.

Based on reactions of those who tasted Wacky Cake, you won't be disappointed if you make it, especially if you're a chocoholic like Grenville and myself.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

Hopefully, ours will be snow-free for a change

Robins pictured in the previous post haven't returned yet

Gâteau 🍋 de Mamie

This post title refers to a wonderful lemon cake, which translates to Granny Cake. The reason for the name will be explained in this post.

It's been a while since a recipe has been posted. It's not for lack of home cooking, which we do most days, rather for not taking photos during meal prep and then posting. Years ago, we posted recipes far more often.

Last week, I needed to find a quick recipe to bring a treat to our Friday dominoes game meet-up. Then, remembered seeing a lemon cake recipe in one of the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) cookbooks in my collection, The Barefoot Contessa at Home.

Ina Garten Lemon Yogurt Cake, Barefoot Contessa at Home (recipe below)

The cookbook didn't provide any history, however, I learned that the recipe is the same as a popular French recipe — Gâteau de Mamie, which translates to Granny Cake or French Grandmother's Lemon Cake. According to online sources, French grandmothers (and others) added yogurt to cakes for added moisture. Ingredients were measured using a glass yogurt jar (unlike in the U.S., yogurt in France comes in small glass jars). The cake ingredients were measured using the glass yogurt jar, which was about a half cup.

Thanks to David G for noting my previous grammatical error, explaining that Gâteau de Mamie (singular) means Grannie Cake, Gâteaux de Mamie means Grannie Cakes (plural). He also added, maybe it’s good to have more than one. I agree which is why this recipe will be made again, this time in a bundt cake pan.

Not only was this recipe very easy, but the result was a delicious lemon loaf which contains no butter, doesn't require use of a mixer, and was made using ingredients already in our pantry and refrigerator. The only change was that the recipe included two lemons, I only had one, yet the cake turned out very lemony. So, if a single large lemon is used, it could be enough. Also, don't be tempted to substitute butter for the oil, which keeps the cake light yet moist.

Lemon Yogurt Cake (Gâteaux de Mamie)

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (olive oil also works)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze Topping

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8½ x 4¼ x 2½-inch loaf pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour pan. (Alternately, you can use a 3-cup bundt pan or 6-8 inch round cake pan, cooking times will differ.)
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla.  Slowly whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold vegetable oil into batter, making sure it’s all incorporated, but do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until cake tester placed in center of loaf comes out clean.
3. Meanwhile, cook 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in small pan until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
4. When cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.  
5. Pour prepared glaze over cake while it's still warm allowing it to soak in.
6. Cool (if you can) before slicing and enjoying.

The glaze is optional, depending on personal preference. The cake is moist enough not to need anything else and traditionally is left unglazed. It can also be enjoyed with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Lemon Yogurt Cake from Barefoot Contessa at Home (Ina Garten)

This recipe is one that I will be making again very soon. That's because this one made last Friday morning was all gone by Saturday evening. There were no complaints from our Friday dominoes group or neighbors who enjoyed it. Grenville declared this recipe a keeper which you might well do too if you give it a try.

This past weekend, I attended a performance of Legally Blonde. by members of Actorsingers (not a typo), a community theater group started in 1955 in Nashua, NH. 

The performance was at the Keefe Auditorium (named for Edmund Keefe, longtime Nashua high school teacher, principal and superintendent of schools) is the largest auditorium in Nashua, NH, with double the seating capacity (1,500) than the downtown Nashua Center for the Arts. Built in 1936, it was part of Nashua High School. Later, when two new high schools opened, it became Elm Street Middle School, which closed in 2024. Maintaining and renovating this auditorium are central to any proposed redevelopment of the former school.

Edmund Keefe Auditorium Building, Nashua, NH

We are fortunate to be able to enjoy community theater and within walking distance. In addition to Actorsingers, there are two other community theater groups: The Nashua Theatre Guild and the Peacock Players, a youth theater group, both perform at the smaller Court Street Theater, a 150-seat venue, which originally housed a 1870 firehouse. 

If you ever have the opportunity to attend community theater performances, by all means, do go. While the performers are unpaid, it doesn't make them any less professional, which they certainly all were in last weekend's performance.