From my cookbook…Chocolate Wacky Cake
Last week we discussed good food on the cheap. This week, we’ll be baking treats when ingredients are scarce, as was often the case during World War II.
There are over 300 recipes in my recently published cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us (Click on the link in Note 1 to get your own copy). Even in these inflationary times, we can prepare delicious meals for our family and do so in a way that does not break the budget. And it’s all in the cookbook!
Debbie Ishmael’s Chocolate Wacky Cake
Diane’s father, Gordon Ishmael is from Atoka, OK. Gordon is almost 88 years old, and whenever he gets a chance to go visit his remaining relatives, he is happy to go. Debbie Ishmael is his sister-in-law and was married to Marvin, Gordon’s brother, before his passing.
For years, Debbie (Deb) cooked in the public school system, first in Broken Arrow, OK, when they lived in the Tulsa area, and then in Atoka when she and Marvin moved there. Deb knew I was working on a cookbook and gave me two old cookbooks, one from 1961 and the other from 1938 that she had. As I was thumbing through them, I ran across a recipe for Wacky Cake. Deb baked a version of this recipe when she was at Broken Arrow schools, and as I spoke to her about it, she passed along how she had modified the recipe for better results. Deb also added icing to hers, which was often not included as part of the basic recipe they served in schools. The icing she uses is basically buttercream icing.
Wacky Cake, also called crazy cake, Joe cake, wowie cake and WWII cake came about during WWII when milk, butter and eggs were scarce, but people still wanted something sweet to eat. It was often served plain, or maybe topped with confectioner’s sugar. Occasionally, someone might use icing, but this was rare due to its need for butter and milk. In this regard, wacky cake is like another recipe of this era, water pie.
As Alton Brown likes to tell us, there is a lot of science in cooking. As home cooks, we often are not exposed to the science aspect of it and don’t know what goes into a recipe to make it work. Because there are no eggs in this recipe to hold everything together, it is held together only with gluten, which in turn is strengthened by the acid in the vinegar and the salt. Who knew?
No matter, you will enjoy this simple to make dessert and as you eat it, think of the sacrifices those folks of another generation made for the war effort. For that matter, go ahead and make a water pie too! I refrigerate the cake after making it to keep it fresh and actually I like it a little better cold and it helps it retain its moisture. Soo good!
Ingredients
For the cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cold water
¾ cup salad (vegetable) oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Nonstick spray or lard for greasing sheet pan
For the icing
4 cups (about 1 lb.) powdered sugar
1 cup (1 stick) softened (room temperature) butter
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk (or heavy cream)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 17-1/4” x 11-1/2” cookie sheet, set aside.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the cold water, oil, vinegar and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into cook sheet pan.
Place in oven on a rack placed in the middle of the oven and bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to the stovetop to cook. Meanwhile, prepare the icing.
Using a stand mixer, whip the butter and vanilla extract, until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Scrap the sides of the bowl. With mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides occasionally as needed. Increase the speed of the mixer until the icing starts to become fluffy.
If dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk, mix. Add a second tablespoon if necessary.
While cake is still a little warm, spread icing on top. Enjoy this delicious and simple dessert from a bygone era!
That’s all for today!
Deb Ishmael’s Chocolate Wacky Cake
What’s in it for me?
Good eats, that’s what!
Call to Action
Show someone how much you love them by preparing a delicious meal for them. Later, enjoy the time and money you save by relishing your leftovers, either for lunch at work or dinner at home. Take comfort in knowing you are eating healthy food you prepared. All because you made a good decision to follow the recipes and tips in the cookbook I developed just for you.
Besides getting a copy of the cookbook for yourself, it makes an excellent gift for those you love and care for, especially for those with a young family who are looking to save time and money in the kitchen. And learn a few things in the process! What a great idea!
Recommended Resources
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi
Up Next
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Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ