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Emergency Chocolate Cake

Emergency Chocolate Cake

By Rose HattabaughOctober 14, 2025

  • Makes
    Makes an 8-inch square cake
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Active time plus cooling
    15 minutes active, plus cooling

This ultra-easy chocolate cake, made without eggs, milk and butter, is also known as crazy cake because it doesn’t require ingredients standard to most cakes. It’s said to originate during the Great Depression when ingredients were scarce—hence another of its monikers, chocolate Depression cake. Cocoa powder rather than bar chocolate supplies the chocolate flavor and rich color. Either Dutch-processed (i.e., alkalized) cocoa or natural cocoa works, just be sure it is unsweetened. Water is the traditional liquid for these cakes, but we prefer coffee, as it bolsters the chocolate notes. If you prefer, decaf or simply water can be used in both the batter and the icing. The flavor will be a little milder but still good.

Tip

Don’t overmix the batter, which will develop gluten and cause the cake to have a firmer, tougher texture. It also won’t rise properly.

Ingredients
  • For the cake:
  • 260

    grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour

  • 43

    grams (½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder (see headnote)

  • 273

    grams (1¼ cups) packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 1¼

    teaspoons baking soda

  • ½

    teaspoon table salt

  • 1¼

    cups coffee (see headnote), room temperature

  • 1

    cup neutral oil

  • 1

    tablespoon white vinegar

  • 1

    tablespoon vanilla extract

  • For the icing:
  • 155

    grams (1¼ cups) powdered sugar

  • 22

    grams (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 3

    tablespoons coffee, room temperature, plus more if needed

  • 2

    teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1

    teaspoon neutral oil

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist an 8-inch square glass baking dish or metal baking pan with cooking spray.

Step 2

To make the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda and salt, breaking up any lumps of cocoa and sugar. Make a well in the center and to it add the coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla; whisk the wet to combine, then whisk them into the dry ingredients just until evenly moistened. Do not overmix. The batter will be fluid.

Step 3

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Step 4

When the cake has cooled, make the icing. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and cocoa until no lumps remain. Add the coffee, vanilla and oil; whisk until smooth. The icing should be thick but spreadable, with a consistency similar to pourable yogurt. If it is too stiff, whisk in additional coffee 1 teaspoon at a time until the proper consistency is achieved. Pour the icing onto the center of the cake in the pan, then spread evenly. Let stand at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.