Baking #90: Chocolate Crazy Cupcakes

Baked this evening after work as I felt the urge to bake. Well, I do find baking to be therapeutic whenever I am under stress. So whenever I baked, Sister would ask me if I am under some kind of stress. LOL! I do not feel like baking something complicated today and I wanted minimal washing up. So, I tried this recipe which I had bookmarked since long ago when a friend posted this Chocolate Crazy Cupcakes on her Instagram.

Crazy Cake also known as Wacky Cake or Depression Cake. The recipe does not include egg, milk and butter. This recipe makes it suitable for egg, dairy and lactose intolerant. I saw some comments stating that this recipe works well with gluten free flour too!

Chocolate Crazy Cake (adapted from Sweet Little Bluebird)

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar *200g fine textured brown sugar*
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white vinegar *apple cider vinegar*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp cooking oil *corn oil*
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients – flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Sift and set aside.
2. In another clean mixing bowl, mix together wet ingredients – vinegar, cooking oil, vanilla extract and water. Give the liquid mixture a quick stir.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the wet mixture. Mix until well combined and be careful not to overdo the batter.
4. Scoop batter evenly between cupcake liners and bake them in a preheated oven of 180 degree Celsius for approximately 20 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean in the centre of a cupcake.
5. Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Did a taste test on one of the cupcakes not long after they were out from the oven. Mom mentioned that these cupcakes “smelled” sweet while I was scooping the batter into the cupcake liners. Surprisingly, these cupcakes were not as sweet as I expected them to be.

Texture wise, they were soft and moist. Quite good for a recipe which does not contain milk, egg and butter. I think I am gonna improvise the recipe some other time and make it gluten free.