The Lazy Ass Cake
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The Lazy Ass Cake also known as Wacky Cake or Crazy Cake, is about the easiest cake you could ever make. No eggs, no milk, no bowl!
Let me tell you that if you’re looking for an easy chocolate cake recipe, that didn’t come out of a box, this is it! I would probably say this is even easier to make than the chocolate cake that comes out of a box because you don’t need to dirty out your mixer. The beauty of this cake is that no mixer is required, hence the funny name, the lazy ass cake. Surprisingly, the cake does come out moist and delicious, just like a rich dark chocolate cake. Not that I expected anything less.
I have to say I made this cake 3 times in the past week, mostly because I’m starting to experiment with videos and I wanted to start out with something easy, so this lazy ass cake was it. This cake is even dairy free which means my lactose intolerant husband can eat it, which means I didn’t struggle eating 3 cakes myself. Luckily, I also gave one away to a friend. Here are the facts about this cake: no eggs, no milk, no bowl!!! Beat that!
But back to making videos, let me just say it’s no small feat. Maybe the shooting of the video is not too bad, but the editing of the video is where I pull my hair out. You guys probably think I have a team of people here behind me at Jo Cooks working on making everything run smoothly, but I hate to disappoint you, it’s just me and sometimes hubs, who even quit as being my hand model. Shame on him! So days later, with no hair left, loads of caffeine in, all stressed out and exhausted this is what I came up with. Which I’m proud to say, I’ve done all this in the middle of the war zone that is still my house due to the basement reno.
I hope you like the music, I was going for a comedic type of video, considering the name of the cake. Can’t be too serious when you’re shooting a video for a cake called the lazy ass cake, come on now. But regarding the cake, I’m happy to announce it’s almost all gone, 2 slices left which I’m saving for late at night when I’m sure I’ll feel stressed again and in need of chocolate. I really recommend serving this cake warm with a huge scoop of ice cream and drizzled with loads of chocolate sauce. Just cause that should be the only way to eat cake. I even went ahead to calculate the calories for you guys, because I love you, and to make you feel better and tell you that a slice, if you can stick with one slice, is only 232 calories. Take that, you calorie police! So let’s eat cake!
Check out these other super easy cakes:
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
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The Lazy Ass Cake
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 35 mins
Serves: 9
The Lazy Ass Cake also known as Wacky Cake or Crazy Cake, is about the easiest cake you could ever make. No eggs, no milk, no bowl!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
- Spray a 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray.
- Dump all the ingredients in the pan and whisk everything together until well incorporated.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. To test if it's done, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Cut into pieces and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Video
Recipe Notes
Serve this cake the same day you make it if you use gluten free flour substitutes. This will help avoid it being too crumbly.
You can add chopped nuts, coconut, dried fruits, chocolate chunks, or any fillings you like.
Replace the oil with applesauce if you'd like to decrease the calories.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 232kcal (12%)Carbohydrates: 39.2g (13%)Protein: 2.5g (5%)Fat: 8g (12%)Saturated Fat: 1.6g (10%)Sodium: 269mg (12%)Fiber: 1.1g (5%)Sugar: 22.4g (25%)
Nutrition Facts
The Lazy Ass Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 232
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1.6g10%
Sodium 269mg12%
Carbohydrates 39.2g13%
Fiber 1.1g5%
Sugar 22.4g25%
Protein 2.5g5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Recipe adapted from the foodnetwork.
Brittany says
This cake was quick and easy. I had all the ingredients on hand. I followed the recipe to the T. The cake turned out soft and moist. It’s a winner 🙂
Arezou says
Hi , the video is great and I will for sure try to bake this cake , but can you tell me why did you use viniger in this cake ? What happens if I don’t use any viniger ? Thanks
Joanna Cismaru says
Hi Arezou,
You definitely won’t taste the vinegar in the cake, if that is what you’re afraid of. Vinegar is often included in cake and cookie batters to react with baking soda and start a chemical reaction needed to produce carbon dioxide and give batters a lift as they bake.
Arezou says
Thank you
Ted Guice says
Well….this is great news for a dude like me, who has resisted making any cake from scratch. I usually try to dress up a box mix. Sometimes it works. But often times, I just end up making the same old…and what I will now call forever more…dumbass cake. And I loves me some cake! So, as a personal fitness trainer and group exercise instructor…I’ll also be experimenting with this Lazy Ass cake recipe….so I can justify it when I don’t. Wink wink nod nod! Will report back soon. All the best and thanks for the heads up, Jo!
Ted ‘DumbAssNoMore’ Guice
Joanna Cismaru says
LOL Thanks for making me laugh this morning!
Adina says
I love the music as well, the video came out great. I wrote the recipe down already for times when it has to go fast.
Joanna Cismaru says
Thanks Adina!
Val says
Hi,
Do you think it will work if I use brown sugar ?
Joanna Cismaru says
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not!
Lou says
Could you substitute another flavor (butterscotch or banana for instance) in the same quantity? My sister has a chocolate reaction, so cake is a bit of a tango.
Thanks!!
Joanna Cismaru says
Instead of the cocoa powder? I don’t see why not, actually some mushed up banana would be nice for a banana cake.
Kate | HappyForks.com says
Carob powder is probably the most common cocoa substitute for those who are cocoa intolerant. It gives brown color and more subtle (kind of caramel) flavor.
Glad says
Hmmm wonder if I can cook this cake in the microwave using my Tupperware stacker pan…. any thoughts?
I’ve made yummy moist choc cake in microwave with just cake mix & can of soda – 8 min. Fam fav. Red velvet is even better. Your thoughts are appreciated. Thx for sharing, luv the name.!
Joanna Cismaru says
I know you can do the cake in a cup thing, not sure about the timing on a whole cake though.
Joanna Cismaru says
There might be instructions though that came with your microwave on how to do it.
Jo Navratil says
Hi Jo C,
Have you tried this recipe with a Gluten Free flour such as Coconut Flour?
Cheers, Jo N
Joanna Cismaru says
Hey Jo, cool name! 🙂
I have not tried this with gluten free flour, though you might be able to pull it off. The cake might be a bit more crumbly though than with all purpose flour.
Jo Navratil says
Will give it a go and let you know the outcome. I’m not intolerant to any foods but have friends and colleagues who are and wanted a treat that everyone can enjoy 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
Sounds good!
Cindi says
Do you think you could at nuts? I just love Nuts!
Joanna Cismaru says
Of course you can, some chopped walnuts would be great here. Or even make a nice chocolate ganache and pour over the cake while warm and then sprinkle it with nuts. You can find a recipe for chocolate ganache here.
Elizabeth says
thanks, great recipe…to make it lower in fat replace the oil with applesauce..so moist..no applesauce flavor ( which I hate)
Joanna Cismaru says
Absolutely, I normally do that with banana bread, but great for this cake as well!
Elizabeth says
I also replace all eggs with egg whites..just add an extra egg, no quilt 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m all about no guilt desserts.
Gary says
Do you think you could use bananas in place of eggs? I’ve seen this mentioned as a substitute for eggs. I have nothing against eggs, just throwing it out there in case someone has an allergy!
By the way, loved the video, very well done. Did you scratch up your cake pan using that knife? If not, what kind of pan is it? My ex-wife ruined many a non-stick pan that way, and I’ll need to buy new ones!
Joanna Cismaru says
There are no eggs in this recipe, but generally yes you can, one ripe banana for each egg. And yes, I usually scratch the heck out of these pans with the knife, but if you want to avoid that, you could use parchment paper, 2 long pieces with the ends sticking out so that you can easily pull out the cake, this way no scratching. 🙂
Maralee says
OK girlfriend, I made the mistake of watching your video as I was drinking my morning coffee and I almost choked trying to NOT laugh? Soooo cute!! And yes, I will definitely try this cake, thanks for the recipe Jo!!
Joanna Cismaru says
Mission accomplished! 🙂
Connie says
Is that white or apple cider vinegar?
Joanna Cismaru says
Just regular white vinegar!
Maria Weber says
I don’t usually make comments but I must say this video showing how to make this cake made me smile all the way to the end and the music was perfectly suited. It may be crazy to go it alone like you described but you are one talented lady and you will go far!! I look forward to your blog each time. I have a list of your recipes to try – better get to it!
Joanna Cismaru says
Aw, thank you Maria, you just made my day!
Mary says
Love your video!! The cake looks so good, easy, and moist. Pinned. Thanks.
Joanna Cismaru says
Thank you Mary!
Robin says
Due to the nature of this cake, does this cake need to be consumed same day?
Joanna Cismaru says
LOL no, you can refrigerate it, it will last a few days.
Kathleen says
I love this cake! Your pictures are beautiful. 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
Thank you Kathleen!