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Home » Bread and Baked Goods » Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake

Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake

Last updated on November 28, 2020. Originally posted on June 17, 2013 by Lalaine. 38 Comments

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Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake is the only cake recipe you’ll ever need! It’s so quick and easy, everything gets mixed and baked in the pan. And with no eggs, it’s a delicious vegan treat.

Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake is the only cake recipe you'll ever need! It's so quick and easy, everything gets mixed and baked in the pan. And with no eggs, it's a delicious vegan treat.

Although already known under many names such as cockeyed, wacky, crazy or depression cake, I am officially rechristening this cake as the LAZY ASS CAKE. It’s so simple to make, it’s almost foolproof!

All the cake needs is a minute or two of whisking, it bakes in the same pan the ingredients are mixed in, and comes out of the oven dark, moist and chocolatey in 30 minutes. No need to grease the baking pan even!

Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake is the only cake recipe you'll ever need! It's so quick and easy, everything gets mixed and baked in the pan. And with no eggs, it's a delicious vegan treat.

You can enjoy a slice plain or easily take it up a notch with a sprinkling of powdered sugar for a totally vegan treat (no eggs!). If you want something more sinful and indulgent, a generous slathering of canned frosting will do the trick.

Now, if you want to go all out and impress, this lazy ass cake makes a terrific base for tiered masterpieces. Just double the recipe, bake in two batches in round (or square) cake pans and pull it all together with your specialty frosting (mocha flavor, pretty please!) in the middle and chocolate ganache for the outside.

The cake requires so little work, you can focus more on getting it all nice and pretty.

Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake is the only cake recipe you'll ever need! It's so quick and easy, everything gets mixed and baked in the pan. And with no eggs, it's a delicious vegan treat.

Don’t let the humble ingredients fool you! Soft, fluffy, and with intense chocolate flavor, it’s the only cake recipe you’ll ever need. It’s a winner as is but I am one of those people who can’t leave great things alone. Occasionally, I like to pump up the chocolate flavor by adding a teaspoon or so of instant coffee granules to the batter. Totally optional but highly recommended.

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Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake

4.22 from 33 votes
Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake is the only cake recipe you'll ever need! It's so quick and easy, everything gets mixed and baked in the pan. And with no eggs, it's a delicious vegan treat.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 155kcal
Author: Lalaine

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 5 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules, optional
  • vanilla frosting (store-bought)

Instructions

  • In an 8 x 8 baking pan, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, water, oil, vinegar, vanilla extract and instant coffee, if using. 
  • Stir together until smooth and blended. 
  • Bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes. 
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool before frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 56g | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.4g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 16.8g | Iron: 0.7mg
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see what you made!mention @Onionringsandthings and hashtag photo with #onionringsandthings
Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake is the only cake recipe you'll ever need! It's so quick and easy, everything gets mixed and baked in the pan. And with no eggs, it's a delicious vegan treat.
Cockeyed Cake A.K.A The Lazy-Ass Cake is the only cake recipe you'll ever need! It's so quick and easy, everything gets mixed and baked in the pan. And with no eggs, it's a delicious vegan treat.

 

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Filed Under: Bread and Baked Goods, Desserts and Sweets Tagged With: chocolate, flour, vinegar

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Lalaine from The Recipe Pot

Hello! My name is Lalaine and Welcome to Onion Rings and Things where you’ll find comfort food recipes, crafts, and printables. Read more...

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Comments

  1. rhiannon says

    January 30, 2019 at 9:34 am

    5 stars
    Great cake, so easy to make. Do you have a icing recipe to go with this, to keep the home made momentum going.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      February 4, 2019 at 7:23 pm

      Hi Rhianon,

      I am glad you enjoyed the cake. Unfortunately I don’t have a homemade icing recipe on the blog yet, working on it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Trista says

    December 21, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    For the oil do you think i could use olive oil or coconut oil?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 23, 2018 at 10:26 am

      I’ve never tried it with these oils but I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t work 🙂

      Reply
  3. Belle says

    September 25, 2018 at 6:09 am

    5 stars
    Made this for my husband and 2yr old.. They loved it! I just replaced the water with fresh milk. For the frosting, I used cream, brown sugar and cocoa.. It complimented the cake really well.. It’s like a chocolate mousse! It’s so easy to make. Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      September 28, 2018 at 8:41 pm

      Thanks for the feedback, Belle. I am glad the family enjoyed the cake. Will definitely try your frosting recipe. Sounds delicious.

      Reply
  4. Erica says

    May 10, 2018 at 1:44 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing this recipe! It’s exam season and I decided this morning to treat my fellow housemates. Turned out chocolatey and really light.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      July 17, 2018 at 8:23 pm

      Thanks, Erica! I am glad everyone enjoyed it!

      Reply
  5. Lidia says

    April 28, 2018 at 10:29 am

    Is it ok to put less baking soda ? Like 1/2 teaspoon, i think i felt a little the taste of it.. otherwise was very nice 🙂

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      May 4, 2018 at 8:29 pm

      I haven’t tried it with less baking soda, I am worried it might affect the texture of the cake 🙁

      Reply
  6. Pat says

    April 1, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    I just wanted to give a little history on this cake. Erma Bombeck, an author and pretty funny lady, had this recipe in a book she wrote called: I hate to Cookbook or something similar to that. I started making this cake back in the early seventies. My exhusband loved this cake and would often ask for it after dinner if I hadn’t made anything sweet for him to end his meal with. Yeah, he was pretty spoiled, my husband of nearly forty years now is much nicer.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      April 17, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing, Pat. I have a few Erma Bombeck’s books and they’re informative yet fun to read. Husbands are like a lottery, you never know if you have the winning ticket and this speaking as a divorced woman myself. I’ve found my better half and I am glad you have, too. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Vanessa says

    October 29, 2017 at 9:18 am

    It’s in the oven right now
    I put it together before my oven was even ready for it! I love how quickly it was. I just hope it tastes good

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      October 30, 2017 at 12:17 am

      So quick and easy to make, right? You’ll be amazed how chocolatey and tasty it is with so little work!

      Reply
  8. Gisele says

    August 4, 2017 at 10:22 am

    This sounds really good. I will add this to my recipe file.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      August 8, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      Please do! It’s so easy to make, you’d be surprised how moist and chocolatey it comes out 🙂

      Reply
  9. Surbhi says

    August 2, 2017 at 5:06 am

    5 stars
    This is amazing!!! I tried it and it turned out fabulous!! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      August 8, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      Thanks for the feedback, Surbhi. I am glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

      Reply
  10. maria shahriari says

    April 23, 2017 at 9:07 pm

    i have red wine vinegar and apple cider ,which can i use ? oh do you have easy one for a chocolate frosting ,im vegan ty

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      June 28, 2017 at 5:32 pm

      Hello, Maria! I recommend using regular white vinegar for this recipe. Also, if you want to dress the cake up, sprinkle enough amount of powdered sugar over top, totally elevates it further!

      I would definitely include making a vegan chocolate frosting recipe in my list 🙂

      Reply
  11. naleśniki says

    March 24, 2017 at 5:59 pm

    It seems delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      March 25, 2017 at 8:49 am

      It is! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Fran says

    February 3, 2017 at 7:45 am

    5 stars
    I just made this cake. It was a very last minute decision, as my fiancé’s birthday present arrived too late and I still wanted to make his day special. I literally typed in “easy vegan cake” on Pinterest and this was the first thing that came up. I happened to have all the ingredients at home already, so I started baking! 🙂

    This cake is actually the first vegan, more healthy dessert that my 3,5 yo likes, so I’m very happy! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      February 5, 2017 at 2:54 pm

      Isn’t this cake amazing? I was skeptical it would really work without eggs when I first came across the recipe but it definitely prove my doubts wrong 🙂

      Reply
  13. Ofelia Doqueza says

    October 2, 2016 at 3:31 am

    hi… i’m a fan of your recipes… still learning how to bake good cakes… anyways, thanks for this recipe of yours, made one and my children loved it… i wonder, what mocha frosting recipe would you suggest best with this cake??
    hope you answer this… thanks and i’m glad i found your blog!!!!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      October 8, 2016 at 11:34 pm

      Thank you so much, Ofelia. I am glad the kiddos loved the cake. Here is a link to my favorite mocha buttercream frosting http://www.food.com/recipe/the-best-mocha-buttercream-frosting-icing-262883 It’s so good and will go well with the chocolate cake 🙂

      Reply
  14. Patti Juraso says

    October 1, 2016 at 11:31 am

    I just loved the name: Lazy Ass Cake. Although I did not have all the ingredients nor the right sized pan,. I had to do some rearranging of this recipe and it was still delicious. First, I did not have the right size pan so I used a 9 x 2 round cake pan. It worked just fine. Second, I only had apple cider vinegar which I chose not to use. I also did not use frosting as this recipe can stand on its own. As for the round cake pan, it still only took 30 minutes. Thanks for the wonderful and easy cake recipe. At 10:30 this morning, my husband and I were eating The Lazy Ass Cake. Keep the recipes coming. I just love to bake and share with my family and friends.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      October 8, 2016 at 11:36 pm

      Thank you for the feedback and tips, Patti. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  15. Bklyncowgirl says

    August 28, 2016 at 4:18 pm

    I’m wondering how it would be with balsamic vinegar. I think that hint of sweetness and the subtle undertones would be really good. I’ll definitely have to try it both ways. 😉

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      August 28, 2016 at 6:33 pm

      I’ve never tried it with balsamic but like you said, the subtle undertones might work well with the chocolate. Please let me know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
  16. Susieqt666 says

    August 20, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    Thank you for this recipe! I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour and it turned out amazing. It was a hit with the kids.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      August 21, 2016 at 10:07 pm

      You’re welcome, Susie. I am glad the kids enjoyed the cake. This is a favorite in my house and thanks to you, I can make a gluten version so everyone in my family can enjoy it. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Lisa says

    April 17, 2016 at 9:20 pm

    Love an easy cake. Think it would be great with a 7 minute frosting. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  18. Elizabeth says

    April 22, 2015 at 1:40 pm

    Hi,

    How can I make a vanilla version of this cake? More vanilla and cut the chocolate?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  19. Angel says

    February 21, 2015 at 7:37 pm

    What kind of vinegar to use? Regular clear vinegar or apple cider vinegar? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      April 6, 2015 at 8:31 am

      Hi Angel

      I just used regular white distilled vinegar 🙂

      Reply
  20. Two Red Bowls says

    August 26, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    Hahaha with a name like that, I had to investigate — and this looks SO delicious! Bookmarking it for sure. Thanks and glad I came across your blog!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      August 26, 2013 at 10:31 pm

      Yes, Lazy Ass Cake receives more interest than Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting. 🙂

      Thanks for the visit and I am glad I found your blog, too.

      Reply

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