Oh, do I have one for you! I was just experimenting with this very thing yesterday.
My favorite chocolate cake of all time is Crazy Cake. It's a recipe that came from the depression era, when staples were at a premium. No eggs, no milk, no butter. It's a vegan cake. But it's the most moist, perfectly chocolaty, fabulous cake ever. And more simple than a box mix. It's on the dense side, and very very moist. But it carves, stacks, an keeps very well.
For years I've thought, gee, I wish I had a white or yellow cake recipe as honking easy and wonderful as my crazy cake recipe. I've scowered the internet, I've tried many a recipe. Nothing impressed me. I was looking for incredibly easy + tasty.
Then yesterday I had my "doh" moment. What if I make crazy cake--and don't add the cocoa powder? I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it before. And the result was really delicious. Score! Here are the two recipes:
Original Crazy Cake (best freakin chocolate cake recipe ever, plus easy as can be)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cold water
Mix in your trusty mixer, pour batter in a 9x13 pan, and bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Yellow Cake Crazy Cake Variation
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (extra 1/2 c here to make up for the missing cocoa)
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract (I boosted the vanilla. Gives it a gorgeous yellow color without eggs.)
2 cups cold water
Same baking instructions.
Want white cake? Use clear vanilla. Maybe a little butter flavoring. Want strawberry cake? Decrease the oil and add strawberry puree. Lemon cake? Throw lemon extract and zest in the mix. Go crazy!
