This Crack Cake (Small Batch Recipe) is one of the easiest cakes you can make. All of the cake ingredients get dumped into a bowl, including the box cake mix and instant pudding. Mix up the cake batter and pour it into the pan. When the hot cake comes out of the oven, it gets drenched in a cake glaze made of white wine, sugar, and butter. The glaze hardens on the inside and outside of the cake and it cracks when you cut through it, hence the name crack cake. Serve this for an everyday dessert or for a special occasion.
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MARY'S TWO CENTS
This cake recipe falls into the cheap category on my cost-per-serving ratings scale. Most of my cakes end up with a frugal rating so this one is a true keeper. Maybe not as addicting as crack, you'll still want to make it over and over. Have a cup of coffee ready!
WHY IS IT CALLED CRACK CASE?
With the original recipe speculation was that is so good, it is addicting, hence the name crack cake. I think it is called crack cake because the wine syrup hardens when it dries and it literally cracks as you slice the cake. Either way, make one soon because it is so flavorful and is the moistest cake I have made in a very long time.
INGREDIENTS
Full ingredients list & measurements are provided in the recipe card.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with baking spray or butter then flour.
Add all cake ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
Beat with a hand mixer on medium until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the well greased Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees f.
hen cake is done melt butter, white sugar and wine in a small saucepan.
Cook stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.
Remove the wine syrup from the stove and set aside.
Use a skewer to poke holes throughout the cake.
Pour the hot wine syrup over the top of the cake. Try to get it down the edges.
Let the cake cook, place a plate over the top and flip to release cake.
VARIATIONS
- You can vary this white wine cake by using a chocolate box cake mix and red wine, or a white cake with rose wine. That would be lovely for a special occasion.
- This recipe works well if you want an alcohol-free cake, Just substitute white grape juice for the wine in equal amounts.
- If you want to make a full sized Bundt cake, use a regular box Duncan Hines cake mix in place of the Jiffy cake mix and double all the other ingredients. You can do it easily with one click in the recipe card below.
LOOKING FOR MORE UNUSUAL CAKES?
FOOD STORAGE FAQ's
Yes, it freezes well because it is such a moist cake. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then place it in a zippered bag or an airtight container. Use within 2 months.
The refrigerator is the worst place to store a cake in terms of drying it out. If your cake has a cream filling, or can't be left out on the counter until the next day, freezing it is the best option. Freezing stops the moisture loss and keeps the cake fresher. Let it thaw to room temperature before eating.
Equipment
- 1 Mini Bundt cake pan
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Medium to large bowl
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 9 ounce box of yellow cake mix I used Jiffy Cake Mix
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 3.4 ounce box vanilla pudding instant mix
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cups water
- ⅓ cups oil
- ¼ cup white wine
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons white wine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the above ingredients (cake mix, brown sugar, white sugar, instant pudding, cinnamon, eggs, water, oil, and wine) by hand, hand mixer, or in the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Grease a Bundt pan VERY well. (I use butter and flour or Pam Baking Spray)
- Pour into the small prepared Bundt pan. Tap to get out any bubbles. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- When cake comes out of the oven set it aside and make the wine syrup.
- Melt ½ stick butter into ½ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons wine in a small saucepan.
- Use a skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cake to help the syrup get into the cake. Pour the hot syrup over the hot cake.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Place a serving plate over the top of the Bundt pan and flip over to release the cake. You might have to jiggle it hard to get the cake to release. Flip out of the pan onto the plate and serve.
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