Marlboro Stir Crazy Cake

 
 
Oh man!  I’ve made this cake twice in the last month.  It is wonderfully delicious and moist, it is a recipe that would have been used on a trail drive by the trail cook.  It contains no eggs or milk and is still tremendously delicious. It is from a Marlboro cookbook and there is a really cool story behind this cookbook for my family and their ranching community. 

Onto the story and then the recipe.  Back in the late 1970-80’s a family friends ranch was contacted to see if the Marlboro company could use their land for a photoshoot for the cookbook.  I was too little to remember but the story goes that Dean Myers, the landowner, supplied the chuckwagon set up and more.  The photos taken were included in this cookbook.  Later on my family was contacted by the company to use our land for an ad campaign for Marlboro.  (Balk all you want, YES, my family had something to do with the Marlboro ad campaigns of the 80’s.)  Photos taken were of a chuckwagon crossing the river with a team of mules and other livestock crossing the river behind it.  Well, thats all for the story onto the recipe.

Stir Crazy Cake 

  • 2 1/2 C. Flour
  • 1 1/2 C. sugar
  • 1/2 C. cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. soda
  • 2/3 C. cooking oil
  • 2 Tbl. vinegar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 C. cold coffee or water or mixture of both (and I  can’t stand coffee at all, but you can’t taste it)
  • 1/4 C. sugar
  • Cinnamon

Put flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, cocoa, soda and salt into an “ungreased” 13x9x2 inch pan.

 

Stir with a fork to mix, make 3 wells in
the dry ingredients and pour in the oil in one well, vinegar in one and
vanilla in one.

Pour cold coffee over all ingredients and stir with a fork until well-mixed. DO NOT beat.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.

 

Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

Best when warm.  Great with a cup of coffee or even vanilla ice cream!

10 thoughts on “Marlboro Stir Crazy Cake”

  1. I am so glad to have found this recipe! We made it when I was a kid and I had lost the recipe for years. I just thought to search for it to teach my teenage son to make it, and just looking at your post I know this is the cake. Thank you!

  2. So happy to find this. Lost this recipe over twenty five years ago.
    I’m excited to share with my grandkids

  3. I have two versions of the Marlboro cookbook and this is my favorite recipe! I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t love it. I am not a coffee drinker either, and have sometimes just added instant coffee to the dry ingredients. While I don’t think you can taste the coffee, I think the cake would taste like something was missing if you just used water. I enjoyed the story that you gave with it!

  4. I still have the Marlboro cookbook this is in,but I don’t bring it on trips and was glad to find this when I was away from home and craving it.

  5. I love your recipe and I’ve made it several times. Dies it matter which type of vinegar? I’ve had to look up other recipes to find out it’s apple cider vinegar, but I’d still like to know for sure. Also, is the cinnamon to taste? I wasn’t sure so I used the cinnamon sugar mix from McCormick. Thanks!
    The cake is so moist and yumny!

  6. I love your recipe and I’ve made it several times. Does it matter which type of vinegar? I’ve had to look up other recipes to find out it’s apple cider vinegar, but I’d still like to know for sure. Also, is the cinnamon to taste? I wasn’t sure so I used the cinnamon sugar mix from McCormick. Thanks!
    The cake is so moist and yummy!

  7. I love your recipe and I’ve made it several times. Does it matter which type of vinegar? I’ve had to look up other recipes to find out it’s apple cider vinegar, but I’d still like to know for sure. Also, is there a measure on the cinnamon or leave it to individual taste? I wasn’t sure so I used the cinnamon sugar mix from McCormick. Thanks!
    The cake is so moist and yummy!

  8. This by far the Best No Fail cake anyone can make and the best tasting. We have been making this cake for thirty plus years and all who try it want recipe

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