11 One-Bowl Cake Recipes, Because Nothing’s Sweeter Than Quick Cleanup

One-bowl cakes are exactly what you need when you’re craving dessert but don’t have time to fuss with layers or fiddly recipes. There’s a time and a place for an elaborate baking project, but sometimes you just want an easy dessert—without a mountain of dishes to clean after. Below you’ll find simple one-bowl cake recipes for every season and every sort of cake lover: There are chocolate cakes both milky and dark, plus cakes with raspberries, cherries, spices, and nuts. These are the kind of cakes you can make on a whim on a weeknight and keep around for dessert (or snacking) all week long.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark1/11Berry Cream Cheese Cake
Yossy Arefi's Snacking Cakes is a treasure trove of one-bowl cakes, and this easy recipe is one of our favorites. Baked in a 9-inch round pan, it has cheesecake vibes with a much simpler prep.
Photo by Alex Lau2/11Easy One-Bowl Cherry Upside-Down Cake
Because it calls for frozen fruit, one bowl for mixing, and minimum kitchen equipment, this cake is a breeze for bakers of all levels. But you do need a tall cake pan; otherwise, the batter will overflow. There's no need to thaw the fruit before you get started.
Photo by Linda Xiao3/11One-Bowl Ricotta Olive Oil Pound Cake
This easy cake recipe comes from Melissa Clark's new book of one-pan meals. The batter is enriched with ricotta and olive oil for a tender, luscious crumb, and it can be baked in a loaf pan or a bundt.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone4/11One-Bowl Milk Chocolate Cake With Chocolate-Caramel Frosting
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks5/11Sunshine Cake
This almond cake transforms pantry staples into something special. Add a cloud of whipped cream or some fresh fruit—or enjoy as is.
By Holly Wulff Petersen6/11Pistachio-Cherry Cake
We've waited all year for cherries to come in season. Now, the best way to celebrate is to make this pistachio-scented cake from cookbook author Benjamina Ebuehi.
donna hay magazine, photography by Chris Court7/11Spiced Chai Bundt Cake
A bundt cake doesn't need any decoration—you just have to start with the right pan. This cake has loose chai in the batter, plus a little extra spice.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova8/11Flourless Chocolate Cake
It's hard to pick a favorite chocolate cake recipe, but this flourless number is the ideal dinner party dessert: it's low-effort, very high reward.
the new easy, photography by Willam Meppem9/11Food Processor Carrot Cake
This is actually no-bowl cake recipe—all you need is your food processor for both the batter and the tangy cream cheese frosting.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne10/11Molten Double Chocolate Mug Cake
Who shrunk the bowl? This whole cake gets mixed in the mug, then cooked in your microwave, so it's the kind of dessert you can make when you want something sweet but really don't want to wash a ton of dishes.
Photo by Chris Court, William Meppem11/11Flourless Cacao Fudge Cake
This gluten-free one-bowl cake is made with raw cacao powder and almond meal.





Kaylee Hammonds

Genevieve Yam

Genevieve Yam



