11 Cakes that Only Need One Bowl

By Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm

We love a layer cake as much as the next person, but sometimes you want cake and you want it now. There’s no time for messes, multiple bowls, and oodles of dirty spatulas. It needs to be ingredients, mix, pour, bake, and done. That’s it—no fuss or hassle, just smiles (and more time to make frosting). They’re the kind of cakes we reach for when a slice sounds just about right, no occasion necessary. We love this kind of baking so much, we wrote a whole book about it: the Food52 Baking Cookbook. Sure, you can preorder it now—but until it arrives, here are 11 recipes that prove fewer bowls, fewer problems. 

Tomato Soup Cake by Marian Bull

Heavenly Apple Cake by Veronica

Calabrian Walnut Cake (Torta di Noci) by Emiko

Pioneer-Style Orange Cake by Giulia Melucci

Almond Coffee Cake by Sarah Jampel

Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake with Meyer Lemon Whipped Cream by Kenzi Wilbur

Louisa’s Cake by Jennifer Wagner

Maialino’s Olive Oil Cake by Genius Recipes

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake by Kenzi Wilbur

Perfect Chocolate Cake by Posie Harwood

Olive Oil Cake with Ricotta and Plums by Kenzi Wilbur