Maybe you love to bake—but cleaning up isn't your favorite. If so, you're not alone. Unfortunately, many recipes for baked goods require several bowls for measuring and mixing. Cake recipes often call for one bowl for dry ingredients, another for creaming butter and sugar, and sometimes even a third for mixing it all together.
When you want the joy of baking without the hassle of cleanup, try our smart, streamlined recipes for cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, and quick breads. All require just one bowl for mixing—or come together in the food processor or mixer. But just because they're straightforward recipes doesn't mean they scrimp on taste—you'll find plenty of glorious flavors packed into these fuss-free desserts.
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Martha's Plum Skillet Cake
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A simple skillet cake like is as easy and delicious as it gets. Slices of fruit in the batter are all the decoration this cake needs. Serve it with whipped cream, crème fraîche, or ice cream for a truly crowd-pleasing dessert.
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Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts
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What's not to like about this treat? Our unbeatable blondie recipe combines the buttery flavor and chocolate chips from everyone's favorite cookies with the appealing texture of the best brownies.
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One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
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Birthday? Anniversary? Going-away party? No matter the occasion, this super-easy, one-bowl layer cake is the perfect dessert for any gathering where chocolate lovers are expected to make an appearance.
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Fig Crumble Bars
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Using one batch of dough for both the crust and streusel topping in this fruit-packed favorite means fewer dirty dishes—in fact all you need is the food processor.
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Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
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Skillet cookies are magical. They offer minimal cleanup, but deliver maximum flavor. Made in one bowl, baked in a skillet (no special pans needed), and cut into slices to serve, this giant, fudgy chocolate version is just irresistible.
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Raspberry-Filled Molten Chocolate Cupcakes
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These are fancy enough for company, but require only one bowl, a hand mixer, and six ingredients. Raspberries are sprinkled between two layers of chocolate batter that bakes just long enough for the exterior to solidify, while the center remains deliciously gooey.
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Morning Glory Muffins with Banana
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Ideal for breakfast and dessert, these muffins are beyond easy to make. An added bonus? They're low in fat but surprisingly moist, thanks to the carrots, banana, and raisins.
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Breton Butter Cake
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Those French bakers know a thing or two; this supremely simple cake uses just one bowl, but produces an irresistible confection with a crisp, dense, almost shortbread-like texture.
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Busy-Day Dump Cake
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This chocolate cake recipe wins for most minimal cleanup—the ingredients are blended in the very pan that goes into the oven. Plus, you don't even need an egg to make this delicious dessert. Instead of making frosting, serve the cake with vanilla ice cream.
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Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies
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These chocolate chip and peanut-studded peanut butter cookies are a snap to make. Not only are they flourless, but they're also butter free; the peanut butter provides all the fat needed.
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Chocolate-Zucchini Cakes with Walnuts
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No one will ever guess there is zucchini in these moist little treats—nor will they guess they are so simple to make. Before baking, top each cupcake with half a walnut for a welcome burst of crunchy texture.
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Brown Sugar, Maple, and Pecan Pound Cake
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The ingredients for this nuanced treat are blended in the mixer bowl. While it's easy to make, it takes a while to bake. Even so, the rich maple cake—which is studded with pecans—is well worth the wait.
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Coconut-Apricot Macaroons
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Chopped, dried apricots and flakes of coconut come together to form a fruity, sweet dessert that's as easy to make as it is delicious. The longest—and hardest—part of this recipe is waiting while the macaroons bake.
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Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberries
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For when you need a special treat, but want it to be easy and a tad healthy, there are these delicate cupcakes packed with silvered pistachios and fresh raspberries. No frosting necessary.
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Flourless Double-Chocolate Pecan Cookies
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Dark and decadent, these gluten-free cookies strike the perfect balance of texture—perfectly chewy, with chopped pecans throughout for a nutty, crunchy finish.
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Easy One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
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If you need to make dessert for a lot of people, this recipe yields up to 48 cupcakes and uses just one bowl. Cocoa powder gives them a deep chocolatey flavor.
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