Take a look at our favourite all-in-one-bowl cake recipes.

Christmas time is here and there is so much to be done. First, there is the planning, then the gift shopping and the last-minute trips to the supermarket for supplies.

If you have volunteered to host family and/or friends on Christmas Day, you certainly have your hands full. The house has to be tidy, the table set and the drinks chilled. Christmas isn’t Christmas without a feast so you are no doubt busy planning a menu.

And don’t forget dessert! If Christmas pudding and custard aren’t your thing, choose from this selection of one-bowl cake recipes. From chocolate to fruit, these are simple, fuss-free and delicious.

Our top 5 all-in-one-bowl cake recipes

Christmas does not have to be overwhelming.

Here are five of the most effortless and tasty all-in-one-bowl cake recipes that you can whip up in no time at all. Not only are they easy, but the clean-up is also minimal so you can focus on spending more time with your guests.

1. Allergy-friendly chocolate cake

Finding a recipe that suits all dietary requirements and requires minimal fuss can be difficult. This crowd-pleasing all-in-one-bowl cake recipe is delicious and allergen-free, with no dairy, eggs or gluten.

Everyone can enjoy this scrumptious cake, no matter what their dietary preferences. In fact, if you don’t tell anyone it is missing eggs, milk and flour, they won’t suspect that is the case.

This recipe makes quite a large cake and is ideal if you have a lot of guests coming for Christmas. Try adding some dairy-free chocolate curls when topping the cake for an extra treat.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups self-raising flour (or gluten-free self-raising flour, available from health food stores)
  • 2/3 cup cacao or cocoa
  • 2 cups caster sugar (if you don’t like refined sugar, you can use agave syrup)
  • 1 good pinch of salt
  • 2 cups of water (or one cup of water and one cup of cold black coffee for a more complex flavour)
  • 2/3 cup of olive oil (or 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup apple puree for a more dense cake)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180° Celsius
  2. Grease and line a large cake tin
  3. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl, starting with the largest volume
  4. Add wet ingredients and combine thoroughly. Use a spatula for a denser cake, or use a whisk to aerate for a lighter batter – note – whisk doesn’t work so well if you use apple puree
  5. Pour mixture into the tin
  6. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 55 mins, or until a skewer comes out of the cake clean
  7. Allow the cake to cool slightly before turning it out onto a rack. Don’t allow the rack to put grooves into the top of the cake if you’re not going to put icing on it

To serve

Dust with icing sugar and pile fresh summer berries in the middle or on the top. Use a berry compote or serve warm with a bit of cream or custard for those who can tolerate these ingredients.

2. Basic butter cake

If you are looking for a basic traditional butter cake, look no further than this delicious all-in-one-bowl method cake recipe.

Not only is this recipe easy, but it is also versatile. Ice it with a basic buttercream icing and cover with festive Christmas sprinkles. Another idea is to dust it with icing sugar and top the cake with whipped cream and fresh berries.

This cake is popular with kids. It’s easy enough to have them help bake it, so long as you are patient and don’t mind a mess!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self-raising flour (or gluten-free alternative)
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 large or three small eggs
  • 130g softened butter or margarine
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla essence

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180° Celsius
  2. Grease and line a large cake tin
  3. Sift dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl
  4. Add wet ingredients gradually, alternating as you go
  5. Combine ingredients thoroughly with a spatula, then beat with an electric mixer on high speed for another 3 to 4 minutes
  6. Pour mixture into the tin
  7. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 50 mins, or until a skewer comes out of the cake clean

3. Orange cake

Orange cake is always a popular treat around Christmas and it makes a good alternative to chocolate. Baking this crowd-pleaser does not need to be difficult. Easy all-in-one-bowl cake recipes like this help to save time and let you focus on the spirit of the season.

Serve this orange cake with a basic buttercream icing, or the orange icing included with the recipe. You can try decorating with candied oranges for an impressive touch or even chocolate curls if you are a fan of chocolate oranges.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups self-raising flour
  • 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
  • 1 cup of orange juice (or 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup of orange juice)
  • 250g softened butter or
  • 3 large or 4 small eggs
  • Zest of one orange

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180° Celsius.
  2. Grease and line a large cake tin (a loaf or ring tin both work well)
  3. Sift dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl
  4. Add wet ingredients on top of dry
  5. Combine ingredients thoroughly with a spatula, then beat with an electric mixer on high speed for another 3 to 4 minutes
  6. Pour mixture into the tin.
  7. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 50 mins, or until a skewer comes out of the cake clean.

Orange icing

  • 2/3 cup softened butter or margarine
  • 2 cups sifted icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1/2 tsp orange zest

4. No-fuss pavlova

Nothing says ‘Traditional Aussie Christmas’ like Pavlova. If the thought of making your own pavlova seems daunting, think again.
This is one of the easiest all-in-one-bowl cake recipes you can make this Christmas.

Impress your guests by serving your Pavlova with whipped cream and fresh fruit. You can also try using thickened cream with a little bit of sugar. Crack the top slightly and layer the top with some fresh berries, then drizzle on some passionfruit pulp. Kiwifruit, pomegranate, fresh berries and bananas are all amazing choices for toppings. Don’t be afraid to add a little chocolate too—it is always appreciated!

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 4 tbsp boiling water
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp white vinegar

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180° Celsius
  2. Prepare pavlova tray with foil and non-stick baking paper
  3. Place all ingredients into a smallish bowl and whip on high speed for 15 minutes
  4. Spread mixture onto the tray in a 20cm wide circle
  5. Place on the bottom shelf and cook for 10 minutes
  6. Turn heat down to 150 Celsius and cook for a further 45 minutes

Cooking notes

To make Pavlova, check your beaters and bowl are squeaky clean before you start.

Don’t get any yolk or water in the egg whites. Even a smidge will cause the whites not to fluff when you beat the mixture. You’ll know you have this problem when you don’t see results after five minutes of beating the egg whites.

As soon as you’re finished beating, pop the mixture onto the tray and get it in the oven pronto. Not doing so will cause your pav to lose its volume.

Just before the end of the cooking time, turn off your oven and allow the pav to cool down in the oven gradually. Any sudden change in temperature will cause it to collapse.

5. No-bake strawberry swirl cheesecake

Does the thought of baking in a summer heatwave make you start sweating? If this is the case, this is the all-in-one-bowl cake recipe for you.

This no-bake strawberry swirl cheesecake is delicious and simple to make. There is no need to clean up loads of dishes either, which helps in the summer weather.

Serve this tasty cake with some whipped cream and fresh strawberries and it is sure to be a hit. The recipe is perfect to follow up an Aussie Christmas lunch of cold meats, salad and seafood. Keep some leftover strawberries to pop into your champagne.

Ingredients

Filling
  • One 250g packet ginger nut biscuits
  • 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
Base
  • 500g cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup thickened cream
  • 3 tablespoons smooth strawberry jam

Method

  1. In a bowl, use a pestle to grind up the biscuits until they’re quite fine, then rub the butter or margarine through with your fingers
  2. Press them into a springform baking tin if you have one. If you don’t, line a cake tin with baking paper that sticks out at the edges, so you can life the cheesecake out once it has set
  3. Put this in the fridge to cool
  4. Wipe out your bowl with a paper towel, and then put the cream cheese in
  5. Beat with an electric mixer for two minutes
  6. Add the sugar and cream and beat for a further minute
  7. Add strawberry jam and swirl through with a spoon. Don’t ‘mix’ it in, just swirl it around roughly
  8. Spoon on top of crumb mixture and put in the fridge to set until firm

Cake baking tips

Can’t figure out why your cake baking skills fall flat? Here are some tips:

  • If you are cooking for an important occasion like Christmas, do a test first
  • Have everything set up and ready before you start, including your kitchen tools and ingredients. This means you can work with fewer setbacks and distractions. It also saves you from realising halfway through that you have no milk!
  • Get things like butter, eggs and milk out early so they are closer to room temperature (but not so early that they go sour). These ingredients mix better at room temperature
  • Grease your cake tin first. This way, you don’t pour the cake mix in and have your cake get stuck to the pan after it is cooked
  • Use kitchen scales to get measurements as close as you can
  • Follow the recipe instructions carefully and don’t skip any steps
  • Try a paddle (flat beater) attachment to mix your cake batter instead of a whisk
  • Don’t overbeat your ingredients. It can cause the cake not to rise
  • If you have to warm butter in the microwave, cut it into small chunks first
  • Get to know your oven. Some ovens aren’t accurate so they need to be turned up or down. Figure out where the cake needs to be to cook best, e.g. in the middle or lower down
  • Don’t forget to preheat your oven. Putting a cake into the oven as it heats up can affect how well it cooks
  • Try not to open the oven while the cake is cooking.
  • Insert a skewer or knife to test if the cake is cooked. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready
  • Let the cake cool in the tin for a few minutes before you take it out
  • Let the cake cool completely before you ice it or add cream, or these toppings will melt

Still overwhelmed by the thought of baking? Call into Hastings Coffee Co for your cake fix instead.

After reading these all-in-one-bowl cake recipes, are you still feeling weary? Do you want to spend more time on what is important to you this season?

There is no need to stress about baking for Christmas dinner or lunch. Call into Hastings Coffee Co for all of your festive cake needs. You can find a selection of mouth-watering cakes to suit any function at Hastings Coffee Co.

Let someone else bake and you can relax and focus on what makes Christmas special to you.

Your friends and family will be floored this Christmas with a cake from Hastings Coffee Co. Visit us at Westport Club in Port Macquarie today.