One-bowl, One-layer Cake or Cupcakes

A One-bowl, One-layer Cake is almost as quick as a cake mix because everything is dumped in one bowl and mixed.  It makes a nice all purpose cake suitable for layers, cupcakes or upside-down cakes, etc. 

My favourite one-bowl cake is the little Dinette Cake from the red Betty Crocker Cookbook published in the 1970s.  It's my go to recipe whenever I need something quick to throw together for an easy dessert or cupcakes for a potluck or family gathering.  It makes a nice yellow cake that pairs beautifully with a chocolate frosting or it can be cut in squares and served with fruit and cream for a lovely dessert. I use this recipe when I make cupcakes for the church kids' birthday celebrations.  They also appear in Forget-Me-Not Cupcakes on this blog.

Printable recipe at bottom of post.

Dinette Cake 
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1½  teaspoons baking powder
½  teaspoon salt
¾  cup milk
⅓ cup shortening, room temperature (I use butter or margarine)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8-inch or 9-inch square cake pan or line 12 cupcake pans.

Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl.  Blend ½ minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes high speed scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into prepared pan or divide evenly into 12 prepared cupcake pans.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes for cake or 15-18 minutes for cupcakes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack. If desired frost cake with your favorite icing or make it into a strawberry shortcake. Cake can be served directly from pan, if desired.

Makes 1 square cake or 12 cupcakes.

If using the cake flour, it is wise to sift it into the bowl to remove any lumps.  All purpose flour can be added directly to the bowl without sifting.  Then dump everything else into the bowl and mix.  Simple as that!  Scrape batter into prepared cake pan or divide the batter into 12 cupcake pans. 

One-Bowl, One-Layer Cake or Cupcakes just out of the oven. Bake cake 35 to 40 minutes, cupcakes 15-18 minutes.  As you can see from the photos I made cupcakes which took the full 18 minutes in my oven.  They were so light and fluffy I wanted to eat them warm from the oven.  I didn't.  They remind me so much of the cupcakes Mom used to make for birthdays.

Today I frosted my cupcakes with Baker's Frosting, sprinkles and topped with a piece or two of candy.  The recipe makes a dozen cupcakes or a 1-layer cake.

One-Bowl, One-Layer Cake or Cupcakes with Baker's Frosting, sprinkles and candy toppings.

One-bowl, One-layer Cake or Cupcakes 

for tasty and delicious desserts.

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩