Guest Post: Delicious Cake in a Rough-and-Ready Fashion

It’s no secret that a delightful cake takes time to bake, but did you know that it doesn’t have to be hours? There are tons of delicious cake recipes that you can use to bake a homemade cake in less than an hour or so. Of course, this gets better if you have the best convection oven that’s easy to use and allows you to do warm dishes when you’re not baking. 

Below, we’re going to show you how to make a delicious cake recipe in what is termed as rough-and-ready fashion, meaning it will only take you less time and effort, but still deliver amazing results. 

Our first recipe is a citrus cornmeal cake served with wine-roasted strawberries, and get this: it only requires just under an hour to make.

Citrus Cornmeal Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes 
Total Time: 55 minutes 
Yields: one 9-inch cake

Ingredients:
⅔ cup extra virgin oil
3 eggs, large
1¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pure
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
½ cup fresh orange juice 
¾ cup shredded coconut, sweetened
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
¾ cup fine yellow cornmeal
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Wine-roasted strawberries
Whipped cream, sweetened

Method

Preparation: 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
• Take a 9-inch spring-form pan and line its sides and bottom with oil. Use an oiled parchment to line the bottom. 
• Whisk eggs, oil, 1 cup sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and orange juice in a large bowl. 
• In a separate bowl, whisk flour, coconut, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
• Combine the two mixtures and stir. 

Baking:

• Pour the batter into the oil-lined pan and sprinkle with ¼ sugar. 
• Place in the oven and bake until the cake separates from the sides of the pan. When you insert a tester in the center, it should come out clean. 
• Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes. 
• To loosen the cake from the pan sides, run a knife between them, then remove the sides of the pan. 
• Allow it to cool completely. 
• Serve with whipped cream and strawberries. 

Our second cake recipe takes even less time to make and uses fewer ingredients. As an added benefit, the pineapple used provides you with a healthy dose of potassium, calcium, and fiber. 

Pineapple Sheet Cake 

Prep Time: 15 minutes 
Total Time: 50 minutes 
Yield: 24 servings 

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 eggs, large
2 cups of sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
½ teaspoon salt
1 can crushed pineapple 

Method 

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan, size 15x10x1-in. Bake for 35 minutes at 350°, then cool. 

This recipe is great when preparing a cake for a large crowd of people. The good thing about the pineapple sheet cake is that it remains moist for an extended period, so you can prepare it a day before it’s needed. 

Get Baking 

With such simple, time-friendly recipes, you have no excuse not to try a homemade cake if you have never done so before. 

Do you have another cake recipe easy enough to make within minutes, or a couple of hours? Share it with us, and let’s all get baking.

Author’s Bio 

Catherine Wiley is a writer by day and pastry chef and baker by night, which allows her to enjoy her two deepest passions. She’s especially fond of fruit and chocolate cakes and is always trying to come up with new recipes. As for pastries, she’s on a mission to discover different types from various cultures around the globe.