“Where there is cake, there is hope. And there is always cake.” 

Dean Koontz

Hard times call for sweet things, particularly if they are easy to make and really, really good. This week I had a small culinary epiphany… Clafouti, (which is one of my favorite desserts ) is a cousin to the delicious dessert known as a Dutch Baby as well as a new favorite dessert of mine (and Christopher Kimball), Pan de Elote.

What they have in common is that they are all “blender cakes”.

Here’s the basic blueprint – a little bit of flour (of your choice), some eggs, some liquid, a sweetener (as much or little as you want) and various flavorings. They all go into a blender before being poured into a pan to be cooked.

So easy.

So fast.

So delicious.

You’re welcome!

Here are the three blender cakes I’ve cooked and can attest to…

This is my favorite clafouti recipe. Clafouti is traditionally made with cherries, but berries, pears and other fruits work well, too. I often add nuts (usually slivered almonds) as well.

A Dutch Baby is almost identical to a clafouti in terms of the ingredients, but you add the fruit afterwards. Here’s the NY Times recipe for a classic sweet Dutch baby. You can also make a savory Dutch Baby if you are looking for a fast dinner.

And then there is the life changing, amazing Pan de Elote or “Mexican Corn Bread”. (which has nothing to do with the cornbread most of us know). My favorite recipe for Pan de Elote calls for fresh corn, but frozen or canned work well, especially for those of us who don’t have a lot of extra time to cook.

Here’s a few more blender cakes that look easy (and fast) that are on my list to try!

Whole orange blender cake (yup, skin, seeds and all). It goes without saying that whole lemon blender cake exists, too.

Vanilla blender cake is basically a sponge cake, but most recipes say it has the moist crumb of Japanese sponge cake (which is not at all a problem!)  Adding fruit like peaches or bananas is an option, too.

Bolo de Cenoura (Brazilian carrot cake) No carrot grating required, usually topped with chocolate… what could go wrong?

It’s not just dessert… Joy is an act of resistance.