640 better recipes

Moist lemon poppy seed muffins soaked with warm lemon syrup after baking. Oil-based batter with buttermilk creates tender crumb, lemon zest adds bright citrus punch.

Pennsylvania Dutch almond cake with lemon extract, sliced almonds, and sugar topping. Thin batter bakes into light cake that slices best when cooled in the pan.

Old-school fried brain sandwiches: pork brains soaked, battered with egg and flour, and griddle-fried until crispy. A Midwestern regional classic served on a bun.

Low-fat apricot cardamom bars with apricot nectar, finely snipped dried apricots, and applesauce in the batter, finished with an apricot icing drizzle. Fragrant and easy.

Flaedle are thin German pancakes made from a simple flour, egg, and milk batter, fried golden and sliced into ribbons for a classic Swabian pancake soup.

Strawberry cinnamon pancakes made from buttermilk mix with sliced fresh berries folded into the batter, topped with vanilla yogurt instead of syrup. A lighter weekend breakfast.

Deep-fried banana pieces coated in a light baking powder batter and drizzled with honey. A crispy, golden, four-ingredient dessert ready in under 30 minutes.

Sour cream coffee cake loaded with mini chocolate chips in the batter and a brown sugar streusel topping. Tender, rich crumb that stays moist for days.

Beer-battered fried oysters served in their shells over spinach chiffonade with mango remoulade. A tropical Cajun-Creole appetizer that turns heads at any cocktail party.

Cinnamon flop is an old-fashioned coffee cake made from a simple no-egg batter topped with brown sugar, cinnamon, and chunks of butter that melt into gooey pockets as it bakes.

Old-fashioned blackberry pudding with a simple batter that rises up around the berries as it bakes, finished with a sugar crust on top. Homestyle comfort in an 8x8 pan.

Healthy yeast-raised waffles loaded with whole wheat flour, oats, cornmeal, bran, and wheat germ. Hearty, fiber-rich breakfast batter that can rest overnight for deeper flavor.

Welsh cocklecakes deep-fried in a light batter with parsley, served alongside warm laverbread and lemon. A traditional coastal Welsh dish with crispy, briny fritters and seaweed.

Cider apple cake: a sheet cake layered with thin-sliced apples and a cinnamon-pecan-sugar streusel, built on a batter moistened with dry apple cider. Autumn on a plate.

Light apple raisin crepes with an oat bran batter, part-skim ricotta and apple filling, and a warm cinnamon syrup poured over at serving. Just 178 calories per serving.

Streusel plum cake with a light, fluffy batter topped with halved plums, cinnamon-brown sugar crumble, and a vanilla glaze drizzle. Works with peaches, apples, or pears too.