11 microwave cake recipes

Brownie batter baked in ice cream cones and topped with frosting. A fun, mess-free treat kids can make in the microwave.

Microwave pineapple upside down cake done in under 15 minutes of cook time, with caramelized brown sugar, classic pineapple rings, and maraschino cherries. Retro dessert, modern shortcut.

Rich, fudgy devil's food cake baked entirely in the microwave in under 30 minutes. Three built-in variations let you spin it into chocolate mint, chocolate peanut, or chocolate cherry cake with a simple swap.

Challenge Winner, AJ Horst (Test Your Tastebuds, October 2011)

Microwave coffee cake bakes a cinnamon-sugar topped tender crumb cake in just 6 minutes, then finishes under the broiler for a caramelized crackly top. Coffee break ready.

Tropical coffee cake doctors a yellow cake mix with mandarin oranges and their juice, then crowns it with a coconut, nut, and cinnamon streusel. The whole thing bakes in the microwave in about 10 minutes for a fast brunch treat.

From the McCalls Great American recipe collection, a classic American carrot cake for the microwave.

German honey spice cake made in the microwave with dark brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and lemon zest. A warm, fragrant Lebkuchen-style cake ready in under 15 minutes.

Microwave chocolate turtle cheesecake layered with gooey caramel, pecans, cream cheese filling, and a chocolate chip topping. Ready in 40 minutes with no oven required.

Microwave pumpkin coffee cake with crumb streusel and powdered sugar glaze. A spiced fall coffee cake that bakes in 15 minutes in the microwave, no oven required.

Easy microwave baked ziti with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella, ready in 15 minutes. Three-ingredient single-dish dinner for busy weeknights.