The 11 Most Popular Baking Recipes During Quarantine

Whether it's recreating our favorite restaurant's recipes at home or whipping coffee, a lot of us are cooking and baking at home more than ever. According to a food study looking at cooking during the novel coronavirus pandemic, half of Americans are more confident in the kitchen thanks to the increased time in the kitchen. And more than 60% of Americans are looking for recipes using ingredients on hand. But what are those most common ingredients and are they the same as yours? While baking as a form of self-care continues to grow, we looked into the most Googled recipes and ingredients people were baking with the past few months. Here's what we found, plus some Better Homes & Gardens recipes to continue your baking journey at home. Oh, and—surprise!—neither sourdough nor banana bread made the top spot.

11. Easy Cake

It's totally understandable that you (creating 110% more in Google searches) want a slice of cake to satisfy your sweet tooth, but without all the work. For an easy cake recipe, this chocolatey Depression-era cake (aka crazy cake) is a trendy one due to its use of pantry staples and no butter, milk, or eggs. For something a little more decadent, consider giving our top-rated one-bowl chocolate cake a try. Or go for a simple, 3-step dump cake recipe that only requires a few ingredients, but is super delicious.

10. Rice Pudding

There's not an exact answer to when rice pudding first originated, but one thing's for sure: It's a long-time favorite comfort food recipe enjoyed in countries all over the world. And people must be craving it as searches for it are up 120%. There are many variations out there, but this old-fashioned rice pudding recipe made in a slow cooker features warm cinnamon, butter, and dried fruit. Go tropical with Mexican-inspired rice pudding (aka arroz con leche) or try it out using red rice and almond milk.

9. Buttermilk

Ah, buttermilk. The cultured milk historically attained by churning cream into butter is consumed as a probiotic-rich beverage by some but is mostly utilized in the U.S. as a staple for baking recipes. If you happen to have a carton handy (and are part of the group increasing searches 120% for recipes), consider whipping up some classic buttermilk pancakes or a delightful coffee cake to start the morning. Make some buttermilk sage rolls or corn bread to go alongside dinner. Or finish off your meal with some fudgy buttermilk brownies (aka Texas sheet cake). No buttermilk on hand? Make sour milk to use as a substitute by adding 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

8. Mug Cake

If you're self-isolating and don't want an entire cake tempting you, you might be a part of the 130% search increase for a mug cake. It's an easy dessert to curb a craving by using the microwave instead of turning on the oven. Our chocolate mug cake recipe is especially good if you have a scoop of ice cream to top it off. For a taste of fall, go for our pumpkin spice latte mug cake. Breakfast can also be easily handled in a mug with this easy banana bread recipe for one.

7. Bread Machine

Whether you've had one collecting dust or decided to splurge on a bread machine (up 130%) to keep you busy during quarantine, the handy appliance is making a comeback to make beautiful loaves at home. You can make white bread, donuts, and focaccia without the kneading, rise time, or baking.

6. Pizza Dough

Your favorite carryout spot might take second place once you've mastered making your own pizza dough from scratch. Use our easy pizza dough recipe that only requires 10 minutes of rising time to make the recipe that's up 160% in search. There's also a trendy 2-ingredient "miracle dough" made with Greek yogurt and self-rising flour that can easily serve as the base for your favorite pizza toppings. Trying to cut out some carbs? Make some cauliflower pizza instead!

5. Apple Crumble

Finding ways to use up apples before they go bad can lead to baking them into delicious apple desserts. Ranking at 5th place (and up 170% in searches), our apple crumb pie and classic apple crisp sound pretty amazing right about now. Apples aren't the only fruits that can turn into crumbles, either. For a summer twist, try "baking" a berry crumble on the grill.

4. Banana Bread

It seems like everyone started making banana bread once the pandemic began and is currently searched 200% more the past few months. Not only is it a great way to use up ripe bananas, but it's also an easy way to introduce yourself to the world of baking quick breads. Here are 20 of our most irresistible recipes to give the popular bread a shot.

3. Scones

Rich and crumbly, scones are the perfect pairing for your afternoon tea and ranking at No. 3 with a 200% increase in Google search. The Queen of England even has a favorite recipe you can try! Utilize in-season strawberries to make some delightfully sweet, berry scones with a hint of fresh basil. Make them gluten-free with cornmeal for anyone with allergy restrictions. Or go savory with some bacon and dried tomato scones.

2. Soda Bread

Since it doesn't require any yeast or proofing time, it's no surprise soda bread made it so high on the most-searched recipes of quarantine so far (up 300%). The easy homemade bread is a classic Irish recipe that goes great with a pot of Irish stew. You can also sweeten the flavor profile with ingredients such as currants and orange.

1. Rhubarb

Perhaps it's because the pretty pink vegetable is about to be in peak season, but the search for rhubarb recipes is up a whopping 450%! Lucky for you, we've got a ton of rhubarb sweets as well as savory rhubarb recipes to make the most of your spring haul. You definitely want to bake up our best-ever strawberry rhubarb pie. The veggie is also delicious in oatmeal cookie form.

If you end up baking so much you run out of flour, eggs, or milk before your next safe grocery trip, try making a recipe that doesn't require essential ingredients. Happy baking!