Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Mug Cake

I made an incredible cake for Jamie’s birthday, if I might toot my own horn for a moment.  Devil’s food cake with rich, vanilla buttercream frosting.  Oh, I just about died when I put it in my mouth.

 

The best part was the frosting, hands down.  I’ve made a lot of cakes in my life, and though this one was probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made, without the frosting, it was nothing.  Recipe here.

 

I have some of that frosting left over.  And since it took about a million years and some serious whisking muscle to make, oh, and also because it is delicious, I want to use it all up.  I mean, EAT it all up.

 

So, I broke out my mug cake recipe.  This is modified from a bunch of others floating around the internet to be tastier and not as oily and it has served me very well through two pregnancies and countless bouts with PMS when really all I need is some chocolate cake.

 

You need:

4 Tablespoons of flour

4 Tablespoons of sugar

2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder

A teeny-tiny bit of salt

1 egg

3 Tablespoons of milk

1 Tablespoon of oil

Frosting or chocolate chips or both

A coffee mug (use your favorite, that always makes things taste better)

 

Mix the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder in a mug with a fork until well blended.  Add your teeny-tiny bit of salt.  Like, one shake from your shaker.  Add the egg and mix a little bit, at least enough to break up the yolk.  Add the milk and oil and mix well.  Add the chocolate chips if you want them.  Stick the whole mess in the microwave on high for 3 minutes.  The cake will look like it’s going to explode right out of the mug, but it won’t. 

 

Let the cake cool or you risk burning your damn mouth, don’t say I didn’t warn you when it happens.

 

A word of caution: This is not a good cake.  This is a good-enough cake for when you want some cake, but you don’t want to bake a whole cake and wait 45 minutes for it to bake.  It’s more of a decent chocolate-delivery vehicle for when you are tired of eating the chocolate chips straight from the bag.  It’s a bit on the chewy side.  Add some frosting and a glass of wine and you won’t even care.  Just don’t expect a miracle from cake cooked in the microwave.

 

photo (8)

A perfect single-serving of good enough cake.  Mine’s not frosted yet because it is cooling.

 

I’m sharing this because I love you and because you deserve cake.  Yes, you do.

4 comments:

Janine said...

I didn't realize you could get tired of eating chocolate chips straight from the (Costco size) bag.

Leland said...

I think your cake is retarded.

WSpence said...

I feel like everytime I make something dessert-ish it doesn't come out right, at least not right away. I bought a box of organic intant chocolate pudding recently and even that was being difficult. I'd much rather cook than bake so I give you a round of applause! You are certainly allowed to toot your own horn!

Liz said...

I didn't know this was possible! Um, the minute I get settled in Portland I'm driving up to you and we are making Mug Cakes. I LOVE that I can say that! :)