The texture is not identical to a layer cake baked in the oven, so you shouldn't expect that. Think a steamed pudding, or cottage puddding. Eat while it's still warm.
I offer you the original recipe plus 3 variations on the theme.
5-minute cake recipe #1 - cocoa
The concept inspired me, though clearly it needed improvement: oil instead of butter, cocoa powder instead of real chocolate... even the title of "5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE" struck me as jarring. The lack of baking powder struck me as odd, though maybe it was made for self-raising flour. This came from a family member in Alberta, from her cousin in Australia.
I never tried this as written. I offer it for reference purposes only.
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
5-minute cake recipe #2 - chocolate
INGREDIENTS:
1 square (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate
1 tbsp butter*
1 egg
4 tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons chocolate chips**
A TINY splash of vanilla extract and/or a larger splash of rum
Equipment:
1 large coffee mug
2 other mugs or bowls for mixing***
plus measuring cups, forks or whisks for mixing.
Method:
Melt butter and chocolate in mug over LOW heat. Cool.
In bowl #2 stir together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder).
In bowl #3, beat the egg and then beat in the milk and rum/vanilla.
Add dry ingredients, wet ingredients, and mix until combined.
Sprinkle chocolate chips** over. Stir only very lightly (they will sink).
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.****
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
NOTES:
* Butter: accept no substitutes
** Chocolate chips: these are required (not optional).
*** The original recipe only required 1 mug but this requires at least 3
mugs/bowls. That's because it is a Victor adaptation of a recipe. If you are clever about how you mix, you can use less.
*****My microwave is strong and 3 minutes is a shade overdone.
Five-minute cake #3 - vanilla and chocolate
It's white with brown spots... Dalmatian cake? Eat while it's still warm and
the chocolate chips are still molten. Yum.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c (4 tablespoons) flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg
big splash rum
tiny splash vanilla
ample chocolate chips
Equipment:
1 large coffee mug
2 other mugs or bowls for mixing
plus measuring cups, forks or whisks for mixing.
METHOD:
Melt butter in mug. Cool.
In bowl #2 stir together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder).
In bowl #3, beat the egg, milk, rum, and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients and wet ingredients to mug, and mix until combined.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips over. (They will mostly sink as the cake
cooks.)
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes (give or take) at 1000 watts.
Five-minute cake #4 - spice cake with (optional?) cranberries
I didn't write this down when I made it but I think these ingredients and proportions are right.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c (4 tablespoons) flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch EACH of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
some cranberries if desired
Equipment:
1 large coffee mug
1 other mug or bowl for mixing
plus measuring cups, forks or whisks for mixing.
METHOD:
Melt butter in mug.
Stir in the brown sugar.
Stir in the egg.
In another bowl, stir together the remaining dry ingredients (flour, white sugar, baking powder, spices).
Add dry ingredients and milk to mug, and mix until combined.
Stir in the cranberries. (Unlike chocolate chips, these do NOT mostly sink as the cake cooks.)
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes (give or take) at 1000 watts.
3 comments:
Hey Victor, If you like baking sweets, this is one of my fave blogs http://www.davidlebovitz.com/
L Larose
Did you see or did I send you the NYT article on no-knead bread? Susu found it first and I've made it several times. Montrealers may not be as impressed but Torontonians suffer from good bread deficit.
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.
Snowpea: can't remember if I said thank you for the introduction to David Lebovitz' blog. Now one of my faves!
Margaret: Funny you should mention bread; I'm running low on the Stollen I baked a few days ago, and now have an attempt at porridge bread in the oven right now. (Wheat flour with oats and molasses.) I have heard about this NYTimes no-knead bread but haven't tried it yet. Is it worth the wait?
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