Sometimes you want some cake, but can’t bear the palaver of sieving, whisking, baking, and then cleaning up the mess.
Mug cakes are the answer – a single sweet serving made in a minute or two in the microwave – in a mug!
There are many recipes for mug cakes on the internet – it seems to be the latest baking trend sweeping the blogosphere – and they come in a variety of flavours.
Quick and easy to prepare, you can literally have your cake and eat it in under 5 minutes.
Make sure your mug is microwave safe and be sure to eat the cake as soon as possible as it won’t last very long.
Remember that the mug cake will carry on cooking after you remove it from the microwave, so don’t over-cook it.
When you touch the top of the cake, it shouldn’t be sticky. If it is, then return it to the microwave and cook at 30-second intervals until it is no longer sticky.
APPLE CINNAMON MUG CAKE
Makes 2
120ml apple sauce
30ml vegetable oil
45ml buttermilk
5ml vanilla extract
150ml self-raising flour
80ml brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
1ml ground nutmeg
a pinch of salt
60ml chopped dried cranberries
CREAM CHEESE ICING
30ml cream cheese
30ml icing sugar
5ml milk
Combine all the ingredients for the cake in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Pour into 1 extra-large or 2 small microwave-safe mugs.
Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.
Serve warm topped with cream cheese icing.
ICING: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until smooth.
LOW-CARB BLUEBERRY MUFFIN
Makes 1
15ml melted coconut oil
1 egg
15ml flax meal
15 ml ground almonds
3ml baking powder
15ml xylitol
a few blueberries
Mix all the ingredients except the blueberries until smooth.
Fold through the berries.
Pour into a cup and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.
Remove and cool slightly before serving.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
Makes 1
45ml self-raising flour
15ml cocoa
25ml castor sugar
1 egg
30ml oil
15ml buttermilk
30ml white chocolate chips
chocolate hazelnut spread to decorate
Mix the flour, cocoa and castor sugar.
Combine the egg, oil and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour into a mug and microwave on full powder for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the mug from the microwave and cool for a minute before decorating with chocolate spread and some fruit if desired.
RED VELVET MUG CAKE
Makes 2
1 egg
45ml oil
3ml red food colouring
45ml buttermilk
3ml vanilla essence
60ml castor sugar
30ml cocoa powder
60ml self-raising flour
2ml vinegar
ICING
60ml cream cheese
30g butter
50-60ml icing sugar
3ml vanilla essence
Mix together the egg, oil, colouring, buttermilk and vanilla essence.
Add the sugar, cocoaand flour and mix well.
Mix in the vinegar.
Pour the mixture into two cups and microwave one at a time on full power for 1-2 minutes
Remove and cool, then spread with icing before serving.
ICING: Mix the cream cheese and butter and smooth.
Add in the icing sugar and vanilla essence and mix well.
LEMON CAKE IN A MUG
Makes 1
1 egg
30ml oil
25ml castor sugar
60ml self-raising flour
3ml lemon rind
15ml lemon juice
ICING
lemon juice to mix
30ml icing sugar
Mix together the egg, oil and castor sugar. Add the flour and mix until smooth.
Mix in the lemon rind and juice.
Pour into a mug and microwave on full power for 1-2 minutes.
Remove and stand for1-2 minutes.
Drizzle with icing and serve.
ICING: Add enough lemon juice to the icing sugar to form a stiff icing.
CARAMEL MOCHA MUG CAKE
Makes 1
50ml flour
2ml baking powder
10ml cocoa powder
5ml strong granulated coffee
45ml milk
20ml caramel sauce plus an extra 10ml
10ml vegetable oil
extra caramel, for drizzling
Put the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, coffee, milk, 20ml caramel sauce and oil in a bowl. Whisk until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain.
Add the extra 10ml of caramel sauce and swirl into the batter.
Pour the mixture into an oversized microwave-safe mug. Cook for 1 minute on high – the top of the cake should be dry.
Let the cake cool before adding a drizzle of caramel.
The Star