2/23/16 — Cold weather on Cape Cod brings out a certain type of cook. When you literally cannot get to your grill because it is stuck shut with the frozen glaze of ice like fine marble, you move indoors. The good old crock pot is always a “go-to” for cooking when you have time to simmer a weeks worth of hardy meals. But what if you are looking for something sweet? And what if you live alone so a large batch of cookies or a chocolate layer cake is not practical? You move on to creative single-serve concoctions you can whip up in the microwave.
To my foodie friends, I want to humbly apologize for the entire last statement. I would also like to confess (in hopes of absolution) that I attempted to make “something I saw on the internet.” Twice.
I made a MUG CAKE. Wait, let me re-phrase that. I made a mess.
The first time I tried to make a mug cake, it was on a dare from a co-worker who saw the recipes scrolling through her social media accompanied by glossy photographs of rich chocolaty cakes with ooey-gooey fillings topped with a dollop of whipped cream or frosting – all nestled snugly into a favorite coffee mug or tea cup.
Let me rewind… “Saw it online” should have been my first red flag. But, as you know, I am never one to back down from a challenge: especially in the kitchen.
My first attempt was an egg/flour based recipe that described itself as a “Cookie Dough Mug Cake.” It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good, either. You see, most of these “microwave recipes for lonely people” cook for a mere 60 seconds… which is ample time to transform room-temperature sugar and egg to a molten-hot sweetened spackle that will adhere to the delicate skin in your mouth with ruthless abandon. If you wait too long, it will cool to the consistency of a bocce ball. This recipe said to “eat it while it’s hot.” My advice: Please don’t.
Attempt #2 went slightly better. This recipe was listed as a “chocolate chip cake for one” dessert. No eggs, and it required baking powder, which put it closer to a muffin recipe. I swapped the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips. Again, 60 seconds in the microwave to heat to scorching lava. This particular recipe advised “wait until cool to eat.” I am sure 5 or 10 minutes would have been enough, but I started to play fetch with Zorro, thus leaving my ceramic cake mold to chill for 45 minutes. This mug cake did not harden to a marble statue, but more like a day-old scone. I had hoped it would taste as good as a leftover baked good, but there was something odd about it. I had visions of the steak scene from “The Fly” starring Jeff Goldblum. He sent a steak through his tele-pod to see if it tastes the same after travel. It didn’t.I have a general theory that most food (especially baked goods) won’t taste the same after microwaving either.
I had to admit a temporary defeat and bough a box of Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Sandwiches to hide in my cabinet for the next time I want a single-serve treat.That said, one of my friends swears Trisha Yearwood has a recipe for chocolate mug cake that is both “foolproof” and “wicked totally yummy delicious”.
Here is her recipe as listed on the Food Network website:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/chocolate-cake-in-a-mug.html
Perhaps I will try her recipe after I chisel out the leftovers from my last two attempts….
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