The mighty mug cake

My new favourite dessert is without a doubt… (drum roll please)…. the Mighty Mug Cake!

It ticks all my criteria:

·         Quick and simple to make

·         Healthy (as healthy as possible for a dessert) 

·         Contains chocolate

Oh, and there are endless variations, which again is important to me as I love experimenting and have an aversion to making exactly the same thing twice!

This is the perfect single serving snack… perfect for when you need a quick fix or a little something to cap off a virtuous dinner. I also think in many ways it makes you even healthier as you don’t have to make a whole batch of cookies or a full size cake which means there are no leftovers to be tempted by on subsequent days (there is a logic there somewhere!)

I will no doubt be sharing more mug cake recipes in the coming weeks and months so please check back!

There are countless vegan mug cake recipes out there on the internet, many with varying ratings and seemingly unpredictable results. In making my first mug cake I combined 'the best' of a number of recipes and had a go. The result was super yummy BUT not healthy in any way, so in order to rectify this and produce a yummy but 'healthy' cake for my blog (and for my life!) I subbed the oil, sugar and flour for healthier versions reducing the oil and using part soy yoghurt in the process. I bet you wouldn't be able to taste the difference!

Recipe: ‘the original’ chocolate mug cake

Serves 1 mug or 2 ramekins (if you can bare to share!)

Ingredients:

3 tbs wholewheat flour

1 tbs rapadura and a few grains of stevia! (approx. 1/8th tsp)

Tiny pinch salt

1 tbs cocoa and 1/3 tsp chocolate extract (or 2 tbs cocoa)

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

3 tbs soy milk

1 tbs coconut butter

1tbs soy yoghurt or apple puree (I used yoghurt)

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs dark chocolate chunks

1 tsp choppped nuts (optional)

(Note: in these pictures I'd added fresh orange juice to sub some of the soy milk and some grated orange rind and flesh to the batter to make a chocolate orange cake- super yummy!)

Method:

Place coconut butter, vanilla and soy milk in a mug and melt together until coconut melted. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and mix together.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in the mug and keep mixing until there are no lumps or dry patches of unmixed flour. Mix half the choc chunks through the mixture and sprinkle the remaining on the top along with nuts if using.  Cook on full power (900W) in microwave for 1 minute. Check with a cocktail stick until stick comes out almost clean. Cook for 20 seconds more if necessary (up to two times) until cooked. Note: timing is critical so you don't end up with a dry cake!!