PURCHASE: Link
AUTHOR SITE: Link
MY GRADE: A
SYNOPSIS: Satisfy your sweet tooth instantly with a microwave cake baked in a mug. "Mug Cakes" contains one hundred recipes that are ready in a matter of minutes Why reach for store-bought mix that takes up to an hour to bake? Let "Mug Cakes" show you how to make a quick, tiny batter to mix in a mug with a fork They are the perfect personal serving size when you don't feel like baking an entire cake.
With dozens of mouthwatering recipes, there is something to please every taste. It's all here, from basic Buttermilk Cake to fancy Chocolate Caramel Fleur de Sel. Let the kids try their hand at S'mores and Root Beer Float cakes. Then send them to bed and try the liquor-infused recipes from the Adults Only chapter. There are recipes for cake lovers with special dietary needs, and even noncake recipes like mug puddings, pies, and cheesecakes, when you get tired of cake (yes...it can happen ). So if you've got five minutes to spare, grab a mug, mix up a mug cake, and satisfy your sweet tooth ASAP.
Categories are: Mug Cake Basics, Classics, Fancy-Schmancy, Kids' Stuff, Adults Only, Choc-O-Rama (my favorite!) Nuts to You, Celebrate, For the Sensitive Ones, Toppings and Garnishes.
THINGS I'VE MADE
FLUFFERNUTTER CAKE: This is a peanut butter cake with marshmallow cream in the batter. I used melted mini marshmallows and stirred them in. I couldn't really taste the marshmallow so perhaps next time I'll use a little more of them and less brown sugar. Though it had salt in it from the self-rising flour it needed more. Next time I'll add a big pinch. On this one too I used fudge frosting. These took 1:10 each.
DEVIL'S FOOD: I followed the recipe except I used regular milk in place of buttermilk. As per directions I baked each cake separately and it took just 1:20 each in my 700 watt microwave. Cakes baked up as usual with a domed top. I used my own recipe for fudge frosting on these, topped each with toasted pecans and vanilla ice cream.
CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE: Mayo is made mostly from egg yolk and oil so those are omitted from this recipe. Don't worry- you can't taste any lemon/vinegar from the mayo. This recipe makes just one cake so I doubled the recipe and I've made it twice. Both times the cakes were dense and fudge-like, sort of like a fudge brownie versus a cake-like one, and didn't bake up as high as the non mayo cakes. They were salty too from the mayo and self-rising flour, which has salt in it already. Next time I'm going to use homemade self-rising flour without salt added. I used the same homemade fudge frosting, pecans, and ice cream. These took about 1:25 each.
MY THOUGHTS: This is a great book. I usually bake half of a cake, which makes a 9" round or up to 12 cupcakes, but sometimes that's too much. Each recipe in this book makes two mug cakes but a couple make just one. You're supposed to mix the cakes up in a mug but there really isn't room for that. I used a small mixing bowl. Every cake I made I used these exact bowls. They're 4 3/4" W x 2 1/8" D. You'll get two cakes if using a bowl that size. If using smaller bowls, you'll need at least three of them. Like the author says in the book, no matter what size mug or bowl you use fill it only halfway because the cakes bake up high! I made all these cakes in a 700 watt microwave.
Most recipes in here use self-rising flour but the author says you can make your own using 3/4 t. baking powder per 1 c. all-purpose flour. I did that for the first two cakes I made because I didn't have any self-rising. If making your own self-rising, don't add salt to the flour. Just make sure to add a big pinch of salt to the recipe.
There are so many more I want and plan to make but time won't allow for it right now. More I'm going to try are: Apple-Rosemary, PB and J, Black Forest, Black Cherry, Deep Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Turtle, Caramel Apple, just to name a few!
I think one egg may be too much for two smaller cakes so I'm going to try using just an egg white or yolk per two cakes and see how that goes.
This book is perfect for someone who lives alone and doesn't want to make a big cake or has other people in the house who aren't into sweets so they need something smaller just for themselves. Most of the cake images on the cover aren't in the book so I'm not sure which cakes they are.
I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
