Gosh, you guys are all so sweet and kind! Thanks for all the sympathy for my empty nest. I enjoyed reading all of your comments. Sweet Molly even left me a nice bit of prose from Erma Bombeck on her blog — if you haven’t been there, run over and read it. Thanks Molly, I love it!
So, while I sat around wondering where the last 24 years went, I managed to log into Ravelry since so many of you are participating in the Ravelympics. I always forget to check in on Ravelry and I think it’s partly because it just confuses me. There’s SO much going on there — it’s like it’s own separate blogland. One click leads to the next and pretty soon you’re lost. Today’s very short session got me lost somewhere in a food thread and I found this recipe for a 5 minute chocolate cake. Sign me up! Anything for a beeline to chocolate!
You make this cake in a coffee mug and the recipe goes something like this:
Stir 4 T cake flour (not self-rising), 4 T sugar, and 2 T baking cocoa into a mug and mix well. Add 1 egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in 3 T milk and 3T oil (several people commented that this seemed to be too much, so I only added 1 1/2 T oil) and mix well. Add 3 T choc. chips (optional — I opted not) and a splash of vanilla and mix again. Put the mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
Here’s how my cake looked through the microwave window at about the 2 minute mark. It grows way out of the mug, but the recipe said not to worry about that.
When you remove the mug from the microwave, it will shrink back into the mug. Allow it to cool, run a knife around the edge and tip it out onto a plate to serve.
There was a lot of discussion on Ravelry about all the possibilities for this little cake. Add ice cream, sauces…the sky’s the limit. I decided to sprinkle mine with powdered sugar.
How’d it turn out? Well, I thought it was a little rubbery. Maybe my microwave runs hotter than 1000 watts? Maybe it needed a little less egg? Proportionally a whole egg is a lot — doesn’t a whole cake usually only take 2 or 3 eggs? Maybe it really did need 3 T oil??? If you try this cake, I’d love to know what you think of it or if you found anything that made it be a little less tough. TheManoftheHouse ate it but I only had a bite. I guess I’ve just been spoiled by MeMum’s awesome chocolate cakes that are moist and delicious and loaded with great frosting. I really missed the frosting option about this little mug cake.
And while we’re talking Ravelry and knitting, here’s the precious little knitting that’s been happening around here. I was working on this dishrag a little bit at the rehab hospital when visiting BigDaddy, but then MeMum and I discovered that we can play Hand and Foot while we’re sitting around, so that shot my productivity all to pieces! Anyway, this pattern is called Washcloth Sampler and the quilty peeps got it from The Idea Studio in Chicago when we went there for the April quilt show. It was a freebie and there isn’t any kind of a copyright on the pattern so I posted it over in my projects section (here) for anyone who might be interested.
I sure hope you’re out there getting more done than I am!
XOXO,
Anna
OMG – that recipes sounds and looks amazing! I will definitely have to try it! Thanks for sharing!!
okay so i totally love you. let’s just get that out there. but chocolate cake in the microwave????????
AAANNNAAAA, anything cooked in the microwave isn’t even food any longer (she shouts from california!)
:sounds all tree huggery
microwaves alter the molecular structure of food so that your body can no longer recognize the food to break it down or utilize it.
how is your body going to utilize chocolate if you microwave it? hmmmm?
Love your dishcloth – will have to check out the pattern! In fact I am taking my duaghter to a rehearsal this afternoon and could do with a take along project! Love the concept of a cake in a mug – could be useful for people who don’t have access to a conventional oven.
I’m going to chime in with brigita, and mention a science project I saw detailed online. A young girl had two identical plants in pots indoors. She watered both with the same water, but one plant’s water was microwaved and allowed to cool first.
The plant which was watered with the microwaved water died. Within a short time.
And anyway, microwaves always make bread rubbery. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like them (totally apart from the reasons mentioned above). I use my microwave for melting glycerine soap and setting Kool-Aid dye, but that’s it.
I’m thinking I’m going to try this cake recipe in the oven, though. Maybe a temp a little cooler than cupcakes, and for a little longer . . . it sounds yummy, and would make a really fun dessert for a party (provided you had enough mugs for everyone).
Pretty dishcloth, too. Which cotton is that?
Okay, officially rambling. Must. get. to. bed. As soon as the cheesecake cools enough for me to get it in the fridge . . .
Note to self: next time, read up on the TOTAL time it takes to make a cheesecake, including cooling times, before starting one at 8:30pm.
Since I had some time on my hands, I made a chart for the washcloth pattern. Here ’tis:
Sampler Washcloth Chart
There. Don’t I feel all techy. :o) lol
Just kidding. That’s a link to one of my patterns. (doh Doh DOH) Here’s the REAL chart:
Sampler Washcloth Chart Page
It’s not beautiful, but it works.
I love the wash-cloths, the yarn is very pretty. What’s hand and mouth? It sounds very much like a British farmyard disease!
Oh yum! Very mean though I anm on a diet! Very pretty colours in your beautiful knitting!
I don’t care if it’s cooked in the microwave -I’m trying it – I often only have 10 mins to spare so it’s perfect for me, rubbery or not!!!! V excited, but what is a ‘T’? Tablespoon?
That must be the prettiest dishcloth I’ve ever seen! Surely too pretty to be plunged into greasy dishwater??
Yum, what a great idea – I don’t usually want dessert but dear old hubby always does – I might actually teach him how to do this one!
Love those dishcloths –
since annalea broke the “you can only comment one time per post rule”, by TWO TIMES, i’m going to post again!
is that cotton yarn on those darling wash cloths? would you actually use those? for what? i’m not being &^%$@-y, i’m just curious because i think they’re cute. i don’t know how to knit, so i’d have to show it to melissa to figure it out but i’m just curious.
the last 24 years? you raised that wonderful boy. and he’s going to be a DOCTOR, so when you’re old,and you want to talk about your poop, or your bursitis,or whatever is on your feeble little mind, ONE of your kids might actually care about it! my mother just lived here for a few months and my eldest, bless his heart, warned me to be more interesting than her when i’m old or i’ll end up in a cheap rest home without visitors.
Oh my…chocolate cake in a mug…we could be in big trouble now. Love the washcloth. I’ll have to get mom some yarn and get her knitting.
Eh, you are braver than I. I would never even think of “eating” a cake that baked like that. It only seems like a recipe for yuck to me. LOL
hmmmmmm – I with the other few – not sure I would be digging into microwave cake – seriously I don’t think I’ve ever had anything good that’s been “cooked” in one. Heating up is a good thing for those suckers – but chocolate cake with really really hip padding frosting just can’t be beat there sister. But hey I give credit for giving it a whirl and reporting back to your faithful followers. Love the washcloth – really cute yarn – thanks for the tutorial – it’s being printed to share with the peeps.
Hugs – Karen
I have to say, too, Anna, that microwave baking sounds sooo not right…and like cooking meat in the micro, to me, is another no-no.
I grew up using knitted dishcloths but not ones with pretty colors as yours.
What a fab cake idea! I’ll have to show it to Dot – she’s really into cooking at the moment and made her first fairy cakes this morning before I was even up for her granny’s (my mum) birthday – we were meeting them in Newcastle to go shopping today. Does T stand for tablespoon? I’m guessing it does.
Lucy x
Hey you play hand and foot too? Cool. We’ve played with some friends for probably 15 years on and off on a Friday here and there. Its fun. The cake – I’m intriqued. I think I’ll tell Laura to try it. It looks fun – a mini personal cake but I’m not into rubbery. I think rubber goes with the microwave. I wonder what would happen if you put it in the regular oven in pirex type mug or something. Interesting. Yeah my husband will pretty much eat anything and he’d eat this too I’m sure – rubbery or not.
Love the knitting. My daughter SHelbie Loves ravelry. Loves.
Good post.
Okay, love the idea of cooking small desserts, which is why I bought this book once for making small one person lovely desserts…all kinds. When I go back into the kitchen I’ll grab the book and see what I can find in the way of super easy chocolate cake and see what the egg amount and the oil amount says. then I’ll comment back.
sitting around playing hand and foot sounds pretty good to me!
I’ve been wanting to find an individual-sized microwave chocolate cake…I have a few recipes I’d like to try. Thanks for this one!
I have recently found a few chocolate recipes not quite as quick as your but almost but all are super-duper delicious. And easy as you know all my recipes are because I am the laziest of lazy cooks. I’ll send them your way.
Ahahaha….have to laugh with the commenter about hand and foot sounding like a barnyard disease – my mil loves to play that and it always makes me think of hoof and mouth disease! The microwave thingy looks interesting but I think I’ll stick with my Ghiradelli brownie mix when I need a quick chocolate fix. ; ) Cute washcloth!!
The very idea of chocolate cake in the microwave is an abomination! Of course it tasted like rubber. I have the most kick-ass, quick and easy chocolate cake recipe that everyone swoons over. If you’re very good and give over abusing chocolate by putting it in the microwave, I might even post it one of these days….
Hand and foot? What is this? I like the dish cloth though. Pretty, pretty…too pretty to scrub with!
MIcrowave cake sounds like a great idea, but I guess you just can’t beat the tried and true ways.
Your blog is so fun! I love your recipes! Thank you for checking mine out as well. I will continue to tune in to your blog.
Thanks for sharing the cake recipe. I think it will make a great after school treat this fall. Have a great day. Em
Anna – How’s my favorite friend? Just wanted to let you know that I gave you an award. Go to my blog to check it out! Looks like Congratulations for No. 1 Son are in order. Talk to you soon. :)
Erin
Chocolate and knitting, what could be better? Your pictures are making me hungry. I really like the knitting project and appreciate your sharing the pattern as I’m tired of the ones I use for the charity washcloths I make.
I’m trying to ignore all recipes for chocolate cake – or any other kind of cake if it comes to that! Like the washcloth though so may have a go at knitting a couple in between all the small people garments that I’m doing.
thanks for the lovely pattern Anna…Maisie has made quite a few of those mug cakes, she says they go hard when they are cold!
love that you have a Hershey mug for that cake – lol!
Anna, two things: Wow and wow. So first the cake…I can’t really bake so this recipe sounds like incredible, I don’t care if its rubbery. Your knitting is super cute those colors are absolutely wonderful…I am so totally trying that cake tomorrow. But first I am reading every single comment to get as many tips as possible.
Seems to me lots of things come out of the microwave rubbery….
I love chocolate cake and I eat chocolate cake but in the micro!! I don’t use the silly thing except to melt chocolate and/or butter. I may have to try this though. It looks pretty yummy!! I love your dishrags and it would be a quick project. Of course the way I knit it could be a very very long project!
Oh those dish rags are so cute. I don’t knit much but I started a bag that you knit and then felt, I got about 2 rows done and lost the whole project including all my knitting needles cuz I was keeping everything together, if that bag ever turns up I will definitely try those rags :)
I tend to agree with some of the comments about cooking in the microwave, but that cake just looks too fun. I’m going to have to try it.
And as always your handywork is amazing!! Great kintting.
Just minding my own business, just a hoppin’ and a skippin’ around blogland. I may have even been whistling, I danno. Was all content to travel around some more, but nooooooo…. now I have to go and make me a mug cake! You temptress, you.
As always… I love your photography!
38 comments over rubbery cake inna mug? it’s your massively amazing photography skills. oh, and your wit and charm that suck us in.
go check out bunnyhill, she’s taunting me with bittybird. i’m going to start having nightmares with woolen bird pincushions in them.
:nods off
Anna, Just getting caught up after being away and the chocolate intrigued me. Looks great, but I bet even though it was rubbery it probably still tasted good. I mean how can chocolate be bad?? The white coat ceremony sounded great and again congrats to your son!! I bet you are one proud mama
Hi Anna—wondering if you got my email message? And if I have the green light??
As Someone once said to me concerning cake: “That’s what canned frosting is for…”
My kids sometimes make microwave brownies which are pretty good IF you don’t overcook them. I’m with you, Anna, nothing beats a good old-fashioned chocolate cake fresh out of the oven. I just make a zucchini chocolate cake that is out of this world. I’ll have to post it on my blog sometime.
GREAT washcloths!
Jody