apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I started doing something like this with No-Pudge Fudge brownie mix, which has instructions for a single brownie (but any complete brownie mix will work if you're doing the same "just add yogurt or sour cream" brownie). It makes a little cakelike brownie in a cup or bowl--just enough to get past that craving.

Tried the chocolate cake-in-a-mug last night -- it wasn't bad. The cake did have a couple startling traits, though -- I don't know whether my mug was too small or I beat the egg too much, but about halfway through cooking I noticed that the cake was actually sliding up and out of the mug and coming very dangerously close to ejecting itself from the mug and falling over the edge. I turned it off, poked it back down in, turned the microwave on again, and when it rose up again I just stopped cooking.

The cake also did make a slightly disconcerting "splorp" noise when I slid it out onto a plate. Tasted okay, though.

I don't know that I'm motivated to eat the nearly 800 calories that are in that single serving cake if it's just okay. But normal chocolate cupcakes and cakes freeze and reheat well.

I thought the cake was actually quite good and much better than a frozen/ reheated cake-- which I find very dry.

Then I read terremotia's comment and realized the calorie count! But it really is two servings. So for a five minute fresh chocolate cake at 400 calories-- I'll take it to satisfy that chocolate urge.

Now I'm going to try to make it without the oil-- I'm thinking extra egg white and milk could do the trick.

It probably would-- but if not, try applesauce and a little butter. Let me know.

Probably doesn't hurt that my standard chocolate cake recipe errs on the goopy side, too. (I use Orangette's, and for whatever reason, it's always just a little moister than I'd like the first day.)