Jennifer Lee - 5-Minute Mug Cakes

Nearly 100 Yummy Microwave Cakes

Jennifer Lee

Race Point Publishing

An imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

276 Fifth Avenue, Suite 205

New York, New York 10001

RACE POINT PUBLISHING and the distinctive Race Point Publishing logo are trademarks of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Copyright Text by Jennifer Lee 2014

Copyright Photography by Race Point Publishing 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher.

Digital edition: 978-1-62788-396-2
Softcover edition: 978-1-93799-498-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

Text: Jennifer Lee

Photography: Jon Meade (www.jonmeadephotography.com)

Food Styling: Michelle Lo

Editorial Director: Jeannine Dillon

Project Manager: Erin Canning

Copyeditor: Lindsay Herman

Cover Designer: Heidi North

Did you know you can make a delicious cake in just 1 minute? Well, you can! Mug cakes are just what they sound like: single-serving desserts prepared directly in a mug and then cooked in the microwave. Most recipes in this book can be prepared in less than five minutes. They are instant dessertsperfect for those days when you just need a quick, scrumptious, sweet snack that requires little effort and few ingredients.

I first forayed into the world of mug cakes a few years ago. I was hesitant to make one for a very long time because the reviews for mug cakes were often negative: rubbery, dry, eggy. Then one day, I came across a recipe promising a moist chocolate mug cake. I was curious and gave it a try: It wasnt bad, but I thought it could be better. So I began to experiment with mug cakes in my kitchen. I finally came up with a mug cake I really loved: a heavenly Nutella chocolate mug cake. I posted it on my food blog, Kirbies Cravings. From there, things just took off.

My mind was churning out mug cake ideas faster than I could make them. My readers were equally enthusiastic, offering up tasty suggestions. People started referring to me as the Mug Cake Girl and before I knew it, I had more than 100 mug cake recipes posted on my food blog. Many of my mug cakes have even been shared in national publications. Early on, several people suggested that I turn my mug cake endeavors into a book, and when I was approached by a publisher to do so, I finally began to take the idea seriously.

My mug cakes take a back-to-basics approach, eliminating all unnecessary ingredients (which also often results in the recipes being eggless). This means that my cakes are not dry, rubbery, eggy, or high in caloriesall common problems that plague mug cakes. Instead, the flavors are pure as can be.

This book contains 100 scrumptious mug cake recipes for all sorts of occasions and tastes. Many of the treats in this book are brand-new, never-before-published recipes. There are much-loved classics like Cookie Cakes, Brownie Cakes, and Fruity Cakes. For the kid-at-heart or kid in your home, youll find nostalgic concoctions like the Hostess Cake, Smores Cake, PB&J Cake, and Hot Cocoa Cake, as well as adorable holiday-themed recipes with festive flavors like pumpkin, gingerbread, eggnog, and even Halloween candy! Ive also transformed sweet breakfast favorites into mug cake formtry the decadent Maple Syrup Pancake or French Toast Cake, the Blueberry Muffin Streusel or the Honey Swirl. There are boozy cakes, coffee and tea cakes, and yes, even savory cakes for those moments when you dont crave something sweet!

For people with dietary restrictions, Ive created recipes for Gluten-Free Cakes and Skinny Cakes (containing less than 200 calories), because no one should ever be deprived of their sweet-tooth fix. And finally, for the optimum insta-cake experience, youll find recipes requiring only four ingredients or lessno special trip to the supermarket required! Each mug cake has been tested, re-tested, and tested again, to ensure that only the best ended up in this book.

Perhaps youre too busy or too exhausted to make an entire cake. Maybe its late at night and you have a sudden, unrelenting craving for a slice of cake, yet there are no baked goods within reach. You might be cramming for a test or working on a big project, and you just really need an instant pick-me-up. Or maybe youve suffered the cruel misfortune of a broken-down oven. Whatever the circumstances, these mug cake recipes offer a quick and satisfying solution: With minimal prep and cleanup, they are great for virtually any situation, whether youre a baking novice or a magician in the kitchen, and whether youre snacking solo or serving guests. I hope you have a great time trying out these easy recipes, and I hope you reach for this book whenever the mug cake mood strikes.

I use a back-to-basics approach with my mug cakes, eliminating all unnecessary ingredients to ensure the purest flavors and healthier cakes. Youll notice that the ingredient lists are quite short and that most recipes dont call for egg (see Eggs on page xii to find out why).

Most of the ingredients used in these recipes are readily available at grocery stores in the U.S. Do try to use all the ingredients listed and make sure that all ingredients are properly measured out. If youre missing something you need, do not simply leave it out or replace it with a similar substitutethe recipe will not turn out well. For example, when a recipe calls for all-purpose flour, dont try to substitute wheat flour instead; likewise, if an ingredient list specifies store-bought peanut butter, dont swap it for the natural kind.

Similarly, try not to estimate measurements. These recipes work with a very small amount of ingredients, so inaccuracies in measurements make a huge impact in the result. To prevent any mug cake mishaps, please take a close look at your recipes ingredients and measurements before you begin.