Bilderback - Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

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This book is dedicated to all the CSs in the United States Navythose I have taught, and those I have yet to teach through the Adopt-a-Ship program. Thanks for welcoming me aboard.

introduction

If theres anything on earth that can bring a smile faster than a piece of cake, its a cake you can make in five minutes.

The idea of making a cake in the microwave will certainly be poo-pooed by the professionals. But this is not a book to help you gain a spot on the Culinary Olympic team. This book is here to fulfill the cake craving you have after a long day at work, or in the middle of the night, or when the plumber presents you with a $900 invoice.

This book is also here to quash all preconceived notions you have about baking. Pastry chefs have long touted pastry as a science. Well, yes, it is. But so is cooking a chicken, planting a sunflower seed, balancing your checkbook, and changing the oil in your car. That it is a science does not mean only the professionally trained can do it, nor does it mean that it is too difficult for you to understand. Pastry chefs long ago perpetuated this idea so they could feel more important. And every time a cook is too afraid to try baking, those fossilized pastry chefs and their arrogant egotism win. So dont be intimidated! There is no better way to stick it to those bygone bakers than to create fabulous desserts in a mug, in a microwave, in five minutes.

Most of all, this book is here to stimulate your creative appetite, and get you in the kitchen making great cakes from scratch. There are hundreds of ideas here to get you started. And once you see how easy these cakes are, and you grasp the idea that baking is no big deal, please continue the exploration on your own. Try things. Combine things. Experiment. What have you got to lose? Baking ingredients are cheap. If you make a mistake, no harm, no foul. Just try again.

mug cake basics

Cake batter is cake batter, whether it is intended for a wedding cake or a microwaveable mug. Volume is the difference, and since this book is dedicated to cakes on a very small scale, a few things must be taken into consideration.

MUGS

Most of the recipes in this book are written for two mugs. That is because there is no standard mug size. When creating these recipes, an average mug, like the one you get at a coffee shop, was the base of reference. That said, most of these recipes will fit into a single jumbo mug, like the kind you can find at every souvenir shop from Myrtle Beach to Santa Cruz. The golden rule of mug cake baking is to fill the mug no more than half full. If you stick to that, you will avoid overflow (and an extra chore).

Mug cakes dont have to be baked in mugs, but they do need to be baked in something microwavable. Glasses, jars, ceramic ramekins, and even paper cups work well. Keep in mind, however, that they will be hot when they come out of the oven. If there is no handle, a pot holder is useful, and you may want to serve it on a saucer or a plate.

Keep in mind that different containers will require different cooking times. A thin paper cup cooks a mug cake in about a minute. But a thick ceramic mug can take up to 2 minutes. Use your best judgment, and experiment. It only takes one or two mug cakes to become an expert.

MIXING

Some cake recipes have complicated techniques. Not so with mug cakes. Their very nature requires simplicity. With few exceptions, everything is mixed together right in the mug. A fork is the easiest tool to use, and it makes licking the batter practically mandatory.

When recipes call for mixing or stirring they mean simply thatcombining the ingredients loosely. If it requires beating the batter, that means mix the ingredients completely until they are smooth and lump free. This should take less than a minute. Generally the stirring comes first, and the beating comes at the end. Folding means to stir once or twice only, usually to incorporate floating garnishes like chocolate chips or berries. In one or two cases the instruction calls for whipping, which is a technique designed to incorporate as much air as possible. This is not easy in a mug, and in these cases the recipe will call for a special tool, either a frother, or a whisk and a bowl.

MICROWAVES

There are no special instructions for baking a mug cake. Simply use the basic Cook settings. Just as there are no standard mug sizes, there are also no standard microwaves, but they all work in the same way. Water absorbs the microwave radiation, putting molecules in motion.

The golden brown on the top of traditionally baked cakes is created by the caramelization of sugar, which occurs at 320F. The temperature in a microwave does not get much hotter than 212F, the vaporization point of water (because once the water is gone, there is nothing left to heat). As a result, your mug cakes will be, as we say in the business, blonde.

The advantage of the microwave oven is, of course, speed. The disadvantage is that such speed makes overcooking a real possibility. The cooking times in this book are given in a range, generally 1 to 2 minutes. Always start with the shorter time first. Then check the cake by carefully touching the top. It should be firm and springy, not at all doughy. If necessary, continue cooking in 10 to 15 second increments, until you figure out how long it will take your microwave to cook the cake.

When proteins in the batter start to solidify in a regular oven, the steam and gas generated by the liquids and leavening cause the cake to rise. In the microwave, that rise happens quickly. Once the cakes are removed from the microwave, deflation happens quickly, too. Dont be discouraged by a sinking cake. It is normal. Try to resist the temptation to fill the mug more than half full. If you do, you will likely encounter an overflow problem.

FLOUR

Because the idea behind the mug cake is speed and ease, and because the batches of cake batter are so small, most recipes in the book call for self-rising flour.

DO NOT WORRY IF YOU DO NOT HAVE SELF-RISING FLOUR ! (See a substitution ratio below.)

Many mug cakes made with all-purpose flour and a measurement of baking powder or soda often take on a salty, chemical flavor from too much chemical leavening. The self-rising flour solves this problem. In its absence, it is preferable to make your own small batch of self-rising flour, and store it for use in several mug cakes.

But, once you discover how much you love mug cakes, pick up a bag of self-rising flour the next time you are at the market. It will produce better, more consistent mug cakes.

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