Fudge Mug Cake

So yes...you do deserve a treat now and then. Your latest work project turned out superb or you found a twenty in the pocket of a coat you haven't worn all year or you coaxed a smile from the neighborhood curmudgeon. You DO deserve a treat! This simple mug cake may be just the ticket tonight. With a few readily available ingredients, fudgy deliciousness is only moments away...

Fudge Mug Cake (single serving)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together in a microwave safe mug. Then stir in the following:
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
After mixture is combined thoroughly, microwave on full power for approximately 1 minute 40 seconds. (Timing will vary for different models of microwaves.)

Hints: Make sure to stir all of the dry ingredients into the batter as there tends to be a bit that will stick in the joint where the bottom meets the sides of the mug. This batter should be very thick. The cake will raise during cooking but will sink quickly. The texture of the cake will be slightly sticky if cooked the right amount of time. If it is dry, it is overcooked and won't have nearly the delightfulness intended.

Easy to make, smells utterly delightful, tastes decadent, and complete in under three minutes. A winner on all fronts!  

Stella's Mini Chocolate Cakes

Happy 7th Birthday Stellie! She asked for mini chocolate cakes and what can a grandmother to do but comply?! Happy birthday Claus, too. (He is also fond of chocolate cake, for him I would put a bit of apricot jam in the depression and then pour some chocolate glaze on top and drizzled down the sides to mimic sacher torte.)

Stella's Mini Chocolate Cakes
1 cup dark chocolate chunks (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon soda
2/3 cup milk
Chocolate sour cream frosting (see Mud Ball Cookies )
Maraschino cherry halves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini tea cake pan with Baker's Joy (oil and flour coating). Place chocolate chunks in a food processor and process until the chocolate has become very fine particles. Set aside. Cream together butter, sour cream, sugar and salt. Add egg and mix throughly. Stir in flour, cocoa and soda. Continue beating while adding the milk slowly.  Stir in the chocolate dust and mix well. Spoon batter into the tea cake pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 14-16 minutes until tops spring back when touched lightly. Remove from oven. It may be useful to trim the domed part of each cake flat with a serrated knife. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then invert pan and place on cooling rack to cool completely. Pipe frosting into depression on top of cakes and then top with cherry halves.

Hints: The tea cake pan is available at cookware stores or via Amazon. A mini muffin pan would work instead -- perhaps with some mini cupcake liners. There will be enough batter for more than 24 tea cakes but don't overfill the cups. Use semi sweet chocolate chips if you prefer a bit lighter chocolate taste. I use unsifted all purpose flour and Hershey's cocoa. Baker's Joy is easy but you can also grease and flour the cups the old fashioned way. Don't over bake or the cakes will be too dry. I put the frosting in a plastic bag and cut a corner off the bottom then pipe it out onto the cakes -- this is a very easy way to get a smooth flow and then you can throw it away without any cleanup.

This cake was inspired by my brother Craig's "black out" cake. He is a very good cook and I alway enjoy the dishes he shares. That's the best thing about knowing good cooks, they inspire you to create new and wonderful recipes. Thanks Craig -- and Stella thanks you too. 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake in a Mug

A quick treat, these individual cakes are cooked in the microwave. They end up light and fluffy--which is a surprise considering the microwave method. It is a bit of tropical indulgence for a cold winter night but they would be tasty any time of year, I'm sure.

Individual Microwave Pineapple Cake
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh pineapple
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Place in a microwave safe mug and cook for 20 seconds on high. Set aside.
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg yolk or white
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
3 tablespoons milk
flaked coconut and maraschino cherry for garnish, (optional)
Stir together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add egg, oil, vanilla, lemon juice, ginger (if using) and milk. Whisk until smooth. Pour on top of pineapple and cook for 2 minutes, (see Hints), on high setting of microwave. Check to see if cake is cooked through. Cook an additional 15 to 30 seconds if needed. The cake should be set and hold it's shape but the top of the cake should be sticky, not dry. Flip over onto a serving plate if desired, using a spoon to release the sides a bit so the cake will fall out of the mug. Garnish with coconut and cherry.

Hints: This cake can be doubled--use a whole egg and divide the batter into two mugs. Cook them separately. I suppose that using canned pineapple would work fine. Microwaves are different and you will need to figure out cooking times for yours. Mine cooked the cake perfectly in 2 minutes. You can eat this straight out of the mug but be sure to dig deep with the spoon and get some of the pineapple sauce.

Once in awhile a sweet treat hits the spot. And if you are like me, there are seldom cakes and cookies hanging out around the house. This is a quick way to make just enough for the moment. 

Cranberry Carrot Cake

Nice, fresh cranberries are in season right now. This rich, moist cake is so flavorful, so delectable, so colorful, you'll want to make it again and again. Great to take to a pot luck Holiday Party. Or make mini cakes and take to friends and neighbors as a gift. And the buttercream... ahh! blissful!

Cranberry Carrot Cake
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup canola oil
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
2/3 to 1 cup walnut pieces or pine nuts
Gingered Clementine Buttercream (see recipe below)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan, a large bunt pan or two 9 inch layer cake pans. (For the photo above, I used a star shaped bread baking tube). Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, honey and oil. Mix well. Add flours, baking powder, salt and spices. Beat until smooth. Place cranberries in a food processor and pulse 10 to 12 times, scraping sides of bowl half way through. Mix cranberries, carrot and walnuts into batter. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 45 to 50 minutes for a 9x13 pan--a bit longer for a bunt pan and a bit less for layer pans (the star tube took 40 minutes). Allow to cool and frost with buttercream before serving.

The cranberries should be chopped finely but not liquified.

Gingered Clementine Buttercream
3/4 cups butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1 clementine, zest and juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat butter until fluffy with a electric mixer. Beat in ginger and zest. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and mix well. Add juice and salt and beat again. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

Hints: I served the frosting on the side of cake slices in the top photo to allow people to use as much or as little frosting as they wanted. You could garnish the cake with some clementine sections or whole cranberries. I didn't bother to peel the carrots for this recipe. You could certainly chop the cranberries without a food processor. Be sure and pick over the cranberries, discarding any that are soft or brown. This buttercream would be super on any type of spice cake or citrus flavored cake, great on sugar cookies, too. You will need to adjust the amount of powdered sugar to get just the spreading consistency you want for the buttercream. I've also made it with a combination of cream cheese and butter - worked out great.

Makes 24 cupcakes. Bake for 20-23 minutes.

It is so interesting to listen to what folks say about a table full of cake slices. Some of us get excited about chocolate. Others love a white cake. Red velvet rings the bell for a few and carrot cake does it for others. "OOhh that looks like maple icing!" or "Eeww that looks like maple icing!" We all have our favorites and those we won't willingly choose. What makes the difference? I think it may have something to do with taste buds or textural cues but I think it may have a lot to do with prior life experiences. I remember my Mom telling me that Lemon Meringue pie was awful. Then one day I tasted it. Hello Lemon!!! One of my children laments the years she spent avoiding coconut--all those wasted Trick or Treat times she could have chosen an Almond Joy! My husband tells of his childhood distrust of sour cream. Who would want to eat sour cream? I feel lucky to be fond of trying new things and luckier still that I nearly always enjoy what I get.