So, I found this recipe on the Internet. It claimed to be a 2-ingredient chocolate cake ready in the microwave in 90 seconds. I was dubious, but decided to give it a try anyway.

Unfortunately, recipe as written, it didn't really work.
Four tablespoons of Milo mixed with a tablespoon of milk just produces a thin layer of chocolate cement at the bottom of the mug when microwaved. It's not inedible, but it's not very good either.

For attempt #2, I doubled the recipe -- 1/2 c. of Milo and 2 Tbsp. of milk -- and also added 1/4 tsp. of baking powder because it seemed like it really wanted some leavener. I gave that 2 minutes in the microwave (checking it every 30 seconds or so) and that seemed to work much better!

Don't get me wrong, it's still not great, but it's a marked improvement over version 1. And not the worst thing in the world if you're craving a quick chocolate fix.

Milo Mug Cake

Adapted from Taste.com.au

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. Milo
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. milk

Directions

1. Combine the Milo and baking powder in a mug.
2. Stir in the milk.
3. Microwave on high for 30 seconds.
4. Stir, then microwave for another 60-90 seconds, checking every 30 seconds or so.
5. Serve with fresh berries and/or ice cream.

Weight Watchers billed this recipe as a "cake". Looking at it -- and tasting the results -- I would say it's more of a baked oatmeal. Although I will grant them that adding the raspberries does take it up a notch and make it feel a bit more sweet and indulgent. (I mean, it still tastes fairly lean and "wholesome", but it was enough to scratch that dessert itch for me tonight.)

I think I'd be inclined to add a little vanilla (and maybe a touch more maple syrup) next time, but it was decent overall. Especially considering that it managed to squeak through at only 2 "Points" per serving. (Obviously the Points per serving would increase if you started doing things like bumping up the maple syrup quantities, but at least this gives you a low-cost starting point.)

The recipe calls for plain Greek yogurt, but I only had regular yogurt, so my "batter" came out pretty runny. It still cooked up fine though. I think it might've been nice to add another tablespoon or two of oats to the mix, but maybe I wouldn't have wanted that if I'd been using the thicker, lower moisture Greek yogurt called for.

Microwave Baked Oatmeal

Slightly adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients

• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 1/4 c. plain (Greek) yogurt, preferably fat-free
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. uncooked quick oats
• 2/3 c. fresh or frozen raspberries

directions

1. Mash banana and combine it with the yogurt, cinnamon, and vanilla.
2. Mix in the eggs.
3. Stir in the oats.
4. Divide mixture evenly between two mugs.
5. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
6. Stir, then microwave on high for another 1 1/2-2 minutes.
7. Top each portion with half of the raspberries and serve.

I've made a few differen mug cakes over the years, but it never really occurred to me to try a mug cookie before. I'm actually pretty pleased with how this one turned out. It's especially good with a square of chocolate plopped on top to get all melty and delicious during the last minute or so of cooking.

The original recipe called for 3 Tbsp. of smooth peanut butter + 1 Tbsp. of chopped peanuts. I only had crunchy peanut butter on hand, so I decided to just go with 1/4 c. of crunchy and that worked out great. I like using a "natural", just-peanuts-style peanut butter. It should work fine with sweetened (and salted) peanut butters as well, but I would be inclined to cut back on the sugar slightly if using one of those.

Peanut Butter Mug Cookie

Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. butter¹
• 1/4 c. crunchy peanut butter (preferably "natural")
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 large egg yolk²
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 square of chocolate (optional)

Directions

1. Place the butter and peanut butter in a large mug and microwave for 30-60 seconds to soften.
2. Mix to combine.
3. Stir in sugar.
4. Add egg yolk and mix well.
5. Stir in flour.
6. Now add the milk and vanilla and mix well.
7. Microwave for 1-3 minutes in 1-minute bursts. The exact amount of time needed will depend on the mug and the microwave being used. Microwave until set and cooked through.
8. If desired, once the cookie is almost done, add a square of chocolate on top before putting it in for the last 1-minute burst.

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¹ I used unsalted butter. I think salted would also be okay for this application. ^Back
2 In future, I'd be inclined to try making this with a whole egg. I suspect 1 medium egg would work in place of the large egg yolk. It'd be a little less rich, of course, but I think it'd still work. ^Back

Microwave Mug Cake

This is a quick and easy way to make a single-serving chocolate cake with minimal ingredients. It won't win any awards, but it's tasty and a good way to make a quick dessert when you want cake but it's nearly midnight and you don't want to bake a whole one.

Ingredients

• ¼ C flour
• ¼ C sugar sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa (or 1 tbsp dutched cocoa)
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp oil
• a splash of vanilla
• chocolate chips, dried fruit, or other inclusions to taste

Procedure

1. Mix together dry ingredients in a coffee mug.
2. Add the wet ingredients and mix well.
3. Add the inclusions, if any.
4. Microwave on high for three minutes.