Mug cakes are lifesavers for me — when I am happy, when I am sad, when I am hungry and when I am having a hue sugar craving. But not all mug cakes made in the microwave turn out well.

In fact, in the beginning of my cooking experiments, there were some really awful ones that tasted like concrete, seriously, because they were so dry, hard and dull. But with practice, things turn out better and mostly because I don’t get fooled by the wet look of the cake and overcook it.

Yes, the most important thing about cooking a cake in the microwave is not to overcook it, for it will become hard and dry. It may appear a little wet to touch from the top, but will be soft and moist on the inside and once you cook it for a few seconds more, it will become unpalatable. And it is best to eat what you make while it is warm, as a cake cooked in the microwave doesn’t always stay so well once it cools down.

But this doesn’t mean I don’t recommend making cakes in the microwave, I actually do it very often as it is quick and I don’t have to handle a hot oven.

Here is a simple recipe that turned out better than I expected and, like always, I did a few additions to the original one, like adding chocolate chips and a little more milk.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons flour

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 12 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 chocolate chip cookies (I used 8 mini cookies) crushed

• 5 tablespoons milk

• 1 tablespoons oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Crush the cookies until no large lumps remain. In a mug, mix all the dry ingredients and stir well with a spoons so that the baking powder is well combined.

Now add the wet ingredients and mix with a fork. Add a few chocolate chips on top and bake in the microwave for 90 seconds. Mine turned out well in this time and I used a transparent mug so I could see the inside and know that it was done well inside. In case yours is too wet, just cook it for 10 to 20 seconds more.

You can add a topping or just enjoy it as it is, like I did.

Bon apatite!

Note: You can use any biscuit you have at home, if you are using a sandwich biscuit, which already has cream inside, cut down the milk to 3 tablespoons only.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 20th, 2020