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

Photos by the writer
Photos by the writer

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

Opinion

Editorial

Democracy in peril
21 Sep, 2024

Democracy in peril

WHO says the doctrine of necessity lies dead and buried? In the hands of the incumbent regime, it has merely taken...
Far from finish line
21 Sep, 2024

Far from finish line

FROM six cases in the first half of the year, Pakistan has now gone to 18 polio cases. Of the total, 13 have been...
Brutal times
21 Sep, 2024

Brutal times

IT seems that there is no space left for the law to take its course. Vigilantes lurk in the safest spaces, the...
What now?
20 Sep, 2024

What now?

Govt's actions could turn the reserved seats verdict into a major clash between institutions. It is a risky and unfortunate escalation.
IHK election farce
20 Sep, 2024

IHK election farce

WHILE India will be keen to trumpet the holding of elections in held Kashmir as a return to ‘normalcy’, things...
Donating organs
20 Sep, 2024

Donating organs

CERTAIN philanthropic practices require a more scientific temperament than ours to flourish. Deceased organ donation...