In Star Trek, counselor Troi can walk up to a digital wall panel and say “Computer, a slice of cake please.” Ten seconds and a few special effects later she’s got a full fork – no doubt chocolate in her case. Well it seems for tiny cakes of all flavours that future is here now… give or take a minute or two.
I’m talking instant gratification and for me that means a cake I can make in the time it takes my Assam to steep; about four minutes. To do that and get something that isn’t a gloopy “puck in a cup” takes a bit of forethought but I’ve already tested the minature details for you. The ‘mug cake’ craze that swept the interwebs at the height of the pandemic took on many forms. Methods (and madness) were all over the map often with disasterous results but minor tweaking and better technique can indeed make your instant mini-cake dreams come true.
Mandatory upgrades include using cake flour for much (MUCH!) better texture over all-purpose versions. Don’t cheat here. Cake flour’s lower protein (6-8%) is the biggest game changer from all the rubbish recipes you see online spawned out of desperation. If you end up with a miniature brick, don’t say I didn’t warn you. In a cake this size, egg is unnecessary and only makes for more troublesome baking in the microwave. There is more than enough fat from the butter and since the cup is small, stability isn’t an issue.
In this lemon version fresh and pre-bottled juice both performed well but if you happen to also have citric acid in your mad scientist’s pantry it can supercharge the flavour. Only a pinch, no more, and don’t worry if you can’t include any. Prefer orange? Perhaps chocolate? Just swap all the lemon bits for an equal amount of orange or good quality cocoa powder sifted in with the flour.
Or make it your own with ground almonds, pistachios, cherry juice, etc. The base will accept most any flavour you can dream up after a bit of tinkering with the wet/dry ratios. Accuracy counts in such a small endevour so weigh at least your butter, flour, and sugar. Scale everything if you can the first time so you know the texture you’re aiming for in this tiny bakeoff.
Light and springy results from ideal ratios, complete sifting, fresh baking powder, and exact cook times which may require some experimentation with your model of microwave. Go even twenty seconds too far and your cake will be dry and tasteless. The nature of microwaves however means it’s best to use all the time at once without stopping midway to check so once you’ve nailed the time for your machine, try not to interrupt the process. The photo below shows how it rises then settles back down so make sure your cup or bowl is sized appropriately. And of course microwave safe.
Coming Soon – Cake Innacup By The Quicker Dozen
As fast as this is, a premixed base kept at the ready for “scoop, water, stir, and bake” would be even more speedy. Testing on that front continues using oddities like buttermilk powder and Bird’s custard powder both of which would be shelf stable. Stay tuned for those updates later. I can only eat so many test cakes in a day.
For a single Cake Innacup… right now
Use a 450ml (16oz) or slightly larger microwave-safe mug or small bowl. You can mulitply the recipe if you have guests but baking in the microwave is best with smaller amounts so make multiples rather trying to upsize. Only takes two minutes each!
30g unsalted butter
35g cake flour (6-8% protein)
2g baking powder (1/2 teaspoon)
35g sugar
1 heavy pinch fine sea salt
35g milk (~3 tablespoons)
2g vanilla extract (1/4 teaspoon)
15g lemon juice, fresh or bottled (1 tablespoon)
Optional:
lemon zest
poppy seed
pinch of citric acid (extra lemon boost)
powdered sugar for garnish
Method:
Using the mug or cup you want to bake in, melt the butter in the microwave covered with a domed lid to prevent splatters using 30-second increments. Swirl to coat the sides well then set aside to cool as you proceed.
SIFT and whisk the flour and baking powder together into a separate mixing bowl then add the sugar, salt and whisk to combine. Add the milk, vanilla, and lemon. Pour in the reserved melted butter (leaving the baking mug well buttered) and whisk a final time briefly to combine before pouring back into the baking cup using a rubber/silicone spatula to get every bit.
Immediately microwave for 90 seconds under a domed lid to contain any steam. Quickly test the top for ‘spring’ to indicate doneness. Only add 10-second increments on high power AS NEEDED up to a total of 30 seconds longer depending on the power of your microwave; they vary greatly. IF your cake turns out dry, USE LESS TIME on your next attempt.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately with the cup of tea you started to brew four minutes ago.
– msh v2.4
