Quick and Dirty....Mug Cakes

These delightful little treats are the perfect sweet indulgence for whenever your Sweet Tooth attacks!! (Which I hate to admit, but for me is pretty much any day that ends in "y")!  And, although I love to bake and whip up delicious treats, I don't always love having that temptation laying around my house - especially since I'm the one who ends up eating it!  Rob gets a Sweet Tooth craving about twice a year, so I'm usually left on my own when it comes to fulfilling my crazy cravings for anything ooey gooey, chococlatey, peanut buttery, and sweet!  

For so long I had been curious about the Mug Cake and didn't believe it could actually taste good at all!  But then, one fateful night when the craving was extra strong, I whipped out my phone, went to Google and surfed the 'nets for a good starter recipe!  And, boy oh boy, I wasn't disappointed!

I've since modified the recipe and came up with a couple additional variations!  I generally will just use whatever we've got in our cupboards and have fun with it!

Here's my favorite base recipe and a few fun alternatives if you're feeling daring!

Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• *Anything else your heart could want!  See below for suggestions!

Directions:

1. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt) in a large mug until well mixed.  Note:  I like to use a small whisk to do this, but you can use a fork too!
2. Add the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
3. Add any extras to make it your own! Note: See below for some fun variations I came up with or come up with your own creation!
4. In the microwave, cook on high for 1 minute and 15 seconds.  Note: The cake will rise and fall a bit while it's cooking - this is normal!  I once had one rise so much I ended up with a cake tube! (Different base recipe back then!  This one didn't get too tall on me!)
5. Serve immediately and enjoy!  Note: To make it extra sweet, try adding a little chocolate syrup or caramel sauce drizzle over the top! 

Flavor Variations*

Make any of the following fun flavors by adding the ingredients listed in Step 3 above (**unless otherwise noted)!

1. Chocolate Peanut Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
2. Cookies and Cream
• 1-2 Oreo Cookies, crushed
• Mini Marshmallows, at your own discretion
3. Rocky Road
• Chopped Nuts, at your own discretion
• Mini Marshmallows, at your own discretion
• Chocolate Chips, at your own discretion
4. Black & White
• White Chocolate Chips, at your own discretion
• **While the cake is "cooking" mix the following - 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar and 1-2 Teaspoons Milk (add more milk for a thinner glaze, less for a thicker glaze) and drizzle over the top of your cake before serving. 
5. Triple Chocolate Nut
• Dark Chocolate Chips, at your own discretion
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, at your own discretion
• Chopped Nuts, at your own discretion
6. Mint Chocolate Chip
• Andes Candies, or any other mint chips, at your own discretion
7. Chocolate Stout Cake
• **Replace the milk in the above recipe with your favorite stout beer!

When serving you can either eat it right out of the mug (watch out, it might be pretty hot!) or you can scoop out onto to a plate (not always the prettiest option but that's usually how I enjoy mine)! 

If you do end up trying one of these creations (or one of your own!) during your next fit of Sweet Toothiness, make sure to let me know!  I'd love to hear what you thought or about any new combinations you came up with!!!  Hope you enjoy!