Microwave Mug Cakes (Date / Plain / Prune)

Quick (make, bake, wash-up & serve in 15 mins), plus light & spongy.

Butterscotch date sauce adds stickiness.

Prep Time: ~10 mins; Cooking Time: <5 mins
Tools: 1 mug for mixing, 2 teacups (for dates & sauce), spoons & forks, cookware
(www.wikihow.com/Test-if-a-Dish-Is-Microwave-Safe)
Makes: 3 mugs or 4 ramekins of cake

Ingredients A (Dry)
5 T cake flour (can also use plain flour)
2 T brown sugar / Muscovado sugar
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
Optional: small pinch of mixed spice or coffee powder or orange zest

Ingredients B (Wet)
1 egg
2 T oil (grapeseed, corn, canola are best - no smell)

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Date Paste
3 plump dates, pitted (I use King Solomon DERI dates which mash easily)
1 T hot water
2 T unsweetened set yogurt (like Paul's Natural - I used DIY yogurt here)


Method:

Mash dates: Put dates & water in a small microwave-safe teacup. Snip with kitchen shears a few times. Microwave 20sec. Press with a fork, then stir till well-mashed.  Remove 1/3 for making sauce later.

 

 Using a mug ensures that ingredients get well-mixed.

In a mug (I use a 300ml stainless steel one for mixing - not for microwave!!), mix dry stuff with a fork (if bicarb. of soda is lumpy, rub between fingers & sprinkle it). Add wet stuff one by one, stirring then beating smooth with fork between additions. 

Stir yogurt into dates till blended (to make it easier to blend dates into batter), then stir this into batter. Spoon / pour into microwave-safe mugs or other cookware - suggest 3 x 200ml mugs or 4 ramekins. Batter expands ~3x, so cookware should be less than half-filled.

 

Recipe is good for 3 mugs (200ml) or 4 ramekins of cake.

Place kitchen paper on oven tray (to catch any overflow). Place mugs uncovered in the oven.  Microwave on High for 2 mins (for 800w oven; reduce for higher wattage). Serve straight in mugs or loosen & tip out onto plate with some sauce (recipe below). Either serve sauce on the side, or use  a toothpick to pierce cake a few times & spoon some sauce over.

* Note: more than 2 Tbsp of mashed dates makes the batter is too heavy to rise.

Butterscotch Date Sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 x 10g single serve of butter
1 T cream or evaporated milk
1 T mashed dates (from above)
Optional: ¼ tsp vanilla essence or brandy 

Put butter in a microwave-safe teacup & cover with sugar (prevents splatter). Microwave 20-30sec. Stir till smooth. Add milk, stir & microwave 10sec. Stir a few tsp of sauce into mashed dates till smooth before adding the rest of the sauce.  Adding a bit more cream/milk if necessary.

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Plain Sponge 

Cost: <$1; kcal: ~600; ~ 4 portions

Ingredients
1 single serve of butter (melted) or 2 T corn oil
1 egg
2 T sugar
1 T milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 T unsweetened set yogurt (like Paul's Natural - I used DIY yogurt here)
5 T cake flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
Optional: small pinch of mixed spice or coffee powder or orange zest or raisins

Soften butter by microwaving for 10-15 sec (cover to prevent splatters). Beat in yogurt till smooth, beat in the rest of the ingredients.  Divide into 2 - 3 mugs and microwave for 1m 45 s (another 30s if not cooked).   Recipe can take addition of 2 T of assorted paste (apple, banana etc) & ¼ tsp matching essence / zest. Note that any raisins & choc chips will sink.

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Prune Sponge 

Make prune paste using 5 pitted prunes + 2T hot water. Microwave 30sec & mash. No need any yogurt or cream of tartar, but add 3T milk (or water). Stir in prune paste last.