Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins

Delicious chocolate chip muffins are so easy to make, even kids can do it! This video was shot at a cooking school in Fort Canning for an episode of Okto's Hobby TV, back in January 2004.  Catch my 3 boys (then pre-schoolers) in action at this fun Chocolate Chip Muffin baking class!

Banana Muffins + Banana Loaf Cake

* My 1st post! Date: 17 May 2011 *

Made by my 13-year-old boy in school for test - all squashed & flattened in his lunch box!

My boy needed a good muffin recipe for a Home Economics test, and I tested a number before finding this really easy & fool-proof one!

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.

Quick No-Cheese Cheesecake

Individual serving on a digestive biscuit.

After watching this cute Japanese video (see below), I just had to try the recipe!

Ingredients
200ml condensed milk (I use only 100ml as it's very sweet)
200ml cream
2 T lemon juice
Some digestive biscuits

Stir the milk, cream and lemon juice briskly with a wire whisk till thick. Arrange biscuits in a tin (or in individual ring collars), pour mixture over, chill for 2hrs. Serve topped with fruit puree.

5-Min Milo 3-in-1 Mug Cake

Everything is mixed in 1 mug (~300ml) with a fork.

This is my very own recipe, as requested by some pals! If done right, it's light & spongy like Chinese steamed cake. If you do try it out, I'd love to hear how it went! Okay, this isn't a very fancy type of cake - it's more for kids in college or for folks who only have a small pantry kitchen with no special cake mixers or equipment or ovens but still wish to "bake". Of course, one must moderate expectations, but this is really not bad :-)

Prep Time: a few minutes
Tools: mug, fork, 1 Tbsp + ¼ tsp, cookware (www.wikihow.com/Test-if-a-Dish-Is-Microwave-Safe)
Info: Cost: ~$1.20; kcal: ~730; makes ~ 4 portions.
Makes: 3 mugs or 4 ramekins of cake

Recipe serves 4, microwaved in Pyrex 230ml ramekins.

Dry ingredients
2 Tbsp cake flour (can also use plain flour)
3 pkt Milo 3-in-1
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Wet ingredients
1 egg
3 Tbsp hot water
1 - 2 Tbsp oil (grapeseed or corn are best - no smell. 1 Tbsp: dryer, 2 Tbsp: more moist)

Method
In a big microwave-safe mug, 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. Spoon / pour into 2 more microwave-safe mugs or other cookware. Cookware should be less than half filled. Actually, it's better to fill up to 1/3 level only.

Place kitchen paper on oven glass tray (to catch any overflow). Place mugs uncovered in the oven. Microwave on High for 2mins 20sec (for 800w oven; reduce for higher wattage) & stand 2 mins (ie, keep oven door closed while cakes continue cooking on their own steam). Serve straight in mugs or loosen & tip out onto plate.  (Single container: cake tends not to rise unevenly & collapses). For some odd reason, cake un-moulds best from microwave-safe plastic).

To serve: Serve in mug or run a knife around the side & tip out onto a plate. Optional: frost / glaze / dust with icing; add whipped cream, choc sauce & vanilla ice-cream. Simple choc sauce: Microwave a bit of cream & chocolate chips in a teacup & for 20sec; stir till smooth.

Mug was only 1/2 full of batter (the rest went in the bowls) - see what happened!

COCOA version: (same recipe as this post: 5-minute-chocolate-cake-in-mug)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a mug, mix dry stuff with fork: 3 T cake flour, 3 T sugar, 1 or 2 T HERSHEY's cocoa, ¼ tsp bicarb. of soda. Add wet stuff one by one, mixing well between additions: 1 egg, 3 T milk, 2 T grapeseed or corn oil.  Distribute into cookware & microwave as above.

If not using HERSHEY's cocoa (ie, using some other Dutch cocoa), stir in ¼ tsp vinegar LAST. Omit vinegar if using Hershey's.

For a light sponge almost double in volume, omit vinegar. Instead of 3T milk, put 1T milk + 2T natural set yogurt in a cup & stir till blended. Mix into cake batter LAST & microwave immediately.




Adjustments / Substitutions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flour:  reduce by 1Tbsp for featherlight cake or add 1 Tbsp for firmer sponge.

Sugar:  Adjust to taste, anywhere from 1 Tbsp - 4 Tbsp. Can use brown sugar instead.

Milk:    Can substitute with water or juice or even melted ice-cream.

Oil:      reduce by 1 Tbsp for healthier but dryer cake or add 1 Tbsp for moistness

Low-fat: Use 2 Tbsp applesauce instead of oil ($3.40 for 23.5oz Seneca jar at NTUC), and water instead of milk. Texture is as soft & spongy, but feels more "sticky".

Black Forest: With a teaspoon, drizzle a little sugar syrup (dissolve 1 Tbsp sugar in 1Tbsp hot water - microwave if needed. Cool & add a bit of kirsch or rum to taste). Top with whipped cream & tinned dark cherries.

Notes About Cookware:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Using 1 big container: the best is my special Japanese microwave cake "tin" from OG featuring a domed, vented lid & patented raised base. Cake really comes out cleanly, beautiful shaped & easy to frost as advertised on box! Other containers just don't seem to work for single large cakes. Also, small plastic microwave-ware work best - they are  light & cool to handle, plus the cakes come off cleanly without any greasing. Otherwise washing is much more icky (a good soaking & a rubber spatula really helps).

250ml/1C capacity bowls with lids.

 
Health concerns aside, I find that 4 of these small plastic microwave-reheatable bowls by Homeproud from NTUC are just right for my quantity of batter.


Below: Banana cake tipped out from Arcopal mug vs. disposable bowl. Despite looks, inside texture is about the same - mug-cooked one is a bit spongier but the other popped out cleanly leaving the plastic bowl free of residue - what's more, plastic is light & cool to handle, and can be dumped or re-used a few times. Greasing the mug makes little difference.

More bakeware tested, all without lining or greasing. The white fluted plastic microwave cups are $2 for 4; coloured silicone Bend 'n' Bake cases are $9 for 6. Remaining batter went into the Arcopal mug.  As can be seen, residue stuck to all of them, but the cakes did pop out ok (had to use butter knife to loosen the edges first).

5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Great idea, esp for kids in dorms - one can make cakes using basic pantry items (microwave, mug, spoon & fork) in about the same time it takes to cook Maggi Mee. Ok, maybe a tad longer. No fancy mixer, sieve, weighing machine etc required. * A silicon spatula makes washing sticky mugs a lot less icky *

Initially skeptical after reading horror stories with pics of mess & rubbery lumps resembling stuff produced by elephants, this post encouraged me to try: www.dizzy-dee.com/dizzy-dee/chocolate-cake-in-5-minutes. After many experiments, here's my improved recipe:

Ingredients
4 Tbsp cake flour (aka superfine plain flour - plain flour is also ok)
3 Tbsp sugar
1 or 2 Tbsp Hershey's cocoa (if using other cocoa, add ¼tsp Cream of Tartar or vinegar)
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
2 (or 3) Tbsp veg oil (use corn / canola / grapeseed - other oils smell)

Method
In a microwave-safe mug (http://www.wikihow.com/Test-if-a-Dish-Is-Microwave-Safe), mix dry stuff (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda) with a fork. Add egg & stir well till well-mixed. Add milk, mix well. Add oil, stir vigorously till well-mixed (~ 1 min). Pour half into a 2nd mug (share!) & microwave for 2min 20sec, stand 2min - ie, leave it in the oven (my oven beeps 2m after cooking has ended if door is not opened). Take out mugs carefully, grab a spoon & dig in! * I often microwave just 2min for a softer cake, but sometimes cake turns out damp.

Option
 Instead of 2 mugs, I poured the mix into a clean mug lined with a 5"-high baking paper collar (with generous overlap for strength). Capillary action helps the cake rise & hold its shape - otherwise it collapses & toughens. After standing time, remove from mug but keep wrapped till cool enough to unwrap. Voila, a chocolate log! Slice, or frost as mini log cake. This cake is springy & doesn't crumble easily.

 

High paper collar enables cake to "climb" & not overflow.

Sliced, it's good for 4 persons!

Cake is nearly 2x height of mug - can slice into rounds or frost as a mini log cake.

Observations from experiments
- Without bicarbonate of soda, cake is dense like brownie.
- Reduce flour ▻▻▻ more soft & moist & harder to hold
- Reduce oil ▻▻▻ more dry & brownie-like
- Replace oil with applesauce ▻▻▻ healthier but more stodgy
(Applesauce: 23.5oz jar @ NTUC costs $3.40)
- I'm in need of new, elastic-waist pants. Where to get attractive ones??

Super Soft 5-min Chocolate Cake

Same recipe, but reduce flour to 1Tbsp. Sprinkle choc chips into 3 teacups before filling with batter (optional: line with thin paper cases for easier unmolding). Microwave 2min 20sec, stand 3-5m. Tip out on plate & remove paper - the chips which have sunk now form a yummy topping.

Enjoy straight from teacup ...

or tip out & decorate with fruit, coulis, choc sauce, fresh cream, ice-cream etc!

During cooking, batter will double in size before shrinking a little.

Gooey choc chips on top.

Light-as-feather, tender & chocolaty!!

Pineapple-Upside-Down Cake

Today, hubby had a sudden hankering for Pineapple-Upside-Down Cake. Good ole google turned up the recipe by Nigella: www.nigella.com/recipes/view/pineapple-upside-down-cake-51.  It was very easy to do. Adapted recipe below ...

Pineapple Upside Down Cake ... soft, moist, yummy & nostalgic!

Ingredients
1 Tbsp of melted butter (for buttering dish)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
4 slices of pineapple (from tin) + 3 Tbsp of juice
6 glace cherries, halved.

100g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
100g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 eggs

Method
1) Preheat oven to 200°C.
2) Butter a 9" tin or dish that is NOT loose-bottomed/springform (or it'll leak).  As I was using a Pyrex dish for the cake, I microwaved 1 Tbsp of butter in it, then spread it around. 
3) Sprinkle brown sugar over the base & arrange the pineapple & cherries nicely.

4) Put all the other ingredients in a mixer/processor & mix till batter is smooth.
5) Pour the batter carefully over the fruit in the tin.
6) Bake for 30 mins.
7) To unmold, loosen edges with a knife, put a plate over the top, and flip over. Voila!

Pineapple UD Cake baking in Pyrex dish

Lemon Loaf Cake

Today I decided to try out an online recipe I found: http://www.food.com/recipe/our-favourite-lemon-loaf-38953. The comments were all very positive, so I was very optimistic. It took me ~15mins to prepare & 45mins to bake. I omitted the saucing bit.

Adapted recipe:

Ingredients A
1.5 Cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients B
125gm butter (1/2 a block), slightly softened
1 Cup castor sugar

Ingredients C
2 eggs
1/4 Cup milk
Grated zest & juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 Cup)

1) Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
1) Sift Ingredients A and set aside.
2) Cream Ingredients B, then gradually beat in eggs, milk, then lemon juice & zest.
3) Pour in the flour, mix and stir till well-blended.
4) Pour into greased & lined (for non-stick tin, just line with baking paper) 9" x 5" loaf tin & bake for 55mins. With my water oven, I removed the cake after 45mins. 

Note: Cake has a lemony tart zing, great for those who love lemons & limes like me! It tastes great on its own, but can also be dressed up with cream cheese frosting.

Got a bit worried about all the cracks!