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I'm just going to say it: Sometimes I need dessert. Whether it strikes on a particularly rough Tuesday or a lazy Saturday afternoon, a regular hankering for sweets is an enjoyable fact of my life, and maybe it is for you too. Lucky for us, there's a way to whip up a from-scratch cake in nearly no time at all: in a mug, using a microwave. The meme-worthy baking hack lets you satisfy a dessert craving, not only in a pinch (five minutes!), but also in a very tidy, contained way (a mug).
If you’re thinking, But haven’t mug cakes gone the way of the rainbow bagel?, pause to consider the fact that if we stopped making everything after it was trendy, we wouldn’t have avocado toast, molten cakes, or actually-good kale salads anymore. If you’re also thinking, There are one million mug cake recipes out there, so why should I make this one? I gotta say, this mug cake takes itself pretty seriously, in a good way (it has sumac in it, after all). Add in really good olive oil, cocoa powder, and white chocolate (and maybe skip the “World’s Best Boss” mug), and you could even serve it to guests.
It’s riffable, too. You can use canola or vegetable oil if you don’t like the olive oil flavor, milk or dark chocolate chunks if white chocolate isn’t your thing, and sub in cinnamon or orange zest for the sumac (or leave it out entirely). You can top it with ice cream or whipped cream, or strawberries and a drizzle of tahini. The beauty of the mug cake is that it can be anything you want it to be, your wildest dessert fantasy come true—all in just five minutes.
| 3 | tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| 2 | tablespoons cocoa powder |
| 3 | tablespoons sugar |
| 1/2 | teaspoon sumac |
| 1/4 | teaspoon salt |
| 1 | egg |
| 1-2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 3 | tablespoons white chocolate chunks |
| 1 | scoop vanilla ice cream |
| 3 | tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| 2 | tablespoons cocoa powder |
| 3 | tablespoons sugar |
| 1/2 | teaspoon sumac |
| 1/4 | teaspoon salt |
| 1 | egg |
| 1-2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 3 | tablespoons white chocolate chunks |
| 1 | scoop vanilla ice cream |
Written by: Joanna Sciarrino
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(This general idea is not original to me. I have been doing this in my office since reading David Allen’s “Getting Things Done,” which was published the year I started my own law practice. It’s one of the most useful business books out there. But I digress . . . .)
I’ve added this overarching suggestion to the linked Google Doc about a month ago:
When I plan / review my menus for the following week to lay out my prep activities for the weekend and weeknight evenings, I create a list of every small food prep or other task that will eventually need to be done. I put it on a medium index card, which I keep handy to consult whenever I have a few minutes of "downtime,” or to include in my longer prep sessions.
Also, there are quite a few good suggestions of 5-minute tasks in this Hotline thread started last month:
https://food52.com/hotline... I’m guessing that many of these ideas will be the subject of separate posts in the near future . . . . . . .
;o)
See what other Food52 readers are saying.