Test Kitchen: Mug Cakes

Easy, healthy recipes tested for you weekly at the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen

Caroline Kohler, Dietetics Student, SAR ’19

About the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen: We’re all about making healthy taste delicious here at Sargent Choice.  That’s why we’ve teamed up with faculty-in-residence Dr. Karen Jacobs to offer students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to trial and taste-test new Sargent Choice healthy recipes each week at the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen.  Dr. Karen Jacobs invites students of all majors (not just nutrition) into her home on Boston University’s campus to cook up a recipe developed by Sargent Choice Registered Dietitian, Jennifer Culbert.  Feedback from the weekly Test Kitchen gets incorporated into future Sargent Choice recipes and helps shape the face of healthy dining at BU.

Looking for an easy, sweet snack that can be made in a dorm room? This week at the Test Kitchen we made Sargent Choice Mug Cakes. These cakes are simple and fun to make, and they even have whole grains too!

Why Are Whole Grains Great?

  • Whole grains provide more fiber and B vitamins than refined grains—which means that picking a whole grain option is an easy way to get more nutrients from the foods you already eat.
  • White whole wheat flour is made from a slightly different wheat berry than white flour and whole wheat flour. It has a milder flavor and texture than whole wheat flour.

What We Liked:

  • This recipe is so easy to make and can even be made in a dorm room! It’s especially fun to make with friends because everyone can make their own.
  • It’s easy to add other flavors to the cakes: we had some raspberry preserves that were delicious in the chocolate mug cake.
  • The cakes are pre-portioned, making for a dessert that is the perfect size.

Tips and Tricks:

  • Try experimenting with different types of sweeteners! Various flavors of jams would be excellent mixed in these cakes.
  • We felt that the cakes that appeared slightly underdone were just as good as “done” cakes (and safe to eat because there are no eggs!)—sometimes it was hard to determine how much more time was needed without risking an overdone cake.
  • You can prep these cakes to have ready for a sweet snack by measuring the dry ingredients into baggies beforehand. When you want a mug cake, empty the bag into a mug and add the wet ingredients.

Sargent Choice Vanilla Mug Cake

Recipe modified from https:\\bitzngiggles.com
Yield: one serving

Cake Ingredients:

2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon melted butter (can substitute oil or melted coconut oil)
2 tablespoons milk of choice
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients (makes 2 servings frosting):

3 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for the Cake:

  1. Spray ½-cup capacity mug (or larger) with cooking oil spray. Into the mug, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine with a fork. Next add melted butter, milk, and vanilla and stir.
  2. Microwave on high for 60 seconds. Open the door and gently touch the top with your finger tip. If it’s still a little underdone in the middle, bake for another 10 seconds. Do not overcook – the cake will continue cooking in the mug once it’s removed from the microwave.

Directions for the Frosting:

  1. Mix all ingredients together and drizzle over the cake. For thicker icing, use less milk. For thinner icing, add more milk. Note: recipe makes 2 servings of mug cake frosting.

Sargent Choice Chocolate Mug Cake

Recipe modified from Café Delites
Yield: one serving

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 level teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder for a mild chocolate cake OR 1 tablespoon for a darker, richer chocolate cake
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon melted butter (can substitute oil or melted coconut oil)
2 tablespoons milk of choice; 2 ½ tablespoons milk if using 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips, divided

Directions:

  1. Spray ½-cup capacity mug (or larger) with cooking oil spray. Into the mug, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine with a fork. Next add melted butter, milk, and vanilla and stir.
  2. Fold in ½ teaspoon chocolate chips. Top with the remaining ½ teaspoon chocolate chips.
  3. Bake in microwave on “quick” or “high” setting for 40 seconds. Open the door and gently touch the top with your finger tip. If it’s still a little underdone in the middle, bake for another 10 seconds. Do not overcook – the cake will continue cooking in the mug once it’s removed from the microwave.