The Ultimate Microwaved Chocolate Cake in a Coffee Cup

Recipes for single-serving molten chocolate cakes made in a coffee mug and "baked" in the microwave have run rampant on the web. These cakes promise to be a "chocoholic's dream," but we can attest that these popular Internet recipes don't live up to the hype. The so-called treats that emerged from our microwaves were bland, chalky, rubbery, heavy, and unevenly cooked. everal e!ploded over mug brims, looking like eighth-grade science e!periments gone wrong. "es, they were ridiculously fast and easy to make, but the cakes weren't worth even this minimal effort.

#ur $ourney began with the test kitchen's recipe for individual molten chocolate cakes %published in our book, The &est 'ake-(head Recipe), hoping to adapt it for the mug and the microwave. &etween a trained pastry chef *test cook +ristin ,alsh- and an academic *science editor .uy +rosby---and after more than /00 tests--we managed to create a recipe for a tender, moist, light, and flavorful molten chocolate cake that could be made in the microwave. 1rom start to finish, this cake takes about five minutes to make. It's miraculously fast2 $ust as important, it's e!tremely delicious. COFFEE MUG MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CA E #riginally published in +ook's +ountry !h" Thi# $ecipe !ork#3 These individual chocolate cakes are cooked in coffee mugs in the microwave for a nearly instant dessert. To keep our cakes from overflowing, we had to supplement bittersweet chocolate with cocoa powder2 cocoa powder has less fat, which produces less steam, thus less chance of an overflow. 'icrowaving the cakes on 40 percent power was the key to cooking them gently, helping create a light, tender crumb, and stirring the batter halfway through ensured even cooking. 1inally, a few chunks of bittersweet chocolate added to each cake created a gooey, molten center.

erves 5 We developed this recipe in a full-size, 1200-watt microwave. If you're using a compact microwave with 00 watts or fewer, increase the coo!ing time to "0 seconds for each interval. #or either size microwave, reset to $0 percent power at each stage of coo!ing. %se a mug that holds at least 11 ounces, or the &atter will overflow. 'he &ittersweet chocolate is added at two points. % ta&le#poon# un#alted &utter ' ounce &itter#weet chocolate( chopped( plu# ' ounce &roken into % e)ual piece# '*% cup +' ,*% ounce#- #u.ar / lar.e e..# / ta&le#poon# un#weetened cocoa powder ' tea#poon vanilla e0tract '*% tea#poon #alt '*% cup +' '*% ounce#- all1purpo#e flour '*/ tea#poon &akin. powder /. 'icrowave butter and chopped chocolate in large bowl, stirring often, until melted, about / minute. ,hisk sugar, eggs, cocoa, vanilla, and salt into chocolate mi!ture until smooth. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. ,hisk flour mi!ture into chocolate mi!ture until combined. 6ivide batter evenly between 5 *//-ounce- coffee mugs. 5. 7lace mugs on opposite sides of microwave turntable. 'icrowave at 40 percent power for 84 seconds. tir batter and microwave at 40 percent power for 84 seconds *batter will rise to $ust below rim of mug-. 7ress 5 chocolate pieces into center of each cake until chocolate is flush with top of cake. 'icrowave at 40 percent power for 94 seconds *cake should be slightly wet around edges of mug and somewhat drier toward center-. :et cakes rest for 5 minutes. erve.
Can't get enough of Cook's Country? Get more than 175 Classic American recipes in the Complete Cook's Country TV Show Cook ook

New 2ork Chee#ecake

Ingredients
For the crust !5g utter melte"# plus e$tra for tin 1%&g "igesti'e iscuits# ma"e into fine crum s

1 t sp sugar# granulate" or gol"en caster

For the cheesecake filling ( $ (&&g)11o* pack +hila"elphia cheese# or other full,fat soft cheese -5&g gol"en caster sugar

( t sp plain flour 1. tsp 'anilla e$tract finely grate" *est of 1 lemon /a out - tsp0 1. tsp lemon 1uice ( large eggs# plus 1 yolk -!%ml carton soure" cream

For the soured cream topping 1%-ml carton soure" cream 1 t sp gol"en caster sugar

- tsp lemon 1uice

Method
12 +osition an o'en shelf in the mi""le of the o'en2 +reheat the o'en to fan 13&C)con'entional 1!&C)gas %2 4ine the ase of a -(cm springform cake tin with parchment paper2 5or the crust# melt the utter in a me"ium pan2 Stir in the iscuit crum s an" sugar so the mi$ture is e'enly moistene"2 +ress the mi$ture into the ottom of the pan an" ake for 1& minutes2 Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling2 -2 5or the filling# increase the o'en temperature to fan -&&C)con'entional -%&C)gas 62 7n a ta le top mi$er fitte" with the pa""le attachment# eat the soft cheese at me"ium,low spee" until creamy# a out - minutes2 8ith the mi$er on low# gra"ually a"" the sugar# then the flour an" a pinch of salt# scraping "own the si"es of the owl an" the pa""le twice2 (2 Swap the pa""le attachment for the whisk2 Continue y a""ing the 'anilla# lemon *est an" 1uice2 8hisk in the eggs an" yolk# one at a time# scraping the owl an" whisk at least twice2 Stir the -!%ml carton of soure" cream until smooth# then measure -&&ml)7fl o* /1ust o'er (9% of the carton02 Continue on low spee" as you a"" the measure" soure"

cream /reser'e the rest02 8hisk to len"# ut "on't o'er, eat2 The atter shoul" e smooth# light an" somewhat airy2 %2 :rush the si"es of the springform tin with melte" utter an" put on a aking sheet2 +our in the filling , if there are any lumps# sink them using a knife , the top shoul" e as smooth as possi le2 :ake for 1& minutes2 ;e"uce o'en temperature to fan 6&C)con'entional 11&C)gas 19% an" ake for -5 minutes more2 7f you gently shake the tin# the filling shoul" ha'e a slight wo le2 Turn off the o'en an" open the o'en "oor for a cheesecake that's creamy in the centre# or lea'e it close" if you prefer a "rier te$ture2 4et cool in the o'en for - hours2 The cheesecake may get a slight crack on top as it cools2 52 Com ine the reser'e" soure" cream with the 1%-ml carton# the sugar an" lemon 1uice for the topping2 Sprea" o'er the cheesecake right to the e"ges2 Co'er loosely with foil an" refrigerate for at least ! hours or o'ernight2 32 ;un a roun", la"e" knife aroun" the si"es of the tin to loosen any stuck e"ges2 <nlock the si"e# sli"e the cheesecake off the ottom of the tin onto a plate# then sli"e the parchment paper out from un"erneath2