This nifty trick will make you incredibly popular with your quarantine buddies during lockdown.
Banana Bread is all the rage at the moment, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. But what if we told you you could make something equally delicious… in a mug… in the microwave… in less than five minutes?
When I was living at home with my mom, mug cakes were her favorite little trick. If I, a person with absolutely zero patience, was craving something sweet, she’d just whip me up a quick mug cake. (She also made a cracking mug bread, but that’s another story.) These things take moments to prepare, and even less time to cook, and to this day, I still think it’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever been taught.
So here it is, the magical mug cake! We’re sharing just one variation of the recipe—because we know how much you locked down lot love an overripe banana—but there are so many other flavors you can enjoy.
Here’s what you’ll need for your banana mug cake:
For the cake:
- 3tbsp plain flour or self raising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder (essential if using plain flour)
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp (level) milk (to make it really creamy, replace milk with single cream)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 medium sized banana, mashed well
For the topping:
- ½ tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp chocolate sauce (or melted chocolate)
- A few slices of banana
How to make your banana mug cake:
In a small bowl, or straight into the mug if you’re looking to minimize washing up, mix together your flour, sugar and baking powder (if using).
Next, fold in the melted butter, milk and honey…
…followed by the mashed banana, and mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix the honey and chocolate together to make the sauce for topping.
Put your mug filled with the soon-to-be-delicious cake batter into the microwave and heat on high for one and a half minutes.
Check on your creation and then continue to microwave for another minute and a half. (Beware that the strength of microwaves vary, so be prepared to experiment a bit with the cooking time. We’d advise cooking it for less time than you think and checking on it often — you’re looking for a typical spongey texture.)
Once you’re happy with your mug cake masterpiece, pierce a small hole in the top and pour over the honey and chocolate sauce you made earlier.
Place a few banana slice on top and Bob’s your uncle!
Bookmark this page for whenever you’re craving something sweet. You can thank us later!