Ten Minute Mug Cake

A cake, made from scratch in under ten minutes, with minimal ingredients, minimal equipment and minimal effort?

Lunacy I hear you cry! Call for the men in white coats! But wait, for as eccentric as I may be I speak the truth. Even at a leisurely pace you can have these little cakes ready to go in mere minutes and they are a blooming revelation. You don't even need cake tins, or ramekins, or any specialist baking equipment. All that is required is a small dish, a mug, a spoon, a sheet of clingfilm and an abundance of enthusiasm.

The version below is for a delicious carrot cake, with sweet spicing and a syrupy top but you can freestyle until your heart is content. I've made apple versions, jammy bakewell versions and even cheeky chocolatey versions. You just need to have confidence in yourself and give your ideas a try.

Prep time: 5 Mins
Baking time: 1.5-2 Mins
25g Unsalted Butter
25g Light Muscovado Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
A dash of Orange Extract
A dash of Vanilla Extract
A pinch of Cinnamon
35g Plain Flour
A pinch of Baking Powder
50g Grated Carrot
Around 1/2tbsp of Golden Syrup (Or more if you want it really syrupy)

Before we begin a note. This quantity will make enough for one cake, perfect for when you unexpectedly need a good caking. It'll also need about 1.5-2 minutes in the microwave, although this may vary depending on the wattage (my microwave is 900w).

So with the formalities out of the way, let us begin. Grab a medium sized mug from your tree (not one of those giant ones!) and grease it. In a small bowl cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg yolk. Add the extracts and spices, sift in the flour and baking powder then mix until smooth. Fold through the grated carrot and that's the mixture done.

Drizzle the golden syrup into the base of the mug then spoon over the cake mixture. Cover with a sheet of microwavable clingfilm (beware, not all clingfilm is suitable for the microwave!), pierce once with a sharp knife and place in the microwave on high for 1.5-2 minutes, until the cake mixture has risen and is slightly springy to the touch.

To serve run a flat bladed knife around the edge of your mug then turn the cake out onto a plate or into a dish. All that is left is to make the tortuous decision of what to serve it with. Personally I cannot resist a spoonful of cold vanilla ice cream!