Brownie Mug Cake Hits the Spot!

Sooo you know how most mug cakes SOUND good in theory and then taste totally weird/microwaved/gelatinous/not-what-you-needed-at-all?  I spotted a mug BROWNIE on Pinterest, and in the heat of my chocolate-craving moment decided to go for it.

I.LOVE.THIS.MUG-BROWNIE. 

It's super chocolatey, to the point where I could not eat it plain- you definitely need the vanilla ice cream to balance the richness of the brownie.  The consistency is great- 60 seconds makes for a cup of gooey chocolate.  It's like the molten part of a lava cake on it's way to full-blown brownie.   YUM.

This recipe is a keeper.  Seriously.  Try it and enjoy :D

Mug Brownie - Adapted from a recipe on Chow.com

Need:

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/8 tsp rum extract
• dash of kosher salt
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp dark chocolate chips
• 1-2 scoops vanilla bean ice cream

Do:

1.  In a microwave-safe mug, whisk the oil, water, rum and salt until combined.
2. Add cocoa powder and whisk until all of the cocoa is moistened and there aren't too many lumps.
3. Add granulated sugar, whisk to combine
4. Microwave for 60 seconds (if you want less goo and more chew (HAH!) then go for 1:25)
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of brownie
6. Top off with vanilla ice cream
7. Leave me a comment confirming that this is the best mug recipe you've ever tried

;)

Quick Fix - Chocolate Mug Cake

Has anyone else noticed the uprise of microwave cake recipes lately?  I've seen them a lot on blogs, and just recently the paper here in Boston did a little bit on microwave cakes.  Hubby sent me the link in an email that read:

"I FOUND THE SOLUTION!!!! ....for when you have your sweet cravings!" HAHA poor hubby always has to hear it when I "need" dessert.  He knows me well though, this 5-minute chocolate mug cake sounded like the perfect quick fix.

While the 5-minute prep & cook time was great, the cake itself turned out a bit...gelatinous.  Not going to lie, it was a little weird at first, but topped with a spoonful of fluff and some chocolate syrup, it really did hit the spot.  This won't become a regular treat but when I am in a bind and seriously need some cake, NOW, 5-minute mug cake it is.

Interested in trying one for yourself?  Boston.com listed a number of recipes for different flavors not too long ago.  Check them out here.

Note- if you do try the chocolate mug cake- I used dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.  Dark chocolate in a moment of chocolate desperation just makes more sense, I think!