Another Microwave Cake

There is a major downside with living with other people (granted, I pretty much have my own apartment upstairs, complete with a mini fridge, but no cooking appliances). Things – especially food – I think is going to be there isn't. A few weeks ago, someone got a hold of a soda that we don't normally buy that I had been saving for a later project. It only just got replaced today at the grocery store (with a two liter instead of a cans, or I might have done that today). And I could have sworn there were still four different boxes of muffin mix, two boxes of cake mix (different kinds, which is why this is an issue), a sugar cookie pop kit and a whoopie pie kit in the pantry.

I started grabbing what I needed. The whipped topping mix and hot chocolate packet (also things I'm trying to get rid of) and then the yellow cake mix. Except it wasn't there. Apparently, my mother had given it to my sister. Thanks Mom.

But I promised her I'd bake today. In steps another microwave cake experiment I'd been wanting to try.

I've been trying desperately to eat healthier, which is one reason I don't bake nearly as often as I used to. The initial recipe I had received for the Amish Friendship bread calls for either a cup of oil, but says half could be replaced by applesauce. Since single serve applesauce cups are exactly half a cup (try it – I actually wash and reuse them for snack mixes!), it worked perfectly.

Not so much for the microwave cake, for which the original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of oil. That's less than half of the single serve container.

So, not wanting a huge project for the day and keeping my promise to my mother, today was the day for the experiment:

Microwave Chocolate Cake

Serves up to 8...maybe

1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Cocoa powder

1/2 Cup Applesauce

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 egg

1. Mix dry ingredients in a small, microwave safe glass mixing bowl. This is also your baking dish, so scrape the sides down.
2. Microwave on HIGH for 3-1/2 minutes. This is for a 1000w microwave oven, so your time may vary
3. Immediately tip over onto a plate. Let cool and enjoy!

I was hopeful that with the milk and oil replaced with applesauce, coupled with a real egg in a more appropriate amount, would take care of the rubbery quality the original microwave cake had and still rise (unlike the mayonnaise version). Alas, it was still there, although it was a cake and not a brownie.

Still, it was good, just not two thumbs up worthy. Probably one thumb up. I have a few ideas for fixing it.

But that will have to wait. The sourdough starter is waiting...