Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Dangerous Knowledge

See this? It's chocolate cake. It's pretty good chocolate cake, in fact.So what's so dangerous about this chocolate cake?

It was made in five minutes, start to finish. One mug, one spoon, one microwave. You probably already have the ingredients -- an egg, a bit of flour, sugar and cocoa; a dollop of milk and cooking oil, maybe some vanilla and chocolate chips.

Recipe is at the link. Read it and you'll be five minutes away from chocolate cake whenever you want one. And that's dangerous!
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19 comments:

  1. NorthApril 12, 2011 at 7:31 AM

    You are like a scientific Brigid!

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  2. NorthApril 12, 2011 at 7:32 AM

    WV: And this word was 'cramin' as in "I'd be cramin those into my cake hole!"

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  3. Fuzzy CurmudgeonApril 12, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    Hmm...made with Splenda baking mix, it might be something diabetic wifey could eat.

    To the laBORatory, Igor!

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  4. Roberta XApril 12, 2011 at 8:11 AM

    Oh, heck yes, Nathan!

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  5. AnonymousApril 12, 2011 at 8:27 AM

    I have enough trouble with my weight as it is! Grrrr....

    ;-)

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  6. Tango JulietApril 12, 2011 at 8:53 AM

    Oh oh! Another source of unneeded calories.

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  7. KeadsApril 12, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    This is great news! I will try it as soon as possible.

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  8. Guffaw in AZApril 12, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    @Nathan
    I've had some luck with crystalline fructose (NOT HFCS) in diabetic baking.
    And barley-malt sweetened chocolate chips (from the health food store)
    Just don't do it daily, or hourly.

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  9. RobinApril 12, 2011 at 12:36 PM

    You've killed me.

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  10. SabraApril 12, 2011 at 4:35 PM

    Lacking a microwave, I shall stay safe. However, I feel I must point out a similar (albeit more complicated) recipe for nearly-instant cheesecake: http://www.2stews.com/2009/09/cheesecake-in-mug.html

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  11. Fuzzy CurmudgeonApril 13, 2011 at 8:52 AM

    RX: Sally said she got this identical recipe from Weight Watchers :)

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  12. DJApril 13, 2011 at 10:40 AM

    I tried it. The verdict: bland. Really bland. A Hostess cupcake is much tastier. I'm not in that much of a hurry, i.e. the pros are not worth the cons.

    But, watching it rise in the microwave was impressive, like a time lapse view of baking in a normal oven.

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  13. John BApril 13, 2011 at 12:01 PM

    Yes, the end of self restraint as we know it.

    Of course self-restraint as I know it usually consists of a brace of cops dragging me off in cuffs.

    Recipe enlarged for easy reading, posted above the microwave, and copies tucked away if three safe places.

    Yes, Bobbi, I take my chocolate seriously!

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  14. AnonymousApril 13, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    @DJ
    I made one in 12 minutes start to finish. It was a tasty cake. I added about 1/4 tsp salt because I think all sweet/baked goods are bland without a touch of salt. I did the chocolate chip/vanilla option. My wife finally acknowledges my awesomeness.

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  15. Roberta XApril 13, 2011 at 8:52 PM

    Heh!

    DJ: It's a recipe. If it's bland, fiddle: more milk, maybe a dollop of chocolate syrup if it needs to be more moist. Fancier cocoa powder. A dash of cinnamon or allspice (?) or...well, whatever you think might work. A couple of teaspoons of orange marmalade, perhaps? Some coffee? (Tam;s got espresso sugar: mocha cake?)

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  16. AnonymousApril 13, 2011 at 9:43 PM

    some google fu

    Salt provides a contrasting flavor, making the complex flavors of the cocoa more pronounced.
    As a general rule, all sweet recipes should include a little salt. Salt is traditionally referred to as "seasoning" for the simple reason that it is so widely applicable.

    All senses, including taste, function based on contrast. If you eat pure sugar, it tastes extremely sweet. If you eat sugar with just a little bit of salt to it (not enough to be identifiable as salt), you'll actually find that the "sugar" suddenly seems richer in flavor.

    In chocolate-based recipes in particular, the saltiness brings out the complex flavors of the cocoa solids (chocolate is composed of cocoa solids and cocoa butter, but hot cocoa is just cocoa solids, without the fat flavors).

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  17. DJApril 14, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    Roberta: I'm not an experimental cook; that's my wife's forte, and she's very good at it.

    Even so, I did try. I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa, but I detest Hershey's chocolate syrup, and I don't drink coffee, ever.

    Given that I'm diabetic, eating cake has to be worth the penalty. If I have to add flavorings to taste the cake, then I don't need the cake. I tasted this cake alone, and found there wasn't any there there.

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  18. AnonymousApril 14, 2011 at 11:40 AM

    DJ: C'est la vie, then. No, wait, C'est le gâteau

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  19. AndrewApril 16, 2011 at 12:50 AM

    Not bad.

    * If you have one of those turbocharged nucular 1500-watt microwaves, 1:45 might be long enough.

    * You'll need a really big mug,

    * It could probably do with 2 T of oil instead of 3, and the salt is a good idea.

    * Try 1 T of rum and 2 T of milk. :)

    wv: coodst -- Neighbor, coodst thou spare a few tablespoons of cocoa?

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