Easy Gluten Free Microwave Matcha Chocolate Lava Mug Cake Recipe |& a review|

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Cake is dangerous.  So are batches of cookies.  If I can help it I only make them when I HAVE to share them with others.  Otherwise, I will eat them. . . . all.  So it’s best that sweets – especially anything to do with chocolate – stays far away from here in large quantities.  Every once and a while I like to make something small and chocolaty that will quell my desire for the sweet & rich flavor I seek without destroying my diet in one fell swoop.

Mug cakes or mini cakes have become my answer to this dilemma.  They are small enough for one person, but big enough to share if you are feeling generous (or don’t want to feel piggy).  In our house making baked goods in the traditional way – using wheat flour and glutinous ingredients – causes dissension because my oldest is gluten intolerant.  So even when I make something small for myself I either have to make it while she isn’t home OR find a way to make it gluten free so she can have some.  I searched around and found a recipe on A Calculated Whisk that I thought would work with the culinary grade matcha I had received for review, but I didn’t care for the chocolate chips in it.  SO, I decided to turn it into somewhat of a lava cake with some chocolate hazelnut spread instead.

GF Matcha Chocolate Lava Mug Cake
Yield: 1 serving
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coconut oil (butter or ghee will work too)

1 teaspoon culinary grade matcha (you may use ceremonial grade if that’s all you have on hand)
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
1 tablespoon milk of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup lightly packed almond meal or flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda*
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar*
1 heaping tablespoon chocolate hazelnut spread

First melt the oil or butter in your large mug or single serve bowl.  Mix in the matcha making sure it is well incorporated.  Stir in the sweetener, milk and vanilla extract.  Add in egg and beat.  Put in the sea salt, baking soda, cream of tartar and almond meal and mix well making sure all the wet ingredients have completely combined into the flour.  Plop the dollop of hazelnut spread into the middle of the mixture.  No need to stir.  Put the mug or bowl into the microwave on high for up to 2 minutes.  Stop the cooking when you see the cake start to separate from the sides of the mug or dish.  Wait a little bit to allow the container to cool a couple minutes before removing it from the microwave.  With a silicone spatula carefully release the cake from the dish and you can turn it out onto a plate OR eat it directly from the mug or bowl.  This is best eaten warm.

You can use any other kind of gluten free flour you have on hand, but the texture will not be the same.  Almond flour doesn’t really soak up the liquid like other flours so the final product is more moist.  I tried Namaste flour blend, and it came out tasty but a bit too dry and more like angel food cake than I had expected.  The time probably should have been reduced 30 seconds for the finer flour grind.  Also, I used maple syrup just because it was easier to measure and mix and I forgot I had agave nectar.  It’s still very yummy and doesn’t interfere with the flavor combos at all.  As for milk we used half & half because we like the lusciousness that little bit of extra fat adds to the flavor and texture of the recipe.  If you are watching your calories or are lactose intolerant, by all means use another type of milk that is suitable for your needs.  If you don’t have an 1/8 tsp. measure you can always just fill up a 1/4 tsp. and just fill it half way as best you can.  We had run out of large eggs and I had to use extra large and the cake turned out more moist.

If you want to make this a vegan recipe:

• use a nut milk or soy milk
• Instead of egg use mix 1 Tbsp. finely ground chia or flax mixed with 3 Tbsps. water to form and allow to sit for 5 minutes to form a gel

High Quality Vanilla

I used Jiva Organics Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract which I received for review.  It was very light in color which was a surprise, but the aroma was distinctly vanilla and slightly floral.  The mug cake turned out fantastic.  My daughter has used it to make her single serving of ice cream in the Ice Cream Magic gadget and it turned out perfect.  Even though this is processed with alcohol that’s not the odor that hits you when you first open the bottle.  So often the vanilla beans are processed too quickly and not allowed to mellow in the process of extraction that the final product smells more like rubbing alcohol than a food product.  This bourbon vanilla extract was so pleasant and flavorful I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to bake and is particular about their vanilla.

Watch this video to see exactly how I did it –