broke, bored, and hungry: S'mores Mug Cake

I've seen mug cakes floating around the food blog scene for a while and I resisted them for three main reasons.

#1 - I just didn't think it was possible. If it really worked and tasted awesome then why wasn't everyone baking cakes in their microwave for every single meal? And why would anyone bother baking a full-sized cake that you have to wait over thirty minutes for when you could make a perfect portion in less than two minutes? It just didn't make sense.

# 2 - If a wonderfully tasty cake could be made in the microwave, it would be my only form of nourishment for at least a month after I discovered it. I work too hard at the gym for this to happen so I avoided the mug cake because I was afraid it would give me a muffin top.

#3 - I didn't have a microwave-safe mug.

Well, I found a microwave safe mug. And I realized I had all of the ingredients to make this s'mores mug cake (from one of my favorite blogs - it's well-written and filled with delicious recipes; and the writer, Jessica, is hilarious).

Time to experiment.

This cake came together so quickly and easily. I baked it for 90 seconds and it came out perfectly! It was extremely rich, to the point where I wasn't sure if I'd be able to finish it. Don't worry. I did. Me? Waste cake? Absolutely not. I added a little milk to it to cut the richness a bit and add some moisture. It also helped to cool it down a little... since obviously waiting a minute or two was not an option.

Did I mention that it was delicious? Because it absolutely was. In fact, I've been thinking about it all day and trying to come up with other versions (you KNOW a peanut butter one is in the works).

I know that I should eat dinner before dessert but... why go through the motions when I know what I really want? If I'm still hungry after, I'll eat dinner. Or maybe just another mug full of rich chocolate-y heaven...

Whatever. It's the weekend before Valentine's Day and I'm newly single for the first time in what feels like forever. I reserve the right to do nothing but eat desserts, drink wine, and watch romantic movies all weekend. So far I've seen Heartbreakers, When in Rome, P.S. I Love You, 27 Dresses, Have You Heard About the Morgans?, He's Just Not That Into You, Rumor Has It, The Ugly Truth, and, of course, The Notebook.

I'm not even ashamed. Just a little delirious from all the sugar. Oh yeah... and the wine.

Matching mugs of coffee and herbal tea :)

5 Minute S’mores Mug Cake (1 mug) from How Sweet It Is

· 1 graham cracker, crushed

· 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

· 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

· 1 large egg

· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat)

· 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (mine was dark cocoa, hence the dark color)

· 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

· pinch of salt

· 1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate (I used mini chips)

· marshmallows (I used minis but you could use regular sized marshmallows. Fluff would also be great but I did not have any on hand.)

1. Combine 3 tablespoons butter and 1 ounce of chocolate in a small bowl. Melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Set aside. In your mug, melt the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Mix in the crushed graham crackers and press to the bottom of the mug.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar and vanilla. Add in flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa, stir until a thick batter forms. Mix in the melted butter and chocolate a little at a time. Fold the remaining chocolate chips into the batter. Add half of the mixture on top of the graham crust, then add a layer of marshmallows or fluff. Add the other half of the batter on top of the marshmallows.

3. Microwave for 90 seconds**. Remove and top with additional marshmallow. Put the mug back in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to melt them. Remove and sprinkle with graham crumbs for the perfect s'mores finish :)

**Your cooking time may vary depending on the strength of your microwave and the consistency that you want your cake to have.