Oven-Baked Cocoa and Coconut Mug Cakes

If you like uncomplicated baking today's recipe is ideal. It's about some coconut and cocoa mug cakes (a winning combination!) that Beatriz, author of To Be Gourmet, has prepared in a traditional way: mixing the ingredients in a bowl and baking the mug cakes in the oven. I encourage you to try them, the result is a delicious cake and a very original presentation.

I've been seeing the famous mug cakes in magazines, books and online for a while. It turns out their appeal seems to be that they are individual cakes whose batter is made in the same mug by stirring the ingredients with a fork and then baking it in the microwave in about five minutes.

It seems there are only advantages, but these express desserts or snacks don't withstand the passage of hours with the same dignity as a traditional cake, that seems clear; although on the plus side, they are very welcome by children, and very attractive and original as a presentation.

So if the issue is the microwave, let's make them in the oven with dishes like the Emile Henry ramekins, which are perfectly suitable for withstanding high temperatures (also valid for the microwave, that said). And since we're mixing, frankly I prefer to mix 8 mug cakes at once rather than one by one, so let's also do this step the traditional way, and although the method is clearly not the same, let's call these cakes in a cup or small glass mug cakes because literally that's what they are….

I used coconut oil instead of butter because it has great health benefits, helping among other things to keep cholesterol at optimal levels.

Emile Henry ramekins No. 8, Bérard flour scoop and Master Class round board

Ingredients (for 8 mug cakes)

• 5 large eggs
• 250gr of sugar
• 250gr of coconut butter La Tourongelle* (coconut oil)
• 200ml of single cream 18% fat
• 250gr of flour
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 250gr of cocoa powder
• Icing sugar for dusting
• Pecan nuts for garnish

*By coconut butter we mean coconut oil, which in its natural state (unheated) is solid and resembles butter.

Preparation

1. In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar using some whisks.
2. Add the coconut oil and the single cream and continue beating until you have a homogeneous mixture.
3. In another bowl put the flour (previously sifted through the sieve), the baking powder and the cocoa powder and mix them.
4. Gradually incorporate these dry ingredients into the previous mixture.
5. Pour the batter into each of the ramekins leaving a couple of centimeters from the top edge.
6. Preheat the oven to 180º, place the ramekins inside and leave them for about twenty minutes.
7. Wait for the dish to cool and garnish with icing sugar and pecan nuts.

La Tourongelle coconut butter, Set of Emile Henry ramekins No. 8, De Buyer copper saucepan and Master Class round board

To make these individual cakes it is not necessary to grease the dish, and furthermore if the diner prefers they can easily remove it from the ramekin and eat it on the plate with a fork or spoon. They unmold themselves!

Beatriz