Welcome to the Navigator’s Cooking Under Quarantine, a series dedicated to keeping life, at least the food part, interesting as we all do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
People nationwide are raiding grocery stores for everything from ramen noodles to toilet paper, and while you can’t eat toilet paper it’s also pretty easy to get tired of plain ramen after weeks on end. To remedy this the staff here at the Navigator have begun to get creative in the kitchen. These recipes start with a variety of pantry staples and make them into food that you actually want to eat.
Our first recipe in this series is a super customizable mug cake that makes the perfect single serving snack or dessert. The flours can be easily swapped out to make almost any flavor combination under the sun, so feel free to get creative.
A note on flours: You can essentially use whatever flour you want, just make sure to adjust the amount of milk accordingly as some absorb more liquid than others. Flours I have tried and can vouch for include: white flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, gluten free 1:1, oat flour, and powdered peanut butter (such as PB2). The easiest method is just to use all white flour but you can get creative with different combinations (see below).

Base Mug Cake Recipe
3 tablespoons flour
1 egg white
½ teaspoon baking powder
1-2 tablespoons milk of choice
1 tbsp. white sugar or 2 tsp stevia

In a small microwave safe bowl mix the dry ingredients together with a fork. Add in the egg white and stir until mostly combined. Add in milk starting with one tablespoon until the batter reaches a smooth but still thick texture akin to a muffin batter. Sir in any mix-ins such as chocolate chips. Microwave for approximately 1:30, but because all microwaves operate at a different temperature this is not a set time. The cake should look fully set and have risen, but be wary not to over-bake as it will become incredibly dry. Take the cake out of the microwave, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy!

Flavor Combinations:
Peanut Butter and Chocolate: Use 2 tbsp. powdered peanut butter and 1 tbsp. cocoa powder. Stir 1 tbsp. chocolate chips into the batter. Once cooked, top with peanut butter while the cake is still warm. (This is keto without the chocolate chips).
Chocolate Chip: Use 3 tbsp. of any flour. Stir 1 tbsp. chocolate chips into the batter.
Double Chocolate: Use 2 tbsp. cocoa powder and 1 tbsp. regular flour. Stir 1 tbsp. chocolate chips into the batter
S’mores: Make either a chocolate or double chocolate cake base. After the cake has microwaved for one minute, top with marshmallows and more chocolate if desired. Put back in the microwave for the remaining 30 seconds. If desired top with graham cracker crumbles.
Blueberry Muffin: Use any flour combination as the base (I would not recommend cocoa powder). If using fresh blueberries stir a handful into the batter. If using frozen thaw and drain the berries prior to mixing. Be wary that the berries may release water while cooking so the cake may need 15 seconds longer. Top with more blueberries.
These are just suggestions so feel free to get creative!