Warm and Gooey Comfort in a Cup

Today was LOOOOOOOONG. More O's are necessary than that, to be totally honest. There are lots of reasons why

#1. Mardi gras and fourth graders do not mix!

#2. No sleep aids for Kaitlin {because you thought it'd be a good idea to detox yourself from them...there's a reason you take them, Past Kaitlin!}

#3. From my prone sleeping position, totally looked like a snow day. From my slightly-more-upright position, totally not a snow day. Sadness ensued.

Yep, it was one of those days where you just need some comfort. And what better way to enjoy it than in a cup? {And no, I'm not talking about wine...although I did crack open a Mike's Hard when I got home...I'm trying to clean out the fridge, you know?}

No, I'm talking about CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A MUG!!!!!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, first of all, do you live under a rock? Second of all, it's exactly like it sounds. You make chocolate cake. In a mug. It really isn't rocket science.

I totally plan on having some in just a little while. Maybe curl up and watch Sunday's episode of Downton. Or last night's Supergirl. Maybe both, to be honest. The last time I made this, I knew it was something that would be appearing on my blog, so I created photographic evidence. That way you can totally see all the deliciousness and feel jealous and then make some of your own and feel happy. Because you're eating chocolate cake. In a mug. To paraphrase one of my favorite authors, Janet Evanovich, "Life is like a peanut butter sandwich. Sometimes it gets stuck to the roof of your mouth. Sometimes you just need some chocolate cake. And romance novels." {Like I said, I was paraphrasing}.

Now, I must give credit where it's due. This is not my recipe. This is the Pioneer Woman's recipe. I love her. I love her show. I love her blog. I love her cookbooks. I love her kitchen. She showed this recipe on an earlier episode this fall, and I fell in love. Madly in love, the only appropriate way to feel about chocolate cake. See, I have this thing about cake. It's not really my favorite, and I think that's because 90% of the time, it is served cold or at room temperature. Honestly, it is much better warm--part of the reason I love this recipe.

And could it get more simple? Here goes:  in a mug {that is microwavable, of course}, mix 3 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder.

You will not believe the amount of effort I put into dumping that into the mug so it looked pretty like that. And yes, I'm using an enormous mug. And yes, I'll explain why later. And yes. It's a Peter Pan mug.  Anyway, once you've mixed that all together, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons of milk, and a splash of vanilla. Measure that last one very precisely. 

Mix it all together again. Now for the final ingredient:  3 tablespoons of chocolate chips. These chips come to you courtesy of my very lovely friend, Katie Fowler. If we're friends on Facebook {and let's face it, that's probably how you came to read this post}, you may have noticed I posted a little over a week ago that I had no chocolate chips. Well, this was why. I have been desperately craving this for quite some time, and we literally have every other kind of chips:  butterscotch, peppermint, peanut butter. Okay, maybe not every other kind, but when you only want plain, old, dependable chocolate chips, it sure seems that way.

Now that you have everything mixed, you simply microwave for 90 seconds. And then you let it sit for a very long time. Because if you don't, you burn your tongue. And then you can't enjoy it. And then you're sad. 

But once you bite into it...oh glory, it's heaven. The warm, soft cake just melts in your mouth. Yummers! When you get halfway through, if you dare, you can add one more thing.

Vanilla ice cream. And that's why you use an extra large mug!

So if you're like me and you just need some food-like comfort, here's your new go-to. You will never regret it. I promise.

~Stay Gold!

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