A cup full of love
Recipes can help dads, kids cook up surprises on Mother’s Day.
Serving Mom breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day has become a tradition for many families, especially those with young children. So here is help for the dads whose job is to orchestrate the ritual. This clever idea: Cake-in-a-cup is sure to surprise and delight Mom.
Best of all, it can be made in short order, and if Mom likes to sleep in, it can be served in a more leisurely manner any time of the day.
Even though it is called Cake-in-a-cup, it works better and is much easier to serve when baked in a 4inch ramekin (8- to 10-ounce).
For a basic Cake-in-a-cup, combine equal portions of angel food cake mix and any other flavor cake mix of your choice. When you’re ready to serve Mom her surprise, simply combine the cake mix mixture with a bit of tap water in a cup or ramekin and give it a 1-minute zap in the microwave. Once baked, it can be dressed up with any number of toppings: whipped cream or ice cream, flaked coconut or chopped nuts or chocolate syrup, to name a few.
Even very young children can help with Mom’s treat. Just make sure they are supervised by an adult. Be especially cautious when removing the cup or ramekin from the microwave. It can be very hot.
And Cake-in-a-cup is just the beginning. Using the same idea, you can expand the choices by making a Cookie-in-a-cup. Although it hardly looks like a cookie, the finished product tastes pretty much the same.
And for breakfast, Mom and other family members might find Coffee Cup Quiche or Coffee Cup Chilaquiles more to their liking. Even Dad might like it. Coffee Cup Quiche uses an egg, cheese, ham and crumbles of bread. It can be hot-out-of-the-microwave ready in less than 2 minutes. Coffee Cup Chilaquiles is a Mexican-style dish. We found both unexpectedly tasty.
No matter which coffee-cup recipe you choose, and whether baked in a cup or a ramekin, it is so quick and easy, it could be the start of a new tradition.
This easy cake gets its name for its cooking instructions: three tablespoons mix, two tablespoons water and 1 minute in the microwave.
3-2-1 Cake-in-a-cup
1 (16-ounce) box angel food cake mix
1 (18.25-ounce) box cake mix, flavor of your choice
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons water
Optional toppings: whipped cream, ice cream, nuts, coconut, jelly, chocolate syrup
In a large bowl or zip-close bag, combine the angel food cake mix with any other cake mix flavor of choice. Combine the dry mixes thoroughly. (If preparing mix in a bowl, transfer it to an airtight container for storage.)
To prepare: Coat the inside of a 10-ounce or larger microwave-safe coffee cup or ramekin with nonstick cooking spray. Add 3 tablespoons cake mixture and 2 tablespoons water. Stir until completely smooth. Cook in a microwave on high for 1 minute. (Time may vary according to microwave strength.) Remove to a small plate (use caution, it’s hot) and add toppings as desired.
Makes 1 serving.