Kitchen Scientists Tackle the Chocolate Mug Cake

After an extended holiday absence, we're back with our Science Saturday experiments! We've been a little slow getting back into the swing of things. Our cold weather is adding to the lethargy...so we figured we'd try a nice WARM experiment today.

How about combining two of my very favorite things: science and chocolate? Where could we possibly go wrong with that? We did the first part in what will probably be a many part series on kitchen chemistry for kids: the science behind baking and cooking and food.

Today’s experiment focused on the role of proteins in baking. To do this, we made Chocolate Mug desserts. The Chocolate Mug Cake recipe includes an egg, and the brownie recipe does not. We were going to make both formulations and compare their textures. It was such fun to mix the chocolate batters and pour them into mugs, but seriously, people. We were doing some important scientific experimentation here.

When the Chocolate Mug Cake went into the microwave, the kids watched as it slowly puffed up and rose in an eerie column above the rim of the mug. That’s when we discussed the main points of our kitchen chemistry for kids.

“See our cake getting big and poufy?” I asked the kids. “That’s the gas bubbles getting hot and growing bigger, making the dough squish out. Then think about the eggs. Eggs are full of protein. When the protein is cooked, it changes the shape. [This is a process called denaturing.] The protein becomes kind of like beams in a building to hold up the cake. Then the flour is kind of like sheetrock or cement to go over the beams and complete the structure of the building. Without the strong proteins, a light and fluffy building wouldn’t be able to go quite so high."

I got nods of agreement, especially from Jayman who is fascinated by construction sites and seemed to understand about building beams and cement. Just for comparison, we made a Chocolate Mug Brownie, which doesn’t include an egg. We compared textures – the cake was spongy and airy while the brownie was very dense and squishy.

And, of course, the very best part of our kitchen chemistry for kids came last. We got to eat the lovely chocolatey experiments we’d concocted. They were both pretty yummy, although the cake was better than the brownie, in our opinion! I need to do a little more tinkering with the recipes to get them just right. 

I’m thinking if there were a few more units like this in high school chemistry, we’d have a lot more scientists running around! It was a very delicious day of kitchen chemistry for kids. 

Just as a side note: If you try this at home with your kids, don’t expect the final result to be exactly like a cake or brownie you’d bake in the oven. The texture of both products is somewhat different—but it’s instant gratification for a sudden chocolate craving. Not bad for a humble mug.

Chocolate mug cake:

¼ cup flour

¼ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. beaten egg

3 Tbsp. milk

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (you might also try a mixture of oil and applesauce, for a lower-fat result)

3 Tbsp chocolate chips

Mix everything and place batter into a large mug that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then check with a toothpick. Cook in intervals of 2

0 seconds until done. If you leave the cake just slightly underbaked (where a toothpick comes out a little goopy), it will continue baking as it cools. Don’t overbake or it will be tough! Allow cake to cool for several minutes in the mug, then turn out onto a plate. Enjoy immediately!

Chocolate mug brownie:

¼ cup flour

¼ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

4 tsp. water

3 Tbsp chocolate chips, if desired

Assemble and mix as above, pouring batter into a sprayed mug. Microwave on high for 1 minute then check. Cook in intervals of 15 seconds until done, if necessary. Brownie will lose its shininess and exhibit cracks in the top when done. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy.