VEGAN Microwave Chocolate Cupcakes for two – dairy-free, plant-based dessert in a minute!

Taking a leap of faith doesn’t come easy to me. I think the problem lies in the fact that I over-think things, perhaps more than I should, but in a weird twist of nature, I can also be the most impulsive person you’ve ever met. This VEGAN Microwave Chocolate Cupcake is the result of that impulsiveness. It’s surprising things like this that lets me override the sane part of me.

You might have seen these fabulous Double Chocolate Cupcakes for two I posted a couple of weeks earlier and yes, it is more fabulous that you can ever imagine! But it wasn’t VEGAN, and you know that I’m slowly transforming my favorite recipes into plant-based versions and I wasn’t going to leave these cupcakes behind! You’ll soon see the VEGAN version posted here. I was going to publish that first, but these Microwave Chocolate Cupcakes have me more excited!

I had such a fabulous time shooting these pictures, that I just couldn’t wait to share it with you here. Besides I just spend the better part of the 4th of July weekend (a rare 4 day weekend) watching the entire first season of West World on HBO and eating these Microwave Chocolate cupcakes!! It bodes ill that this one whips up faster than the traditional oven-baked version. Ugh, no good can come of this now!

Speaking of West World, have you watched it? It blew my mind! I’ve watched it twice in one weekend along with the dissecting YouTube videos and I still cannot get over its brilliance! The concept of sentient… you know what? I’m not going to spoil it for you, go watch it! With Game of Thrones starting this month, the HBO Now subscription will be totally worth it!

Microwave vs Oven Baking

So, if you’ve never made a microwave mug cake before, you would do well to know what microwave cakes will not have the same moist ‘texture’ as oven-baked cakes. The microwaves mess with the gluten strands I believe and turn them slightly chewier. It’s also the reason why it’s a bad idea to try and reheat pizza (or other form of bread) in a microwave.

Another thing to note, is the rapid rise – what takes about 15 minutes in a convectional oven, happens in 40 secs in a microwave. So make sure you leave a LOT of room in the microwave-safe glass container you are using to make these lovely cupcakes.

That being said, these Microwave Chocolate Cupcakes would still be better than what you imagine them to be. But it is what it is: a quick, but indulgent fix!

Picking the right container

If you’ve baked before, you’ll know that Baking is a science. From the precisely measured ingredients to the closely monitored baking times, it all comes down to numbers. The same applies to the container in which you bake in too.

Here, I’ve recycled a couple of glass containers that I once purchased scented candles in – both have tapering form, but the smaller one: at the middle, it measures approx. 8″ in circumference or about 2.4″ in diameter. At the very top, it’s slightly less than 3″ in diameter, and about the same 3″ in height. I cooked this one for 40 secs.

The other one is slightly different: same height and top diameter as the previous one, but the circumference in the middle is 9″. I cooked this one for 45 secs for the extra 1″ difference in width.

Find a container similar to those dimensions – use a little high school math to figure out the diameter from the circumference ($C=\pi D).$ If you use a larger container, you’ll have to reduce cooking time, and you’ll end up with a shorter, more wider cupcake. If you use a smaller container, you’ll have to increase cooking time, and you’ll end up with a taller cupcake. You get the idea.

Microwave wattage

Also, I used an 800W microwave. If you can adjust the power settings of yours to something close to that, 40-45 seconds would be perfect. Otherwise, depending on how much higher or lower your microwave wattage is, modify cooking time. When in doubt, start with a smaller number, say 30 secs and work your way up 5 secs at a time till you find your magic number.

When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!