Review: Dr Oetker mug cake
I could simply NOT take a photo without Loa sticking his head in!
Cakes in a cup are nothing new. In fact, I published a recipe for one in BCM years ago (the recipe is not by me mind, but you can still download that issue here). Recently, brands like Dr Oetker (I’m sure there are others, too) have smelled the money in these, and have started releasing the cake mix for these things commercially. I got this one at Coleruyt for around € 2. Which isn’t too bad price wise, but frankly I don’t think it’s worth it.
And here’s why...
- The cake doesn’t have a very good consistency at all, the entire thing is just weird.
- It stinks. Literally. Where you would normally associate baking with a really nice scent, this has a strong, almost foul, chemical odour. And it is quite persistent too, my entire kitchen still reeked of it an hour after I popped the mixture in the microwave.
- It tastes like really cheap low quality chocolate muffins. Sure, they are edible and they’re not gross, but you don’t go jumping for joy for more either.
- Whilst baked good are generally not healthy, this definitely is a chemical mess.
In all fairness, there are some good points to it:
- It’s fast and easy to prepare, just follow the instructions.
- You aren’t stuck with a ton of dishes afterwards. You could literally just dirty a mug and a spoon per cake.
- You just need to add milk.
Photographic progress of Dr Oetker mug cake
I can haz cake?
The answer to that is always "no" btw.
Come on human, let's get started!
The 5 tablespoons of milk are in, now adding the mixture
Stirring the stinky goop.
erm...
It looks more like a weird sponge than cake...
And here is where Loa's enthusiasm evaporates. To be fair, I only let him sniff it because I knew he wouldn't like it. Because he's not allowed either cake or chocolate.
Basically, I was super entertained by the idea of mug cake mix, and I really wanted to give it a go. Which I did. But I am literally as unimpressed with it as I thought I would be. On one hand I would buy it again to make it with my eldest niece, because she would think this is the BEST THING EVER. But on the other hand I rather just buy her a far less chemical pastry instead. So I will probably not get this again.
Heck, Loa was SO into this when I was preparing it (because: milk, which he’s not allowed) but when I let him sniff the cake, he licked at it twice, made a sour face and wandered off. Loa is the kind of cat that is a walking garbage disposal, if he doesn’t eat it, you know it’s either fruit or something that’s really not good for you (excluding cookies, which aren’t exactly good for anyone either, but he loves those).
You know what I mean.
If you want cake in a mug, download that back issue of BCM and make a real one instead, do yourself that favour :).