There are many ways to embrace the spirit of the Fall season — from heading to Starbucks® for their limited edition Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) signature drinks — to whipping up a delectable pumpkin treat at home.
"The smells that are in a pumpkin spice latte are in lots of other things that are associated with this time of year very strongly — with positive memories like family Thanksgiving, or rustling fall leaves and going back to school."— Sarah Cormiea, Johns Hopkins doctoral candidate studying human olfactory perception.
The Earliest Mention Of A Pumpkin Spice Recipe Was 1936
Even though nutmeg has been around for over 35,000 years, combining the famous spice with allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger didn't happen until the 20th century.
The earliest mention of the combined spices in a Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe was published in 1936 by The Washington Post.
"There are three things that I've learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin." —It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Starbucks put the wildly popular spice combination on the map in 2003 when they introduced their iconic latte coffee drink.
Since that point, the spice mixture has exploded into every imaginable food, drink, or scent medium, from dog food and pumpkin spice white Russians to candles.
An Easy Microwaveable Pumpkin Pie Latte Mug Cake
Not to be left out, I was an early devotee to the delicious pumpkin spice blend. Every Fall, I dig out my favorite recipes and whip out a variety of treats.
I recently discovered a fantastic recipe for a microwaveable Pumpkin Spice Latte Mug Cake wrapped all around the sides of a cool 24-ounce mug.
Whip Up A Sweet Treat In Just A Few Minutes
The following mug treat is relatively easy and quick to make.Unlike some of my other favorite mug cakes, everything is not initially whipped up in the mug.
A separate mixing bowl is required for blending the dry ingredients before combining them before microwaving.
Even still, you won't have a lot of dirty dishes to clean up after you enjoy your dessert.
Ingredients
Start with a 24-ounce microwave-safe mug. You will need at least a 24-ounce mug since the cake will rise as it cooks.
- 1 cup of fresh or canned pumpkin puree (make sure to remove any seeds from fresh pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup of white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of ground espresso
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/4 cup of milk
- Caramel sauce for topping
- Whipped cream or whipped topping
- Ground-up chopped nuts (optional)
Optional Ingredients
After some experimenting with the original recipe, I increased my cinnamon to double the recipe's suggestion. I tend to really love a lot of cinnamon. Not everyone will agree, but feel free to experiment.
It's not necessary to tinker with the recipe unless you like to amp up some of your spices or want more enhanced vanilla or espresso flavors.
The pumpkin pie latte cake will rise during microwaving, so if you do tinker, keep it to a minimum.
Directions
Start with a clean 24-ounce mug or slightly larger.
Mix 1 cup of fresh or canned pumpkin puree and 1/4th cup of sugar. Blend the first ingredients with a fork in the mug to blend completely. Make sure the mixture is smooth without lumps.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the pumpkin puree. Blend completely.
In a separate bowl whisk together the following dry ingredients:
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of ground espresso
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
Add dry ingredients and 1/4th cup of milk to pumpkin puree mixture in the mug.
Microwave for 45 seconds up to 1 minute on 1200W. If it still seems mushy you can microwave it for 10 more seconds
Top with caramel sauce and whipped cream. You can optionally add a sprinkling of ground nuts, caramel or even chocolate chips. Let your taste buds go wild.
Allow the mug cookie to cool slightly before eating to avoid burning your tongue and mouth.
Experiment With An Array Of Toppings
If you wish you can add optional ingredients to the top of the mug cake. Some of these might include a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream.
If you prefer, you can drizzle the cake with Nutella sauce.
I promise I won't judge you if you double the recipe and make two cakes. Just have two 24 ounce mugs available for mixing and microwaving.
If life is sweet with one hot microwave mug cake, it's even sweeter with two.
Enjoy!
More Information
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