Cupcakes have so much cachet nowadays. There are stores and even roving dispensaries devoted to the pursuit of cupcakey goodness. But cupcakes take a long time and special equipment to bake, or else they’re miles away and cost too much money. There’s another way: the mugcake.

Just gather together 3 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of oil, 3 tablespoons of water or soymilk, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Stir them together gently in a coffee mug, microwave for about 3 minutes, and voilà! A single-serving portion of deliciously warm, fluffy cake emerges. Next time, try adding a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder, or a couple teaspoons of chocolate chips.

Now you have no excuse for not eating fresh, delicious, healthy cake with every meal. (Holly Jones)

From the January 2013 issue of Happiness Pony. [PDF]