Oooh-la-la Luscious Lemon Yogurt Pudding Mug Cake
Oooh-la-la Luscious Lemon Yogurt Pudding Mug Cake
The title says it all! Tart dessert lovers: this one’s for you. With a hefty punch of lemon from lots of zest and fresh lemon juice, it’s the simplest sweet treat to whip together. And this version is great for young chefs because it teaches them the science of pairing baking soda and acid, and they get to see it in action with their very own eyes in both the Luscious Lemon Yogurt Pudding Mug Cake and Fancy French Berry Sparklers!
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- measure :
to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).
- microwave :
to heat or cook food or liquid quickly in a microwave oven, which uses high-frequency electromagnetic waves to generate heat in the food's water molecules.
- separate eggs :
to remove the egg yolk from the egg white by cracking an egg in the middle and using the shell halves, the palm of the hand, or a device to keep the egg yolk in place while the egg white falls into a separate bowl.
- squeeze :
to firmly press or twist a food with fingers, hands, or a device to remove its liquid, like shredded potatoes, frozen and thawed spinach, or tofu.
- zest :
to scrape off the outer colored part of a citrus fruit's rind (skin or peel) using a metal tool with small sharp blades, such as a zester, microplane, or the small holes of a grater (avoid the "pith," the white, spongy lining of the rind that can be bitter).
Equipment Checklist
- Microwave
- Microwave-safe mug
- Microwave-safe plate
- Potholder or oven mitt
- Box grater with small zesting plate
- Cutting board + kid-safe knife (a butter knife works great)
- Metal spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Dish towel or paper towel
- Toothpick
Ingredients
Oooh-la-la Luscious Lemon Yogurt Pudding Mug Cake
- 1 T butter **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free butter like Earth Balance, or a nut-free oil like vegetable oil)**
- 1 lemon
- 1 T + 1 tsp sugar
- 3 T full-fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free plain yogurt or canned coconut cream)**
- 1 egg **(for EGG ALLERGY 1/2 ripe mashed banana or 1 T applesauce)**
- 3 T all-purpose flour **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY gluten-free/nut-free flour blend with xanthan gum)**
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch of salt
Food Allergen Substitutions
Oooh-la-la Luscious Lemon Yogurt Pudding Mug Cake
- Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free butter like Earth Balance, or a nut-free oil like vegetable oil. Substitute dairy-free/nut-free plain yogurt or canned coconut cream for yogurt.
- Egg: For 1 egg, substitute 1/2 mashed ripe banana or 1 T applesauce.
- Gluten/Wheat: Substitute gluten-free/nut-free flour blend with xanthan gum for all-purpose flour.
Instructions
Oooh-la-la Luscious Lemon Yogurt Pudding Mug Cake
microwave + melt
Microwave 1 tablespoon butter or oil in your mug for 30 to 40 seconds until it melts.
wash + zest + squeeze + measure
Wash 1 lemon well, then zest it! Add all of the zest (about 1 tablespoon) to your mug with the butter. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Measure and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to your mug along with 3 tablespoons of yogurt and mix with a metal spoon.
crack + separate + add
Crack 1 egg and separate the yolk and the white. Add 1 yolk to the mug and discard the white.
measure + stir + count
Measure and add 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of sugar to your mug. Stir thoroughly to combine all of the wet ingredients. As you stir, count to 5 in French: 1 un (uh), 2 deux (deuh), 3 trois (twa), 4 quatre (katr), 5 cinq (sank).
measure + add + mix
Measure and add 3 tablespoons flour and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to your mug. Add 1 pinch of salt. Mix in all dry ingredients, making sure there are no visible traces of flour left.
cover + microwave
Cover the mug with a dish towel or damp paper towel and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove your mug with a potholder and check your cake by poking it with a spoon or toothpick. If there are still runny parts, return to the microwave for another 15 to 30 seconds, uncovered.
slice + sprinkle + microwave
Slice 1 thin piece of lemon, place it on a microwave-safe plate, and sprinkle the lemon slice with sugar. Microwave for 1 minute. The lemon will become tender. Carefully place the cooked lemon on top of your mug cake, and eat! The lemon slice is edible, too! "Bon appétit!" or "Enjoy your meal" in French.
Hi! I'm Lemon!
“I just love the sun, don't you? That's because I'm a lemon, and we grow so much better in sun and warmth. My skin is a lovely, sunny yellow color. I'm a citrus fruit, but I'm not sweet like an orange. So if you bite into me, your mouth might pucker! But if you squeeze out my juice, then add water and sugar to it, you'll enjoy the sweet and sour taste of lemonade! My zest and juice can bring a wonderful brightness to many dishes."
History
- Lemon trees are small evergreen trees thought to be native to Asia. Sometime in the first century, they came to Italy and the Mediterranean region. Although the trees were widely distributed throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean countries between the 8th and 11th centuries, they weren't cultivated to a great extent until the middle of the 1400s in Italy. Spanish explorers brought lemon seeds with them to the Americas later in the 15th century. By the 19th century, you could find lemon trees in Florida and California.
- Today, California and Arizona produce 95 percent of the entire lemon crop in the United States.
- During the European Renaissance, fashionable ladies used lemon juice as a way to redden their lips! Today you might find people with naturally blond or light brown hair using lemon juice, diluted with water, to lighten their hair. This method is subtle and requires exposure to sunlight to see results, so be sure to put sunscreen on your skin!
- Lemons were once so rare that kings would give them away as gifts.
Anatomy & Etymology
- There are two different types of lemons—acidic and sweet. The most common acidic varieties include Eurekas and Lisbons. The acidic types are grown commercially, and the sweet types are grown mainly by home gardeners. Lemon trees bloom and produce fruit year-round. Each tree can produce up to 500 to 600 lemons annually.
- Lemons are hybrids of bitter or sour oranges and citrons, another type of citrus fruit.
- Lemons are technically berries. All citrus fruits are berries!
- Lemons are protected by a rind or peel and a lining of spongy, white tissue called the "pith." When zesting lemon peel for a recipe, you want to avoid including the pith, which is bitter. Lemon flesh is plump, full of juice, and studded with seeds.
- Common types of lemons include Eureka, Lisbon, and Meyer. Meyer lemons have a sweeter, more floral taste and aroma. They are a combination of a lemon and a sweet orange. Eureka lemons are the most prolifically grown lemon in the world. They have pointed, tapered ends.
- The word "lemon" is from the Middle English "lymon," from the Old French "limon," which is from the Arabic "līmūn," a collective term for citrus fruits.
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- To choose lemons with the most juice, look for those with thin peels and are heavy for their size. There are about three tablespoons of lemon juice in one lemon and about eight seeds.
- Lemon juice is sour by itself, but you can add lemon juice and zest from the rind to bring an acidic balance to a sweeter recipe, like cakes, cookies, and curds. It also brightens up vinaigrettes, marinades, and risottos. Lemons can be squeezed over grilled, fried, or roasted chicken, fish, or vegetables. You can make lemonade with the juice and tea from the lemon leaves.
- Lemon juice keeps cut pears, apples, bananas, and avocados from turning brown because the acid helps keep the fruit from oxidizing.
Nutrition
- Vitamin C! The rind of the lemon has the most vitamin C. Since lemons are high in vitamin C, they have been used throughout history to prevent scurvy—a disease that causes bleeding gums, loose teeth, and aching joints. To this day, the British Navy requires ships to carry enough lemons so that every sailor can have one ounce of lemon juice a day. The demand for lemons and their scurvy-preventing properties hit a peak during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Miners were willing to pay large sums for a single lemon. As a result, lemon trees were planted in abundance throughout California.
- Lemon oil, extracted from lemon peel, cannot be ingested. However, when diluted and applied to a person's skin, there is evidence that it acts as an antibacterial and antifungal. Diffused in the air or added to bath water as aromatherapy, it can ease anxiety and stress, lift mood, and sharpen brain function.
- Citrus fruits, like lemons and limes, have citric acid, which can help prevent kidney stones from forming.
History of Pudding Cake!
- We were unable to determine the exact origin of the pudding cake, but it seems that "puddings," as the British refer to them, may have been around since 17th-century England. They were eventually brought to the United States by English settlers.
- A pudding cake is a decadently moist cake that comes with its own pudding-like sauce! During baking, the egg custard settles at the bottom of the baking dish while the spongy cake drifts to the top.
- Lemon, chocolate, and vanilla pudding cakes are the most popular. They are best served warm with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.
Let's Learn About France!
- Bonjour (hello)! Bienvenue en (welcome to) France and the spectacular Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, and ancient Roman ruins in the Provence region.
- France is a European country, and its official name is the French Republic. The capital city is Paris, which also has the most people.
- France's land area is 248,573 square miles. That is almost the size of the US state of Texas! The number of people in France is 67,874,000, about 43 percent more than in Texas.
- The official and national language is French, which is also the official language in 12 other countries, and a co-official language in 16 countries, including Canada.
- France's government consists of a president, a prime minister, and a parliament and is divided into regions and departments rather than states and counties.
- The French have a well-known motto, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity."
- In addition to the Eiffel Tower, France is known for the Louvre, the most visited art museum worldwide (the Mona Lisa resides there), the Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur) in southeastern France on the Mediterranean coast.
- France is famous for the "beaux-arts" (fine arts). Paris is still home to many artists and great painters, artisans, and sculptors. Great literature came from French authors, such as Victor Hugo's novels Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
- Paris has two popular nicknames. The most common is "The City of Light" (La Ville Lumière), which came about because Paris was the first European city to implement street lighting in 1860, lighting up the city with 56,000 gas street lamps. The second is "The City of Love," (La Ville de L'amour). This name is probably due to Paris being considered one of the most romantic cities in the world and the high number of marriage proposals at the Eiffel Tower!
- French cuisine is known for its freshness and high quality. Many of the world's greatest pastries originated in France, such as the croissant, eclair, and macaron!
- Other French foods are escargot (snails!), baguette (bread), ratatouille (roasted tomato, zucchini, and eggplant—remember the movie?!), and crepes (very thin pancakes).
What's It Like to Be a Kid in France?
- Most kids start school (preschool) at around age three. Depending on the area and the school, students go to school 4 to 5 days a week. They often get a 1½-hour lunch break, and some kids go home for lunch.
- Dinner is served at 7:30 pm or later, so afternoon snacks are essential. "Le goûter" (goo-tay), or afternoon tea, often includes a "tartine," a slice of bread topped with something sweet or savory (like cheese, butter and jam, or Nutella). Other popular snacks are yogurt, fromage blanc (white cheese), and fruit.
- Popular sports for kids are soccer, bicycling, and tennis.
- There are several parks in France, in and around Paris. Napoleon III even designed one of them, the Bois de Boulogne, where you can find beautiful gardens, lakes, a zoo, an amusement park, and two horse racing tracks. In addition, kids can go on pony rides, play mini-golf, and race remote control boats at many public parks.
- Of course, kids can also go to the most popular theme park in Europe, Disneyland Paris, which opened in 1992. While there, kids can go on a ride unique to Disneyland Paris: Ratatouille: The Adventure!
Lettuce Joke Around
What did the lemon say to the cake?
"Sour you doing?"
The Yolk's On You
What do you give an injured lemon?
Lemon-aid!
That's Berry Funny
Why did the students eat their homework?
Because the teacher said that it was a piece of cake.
The Yolk's On You
Why did the cake go to the doctor?
Because it was feeling crumby.
Lettuce Joke Around
Why did the lemon stop halfway across the road?
He ran out of juice!
The Yolk's On You
Why did the lemon have no friends?
Because she was a sour-puss!
