Strawberry Banana Pudding Mug Cake
Strawberry Banana Pudding Mug Cake
We’re making a delicious Strawberry Banana Pudding Cake in a mug. The cake takes 5 minutes to whisk together and only 3 minutes to “bake” in the microwave. Strawberries and bananas were made for each other! These two fruits are both considered berries and besties as far as we’re concerned. There are many tactile learning opportunities for kids while they’re making these recipes! Encourage them to have fun using their hands and to wipe them clean with their damp dish towel. Baking recipes like these are also great opportunities to practice measuring.
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- crack :
to break open or apart a food to get what's inside, like an egg or a coconut.
- dice :
to cut foods into small pieces of equal size so that the food is cooked evenly or looks uniform and pleasant when used in the recipe.
- knife skills :
Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls).
- mash :
to reduce food, like potatoes or bananas, to a soft, pulpy state by beating or pressure.
- 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.
- mix :
to thoroughly combine two or more ingredients until uniform in texture.
- peel :
to remove the skin or rind from something using your hands or a metal tool.
Equipment Checklist
- Microwave
- Microwave-safe mug
- Measuring spoons
- Dry measuring cups
- Fork (to mix) or whisk
- Cutting board
- Kid-safe knife (a butter knife works great)
- Paper towels
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
Strawberry Banana Pudding Mug Cake
- 1 to 2 ripe strawberries (sub raspberries, cherries, or blueberries or a mix!)
- 1 1/2 T butter **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub olive oil, coconut oil, or vegan butter alternative such as Earth Balance)**
- 2 T brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
- 2 T full-fat Greek yogurt **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free yogurt)**
- 1 egg **(for EGG ALLERGY sub 1/4 C applesauce or 1 T ground flaxseed mixed with 3 T warm water)**
- 1 super ripe banana (sub 1/2 C applesauce)
- 1/4 C all-purpose or whole wheat flour **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY sub gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum)**
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Food Allergen Substitutions
Strawberry Banana Pudding Mug Cake
- Dairy: Substitute olive oil, coconut oil, or dairy-free butter for butter. Use a dairy-free/nut-free yogurt. Use dairy-free whipping cream or strawberry and sugar mixture only to top cake.
- Egg: For 1 egg, substitute 1/4 C applesauce, or substitute 1 T ground flaxseed soaked in 3 T warm water for 5 minutes.
- Gluten/Wheat: Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor. Substitute gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum for all-purpose flour.
Instructions
Strawberry Banana Pudding Mug Cake
dice + measure + cut
Dice 1 to 2 strawberries into small pieces. Measure 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
coat + microwave
Coat the inside of a microwave-safe mug with the butter and drop the rest into the bottom of the mug. Microwave it for 30 seconds to melt the butter.
measure + crack + whisk
Measure 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons yogurt into the melted butter. Crack 1 egg and add it to the mug. Whisk to combine the ingredients. Clean your clappers (wash your hands)!
peel + mash + mix
Peel 1 banana and mash it on a plate or in your cereal bowl with a fork or small whisk. Mash it well! Mix the mashed banana and chopped strawberries into your mug.
measure + add + mix
Measure and add 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 pinch of salt to your mug. Mix again!
cover + heat + check
Cover the mug with a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, carefully check your mug cake by poking a toothpick into the center. If it doesn't come out clean, microwave it for 1 more minute. Top your mug cake with whipped cream, like Sweetly Whipped Strawberry Cream!
Hi! I’m Strawberry!
"Hello! I want to introduce myself. I'm Strawberry—and I have my very own month—May! I'm great in desserts, breakfast foods, snacks, salads, and fragrances. I like to be a part of picnics and holiday celebrations. So combine me with blueberries and bananas (or whipped cream, vanilla pudding, or white cake) for a red, white, and blue dessert for Independence Day in the United States or Bastille Day in France."
History
- The garden strawberry as we know it was first bred and cultivated in France in the 1750s. It was a cross between a Virginian strawberry and a Chilean strawberry.
- The ancient Romans believed strawberries had medicinal powers. So they used them to treat everything from depression to fainting to fever, kidney stones, bad breath, and sore throats.
- Native Americans made cornbread with crushed strawberries and cornmeal; this is how strawberries were introduced to Colonists and served as an inspiration for the invention of strawberry shortcake.
- In some parts of Europe, people once believed elves could control how much milk cows produced and that the elves loved strawberries. So farmers tied baskets of strawberries to their cows' horns as an offering to the elves.
- California produces about 80 percent of the strawberries in the United States. Strawberries have been grown in California since the early 1900s.
- Americans eat an average of three and one-half pounds of fresh strawberries per year. In one study, more than half of seven to nine-year-olds picked strawberries as their favorite fruit. They're nature's candy!
Anatomy
- The strawberry isn't a true berry but is called an accessory fruit. Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds outside their skin, about 200 on each berry. And, to be super technical, each seed on a strawberry is considered by botanists to be its own separate fruit!
- The strawberry plant is a perennial and can last for a few years, producing fruit each year.
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Some varieties of strawberries are easier to harvest than others. To pick a strawberry from its plant, grasp the stem just above the berry between your pointer finger and thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
- To store fresh strawberries, place them whole and unwashed in one layer in a plastic or glass storage container and put them in the refrigerator. Wait to clean them until you are ready to eat them, as rinsing them quickens their spoiling.
- Strawberries can be pickled! Especially when you pick them green or unripe. If your berries are overripe, make jam!
- Strawberries can be puréed into smoothies or milkshakes and baked into tarts, pies, cakes, and tortes. Or, roast them and serve over ice cream and berries. You can also dehydrate and mix them into granola or purée raw strawberries and freeze them into yogurt pops. Dip them in chocolate or drizzle them with cream. Strawberries are incredibly versatile—the fruit we wait all year to enjoy once summer weather hits!
Nutrition
- Strawberries are a HUGE source of vitamin C, especially when eaten raw! One cup of strawberries contains 113 percent of our daily recommended value. Vitamin C is excellent for the heart, bones, and teeth. When we cut ourselves or break a bone, vitamin C comes to the rescue to help repair our tissues.
- Strawberries contain natural fruit sugar, called fructose. However, fructose is better than table sugar (white sugar) because it comes packaged with other vitamins, nutrients, and fiber from the rest of the fruit. Plus, the fiber in fruit helps slow down the effects of sugar in our blood.
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 England!
- England is ruled by a Monarch, a Prime Minister, and a Parliament. Windsor Castle is the oldest royal castle in the world that is still being used by the royal family.
- England is on the island of Great Britain, along with Wales and Scotland. It is also part of the United Kingdom, which consists of those three countries and Northern Ireland.
- Did you know that there's no place in the UK that is more than 70 miles from the sea?!
- Stonehenge is a construction of immense stones that the early inhabitants of what's now Wiltshire, England, began building around 3100 BCE. The final sections were completed around 1600 BCE. Scientists are still not sure how or why they built it. One theory for its purpose is an astronomical observatory. It is very popular with tourists.
- Other popular tourist spots in England include the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Parliament (Palace of Westminster), the Roman Baths and the city of Bath, and the Lake District.
- London, the capital city, wasn't always called that. In the past, its name was Londonium.
- England took part in the briefest war in history. They fought Zanzibar in 1896, and Zanzibar surrendered after just 38 minutes!
- There have been several influential English authors, but perhaps the most well-known is William Shakespeare, who wrote classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet.
- English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee is credited with inventing the World Wide Web.
- The British really like their sandwiches—they eat almost 11.5 billion a year!
What's It Like to Be a Kid in England?
- Most schools in England require students to wear a school uniform.
- Sports kids play include football (soccer), cricket, rugby, tennis, netball (similar to basketball), and rounders (similar to baseball). They also play video games, watch the telly, and ride bikes or skateboards.
- Boxing Day is a unique holiday kids celebrate in England the day after Christmas, December 26. The official public holiday is the first weekday after Christmas if Boxing Day falls on a weekend. When the English created the holiday, it was the day to share the contents of alms boxes with the poor. Today, it is mostly a day off from school and work, although some small gifts may be given out to family and employees, or collected to give to the poor.
- English kids may have different names for everyday items also found in the United States. For example, a kid will call his mom "mum." Their backyard is a "garden." A big truck is called a "lorry," and the trunk of a car is a "boot." Biscuits in the US are closest to the British "scones," and cookies in England are "biscuits." A TV is usually called a "telly." Bags of chips are referred to as bags of "crisps." French fries, like those from a fast-food hamburger place, might be called "fries," but if they are thicker, like the ones typically served with batter-fried fish, they're called "chips" (fish and chips). Finally, kids call the fish sticks they might have for lunch "fish fingers.
THYME for a Laugh
Why were the little strawberries upset?
Because their parents were in a jam!
That's Berry Funny
What is a scarecrow’s favorite fruit?
Straw-berries!
The Yolk's On You
What do you call a sad strawberry?
A blueberry.
That's Berry Funny
"Knock, knock!"
"Who’s there?"
"Ben and Anna."
"Ben and Anna who?"
(no answer—Ben and Anna (banana) split)
Lettuce Joke Around
What would you call two banana skins?
A pair of slippers.
That's Berry Funny
What do you call strawberries playing the guitar?
A jam session!
The Yolk's On You
Why are bananas never lonely?
Because they hang around in bunches!
That's Berry Funny
What kind of key opens a banana?
A mon-key!
