Updated 10/30/14: I have included an affiliate link for Tiger nut flour (This means that purchasing it through the link will enable me to earn a commission at no additional cost to you, which will help me fund the running of this website). Tiger nut flour is a finely ground flour of tubers, not nuts, despite their curious name! It has a slightly sweet taste and is high in fiber, but the grittiness is not apparent once cooked in this recipe. Since it’s grain-free, seed-free, nut-free, and gluten-free, I like to incorporate it in my AIP baking. Whole tiger nuts are great for snacking, I found that on the days that I crave snacking on nuts, these do the trick.
The first time I made a mug cake was with a Japanese instant mix for a matcha (green tea) flavoured cake many years ago in my pre-AIP days. The instructions were all in Japanese and I ended up winging it based on the illustrations. Thankfully it worked out and was nice and fluffy, similar to a steamed cake. I enjoyed it a lot, but it was probably full of stuff I shouldn’t have been eating!
For some reason I chanced across a photo of a mug cake while randomly surfing the net this week and memories of ‘instant food’ came into my mind. I’ve been baking with tigernut flour and learning how to work this nutty, fibrous flour. I wanted to recreate the fluffy texture of the mug cake I had first made and this is what I put together. It’s fast to whip up and feels like play kitchen, popping a mug into the microwave oven and being greeted with a piping hot little cake in a matter of minutes. I’ve experimented with a couple of different flavours and I think this is a pretty reliable standby like vanilla cake, especially for dessert ’emergencies’ (don’t we all have that from time to time?) and quick snacks or even for breakfast.
It’s great eaten warm out of the oven on it’s own, but also nice with some berries and coconut cream. I’ve not tried baking this in the oven though, but I think it should be possible.
Have you tried mug cake? What’s your favourite flavour?
- 21g/ 4 tbsp tigernut flour
- 8g/ 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- ⅛ tsp baking soda
- Pinch sea salt
- 3g/ 1 tsp gelatin
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 6g/ ½ tbsp maple syrup
- 5g/ ½ tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp water
- Combine all the ingredients together in a mug.
- Microwave on high power for 1.5 - 2.5 minutes, or until the top of the mug cake is springy to touch. Serve warm.
Bless you, Dora! I thought my days of mug cakin’ were over. 😉
Be prepared for a revival, Martine! 😉
do you think coconut flour would work, since I do not have access to tigernut flour?
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for dropping by my blog! Unfortunately subbing with coconut flour in this recipe will not achieve the same texture and result. I’ve tried, and it turned out more like pudding than cake. It’s edible, but may be a textural turn off for some. I’m working on a coconut flour-based recipe though, and will post it soon!
Dora
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve had a box of tiger nut flour in my cupboard for quite some time, not having a clue what to do with it!
Do you know if arrowroot flour could be used instead of tapioca in this recipe?
Hi Tasha, I’ve interchanged tapioca and arrowroot for most AIP baking recipes without any problem. I’ve not tried it for this recipe yet, but it should work! Let me know how it turns out for you.