Every time I get anything new for my kitchen, I get seriously excited. Some people may not understand my enthusiasm in the least bit, but kitchen gear to a foodie is like candy to a kid… Okay, I get excited in candy stores too, but you get what I’m trying to say.
So you can only imagine how great it was when I walked into Bed Bath & Beyond after my bridal shower a bunch of years back with thousands of dollars in gift cards. My bridal shower was on the east coast, and since I live on the west coast, most people gave me a gift card instead of shipping tons of presents.
My mom and me at my bridal shower…opening a Bed Bath & Beyond gift card
I wish I had a photo of the awesome madness of that shopping excursion…though I did just find this lovely photo of my face when I walked into my grandma’s house for what I thought was a lunch date, only to find 50 people in her kitchen for my surprise bridal shower:
Um yeah, I think my eyeballs bugging out of my head say it all… I was surprised!
Oh and did I mention that my husband was deployed at the time? So I went on a shopping spree at Bed Bath & Beyond alone. With a lot of money. And no supervision. Can you say troubleee? I walked out with 2 entire carts worth of kitchen home items and could barely contain my excitement.
PS – How cute was my wine themed bridal shower cake?
PPS – If anyone wants to fund another BB&B shopping spree for me, please do let me know because I would gladly take you up of the offer!
I digress. But in recent times, new kitchen gear of mine has included this Calphalon pancake griddle…
…which will be used about every other day because that’s how often I make some sort of pancake creation.
There’s also my new spiralizer, which I used to make these beautiful zucchini noodles the other night:
Zoodles on noodles for dinner!
Zoodles may be my new favorite thing.
And then there were these ramekins I got a few months back. I nabbed them randomly because they’re so cute and little and I couldn’t resist…. and that’s when I got into making ramekin single serving desserts, hence today’s deeeelicious recipe.
I had seen tons of mug cake recipes floating around the food world, but never was a fan until I owned these ramekins. Now I get the hype. Craving dessert? Just use a ramekin or mug to make a single serving dessert. You whip up the ingredients, spoon the batter into a mug or ramekin, throw it in the microwave for a short amount of time, and BOOM, chocolate craving satisfied… and then there aren’t dozens of cookies or 3/4 of a cake leftover haunting your life until you eat all the dessert. It’s glorious.
The salted caramel stars an almond butter + maple syrup combo, and it takes this ramekin cake over the top. It’s seriously my new favorite dessert. I might have even eaten it as a pre-workout snack the other day. Whoopsies.
Looking for a dessert to make this weekend for your valentine? Give this recipe a try. I’m pretty sure I’ll be making this cake for my hubby and me on Valentine’s Day! We’re not huge V Day people – I mean any day is a good day to show your love and spoil your partner in life – but my sweet-tooth-dessert-loving self will take any excuse to make dessert and drink wine with my man – both of which I’m sure will be happening on Saturday!
Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Cake for 1
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 TBSP cocoa powder
- 1/2 TBSP safflower oil
- 5 TBSP almond milk
- 2-1 g stevia packets or sweetener of choice
- 1 TBSP maple syrup
- 1 TBSP creamy almond butter
- 1/2 TBSP dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 TSP sea salt
- 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
- 1/4 TSP baking powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, stevia and baking powder together. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, almond butter and sea salt. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is bubbling and smooth.
- Pour half of the almond butter caramel into the flour bowl. Add almond milk and dark chocolate chips, and stir to combine.
- Pour cake batter into a ramekin or mug. Drizzle the remaining salted caramel on top.
- Place in the microwave for 60 seconds, then check and see how solid the cake looks. Depending on your microwave, you may need to cook for an additional 30-60 seconds. Once your cake looks fudgy and cooked, remove from the microwave and immediately enjoy!
Nutrition
Making single serving recipes is one of my tricks to healthily satisfy food cravings and follow a roughly 80/20 diet (80% percent clean eating, 20% treats/ indulgences). This cake recipe is one of three single serving recipes I featured in an article that was recently published on Nubry.com. Check it out here!
Tell me… Are you a fan of single serving recipes and desserts? Feelings about Valentine’s Day?
WOW! This looks amazing! I love love LOVE chocolate and sea salt! This is seriously the best combo! YUM! …also what a fun throw back! You’re bridal shower cake looks amazing! Seriously so pretty!
Thanks, Cailee! I absolutely love sea salt with chocolate too. Such an amazing salty + sweet combo!
Oh god, I HAVE TO MAKE THIS! Salted caramel anything is my weakness. Sharing this on twitter!
🙂 Let me know how you like it, Dannii!
I LOVE single serving recipes, and have been making mine that way lately to avoid having excess. This cake and those NOOODLES. YUM.
YESSS they’re awesome – both single serving desserts & zoodles!
That is seriously one of my life-goals…to basically go on a shopping spree in a home goods store. That sounds so dangerous but so fun!!
I LOVE sea salt/caramel treats. Salty/sweet combos are the absolute best! Making it an easy mug cake for one? Once again, DANGEROUS!
It’s definitely a perk of getting engaged! 😉 Oh and going into BB&B and using the scanner to put things on my registry was also insanely fun… everything you see that you like, just hit the button and BEEP! It goes on your wish list.
Yes!! I actually have all these ingredients at home. Will be making this for sure.
I think that you’ll definitely enjoy it my friend!
haha your expression!!! I love that picture – I don’t think I’ve ever been surprised like that for a party!
And this mug cake … umm looks totally awesome. And I think I have just about everything in the house to make it. Dangerous!! 🙂
…Yeah, it took awhile for the shock to wear off!!
Chocolate and sea salt and caramel. I am swooning. Love this post!
Thanks so much, Christina!
I dont know why I havent gotten on board with the single serve desserts before. Such a good idea! I loved getting kitchen stuff for our wedding. I wish I could have another one because there is more stuff I want!
Totally agreed!! You mean you couldn’t add some kitchen stuff to your registry when you were about to have a baby? 😉 Damn!
Wow, that sounds delicious! My husband and I aren’t too big into Valentine’s day either but we won’t pass up the chocolate side of it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Deryn! Exactly!
Oh my, that cake looks so fudgy and delicious! I love caramel with chocolate! Also, I love that second picture of you!!! Haha. I get excited over kitchen stuff too.. actually, my face is like for any kind of surprise. 🙂
Ha! I hope that my face doesn’t look like that too often!! 😉