Carrot and Courgette Cake-in-a-mug

I had an over supply of carrots and an over supply of courgette but what I wanted was cake and fast too. 
So what's a girl to do but invent a new 'microwave in your mug' 10 minute cake? 

I admit I had to eat several samples before I got the recipe right but as none of them tasted too bad (mostly they were just soggy) it was no hard work.

This is the first one I got right but I had to make it again to be sure. Of course then I had to eat that too and this may possibly be why I've lost no weight this week. 

Who can eat it?

This recipe is gluten and wheat free, dairy free, egg free and nut free. It is suitable for vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs and anyone in need of a fast cake!

Who can't eat it?

It's cake and therefor not suitable for those needing a reducing diet however I have tried to keep the sugar content low and I think it would probably work OK with a powdered sugar substitute (to be honest most of the trial runs went wrong because I was trying to be clever with natural liquid sweeteners but I think a powder would work). This recipe is also rather high in fibre so it may not be suitable for those with Crohn's, colitis or IBS but it will depend on their condition at the time.

Ingredients

Dry mix
1/4 cup of rice flour
2 tablespoons of sugar (white or light brown)
1/8th teaspoon of cinnamon 
1/8th teaspoon of mixed spice (or pumpkin pie spice if you are in the US)
1/4er teaspoon of GLUTEN FREE baking powder
1/8th baking soda/sodium bicarbonate
1 large pinch of salt

Wet mix

Half a small, finely grated carrot and half a small, finely grated courgette which together should make 1/4 of a cup if you compact it (don't lose any juice, it's tasty!)
2 teaspoons of ground flax powder (yes I know this is technically dry but bare with me!)
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of sunflower oil
1/4 teaspoon of natural vanilla essence 
1/4 teaspoon of cider vinegar (or 'white vinegar' if you don't have this)

Some water, about 1 tablespoon.

1 handful of raisins - remember raisins are often coated with palm or coconut oil (which I'm allergic to) to make them shiny, I use one small treat-sized box of Sunmaid raisins because I know they don't coat them with anything and they are just the right size.

You will also need a mug suitable for the microwave and either a couple of small mixing bowls or one small bowl and a half pint mug.

Method

Prepare your dry mix and stir well. 
Grate your carrot and courgette really finely into another bowl. Add the flax and other wet mix ingredients and stir well. The flax powder is now absorbing the moisture and will act like an egg. I chose to use flax because a) I have plenty in the fridge and b) it's keeps the recipe vegan and c) I don't like using half an egg and wondering what to do with the rest!
Now tip the wet mix into the dry mix and combine quickly to an even consistency then add the raisins. Now you'll have to look at the mix and decide how much water to put in. If your veg were really juicy you might only need 5ml, if they were dry you may need 20ml. You are aiming for a consistency that's a bit like wet mud, not runny but not like the sandbox on a damp day either.
Give it one more quick stir and quick as a flash tip the whole lot into your microwavable mug and pop it in! 
My microwave is 700W and at that setting this cake takes 2 minutes. 1000W will probably take about one and a half minutes. When it comes out the cake should have risen and will no longer look damp in the middle.

The really tricky bit is waiting for it to cool, running a knife around the edge and getting it out in one piece, I have to be honest and say I failed at this, both the first time I got it right and the second and the third. (I'll keep trying ;D) 

This cake was really, really easy. So easy my girls did it themselves and we still had cake in about 15 minutes. Please prepare yourself for cute shots of their little hands now!

 

And of course they had to lick the bowl clean! 

On this occasion we made double quantities and split the mixture between 4 little glass ramekins. We doubled the time in the microwave and when they we ready we ate them with a nice blob of half-fat creme fraiche on top! 

Everyone was very happy. The End.