A Pro Chef Bakes Chocolate Cake In A Microwave | Good Chef, Bad Kitchen | Refinery29

This week on Good Chef, Bad Kitchen, pastry chef Jess Weiss of Union Square Hospitality Group bakes homemade chocolate cake in an RV. Utilizing a microwave, she takes on conjuring up a world class dessert. Press play to see if she can master baking in a small space!
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Jessica Weiss's Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 cup pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cold water
Splash of vanilla extract
For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
Dash of whole milk
Splash of vanilla extract
Hazelnut spread, like Nutella, to taste (optional)
For the filling (optional):
A few slices of plantain (or banana)
1 tablespoon of sugar
Spoonful of hazelnut spread
Splash of vanilla extract
For the cake:
1. Combine and sift dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, water, and vanilla extract.
3. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter has just come together. It should be a little lumpy.
4. If you're microwaving, grease two microwave-safe mugs with vegetable oil. Fill halfway with batter and microwave for 1 minute and 45 seconds, or two minutes, on high until done. This might take some experimentation; be careful to not cause an explosion of batter in your microwave.
If you're baking in an oven, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners and fill 2/3 of the way full with batter. Bake until the cake springs up, probably 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your tin.
For the frosting:
1. Beat your butter until smooth, using a hand mixer, if you have it, or a big wooden spoon.
2. Mix in powdered sugar a little at a time, working to get all the clumps out.
3. Once all the sugar is mixed in, add in a pinch of salt, a spoonful or two of hazelnut chocolate spread like Nutella (if you're using it), and a splash of milk to loosen the frosting. Beat vigorously until your frosting reaches your preferred consistency.
For the filling (optional):
1. Mash the bananas with sugar, vanilla, and hazelnut spread. Set aside for assembly. If you're using plantains, microwave plantains with sugar for 30 seconds, mashing until soft. Stir in vanilla and hazelnut spread and set aside.
To assemble:
1. To unmold the cake from the mug, run a knife along the perimeter, lifting up every so often to loosen the top of the cake from the mug. Carefully turn the mug upside down and let the cake drop down. Pro tip: It helps if you cool the cakes in the fridge while you make the frosting and filling.
2. Run a knife horizontally through the cake, halving it to make two even layers.
3. Place the mashed banana or plantain on top of the first layer, and carefully place the second layer on top.
4. Starting from the top down, use a knife to spread a thin layer all around the cake, cleaning your knife of crumbs before dipping it back into the frosting. Once you've created the first layer, place the cake in the freezer for a minute or so to firm up the base.
5. For the second layer, frost the cake from the top down, cleaning your knife every so often to ensure your frosting is crumb-free. Top with a dusting of chopped chocolate, if available.
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On Good Chef, Bad Kitchen, professional chefs take on the ultimate challenge: Cooking in a bare, millennial kitchen. These pros try making a world class meal with little to no resources. Watch the experts attempt to concoct something delicious!
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[@refinery29]

What are your top baking hacks? Share with us below!

[@semicolon593]

Refinery29, To flour a pan before baking! 😊

[@thesinkingduck2524]

I thought it said vr not rv

[@brezily9790]

For beginners dont bake because you will mostly fuck everything up

[@melodiousvoice1092]

To use things at room temperature

[@zalibecquerel3463]

purchasing baked goods from a bakery.

[@sumaitahasan7447]

That kitchen looks better than the one in my house

[@zahraayeshamizanhakimtalha4260]

That kitchen look like HJF (HellthyJunkFood)

[@kewlbns69]

seriously how does an RV have a bigger kitchen than my apartment? lol

[@Sariine436]

I have no kitchen lol it was very old and going to be costom made

[@chiot2875]

i believe it's just good camera work, and also the wall against the sink is reflective like a mirror to make the space look larger.. that corner is literally all there is. great counter space though

[@deusmortis3932]

YOU HAVE A HOUSE?!!!???

[@mariapaz6379]

The dude was so happy with the cake😂

[@imlazy77]

“It’s actually good” uh she’s an actual pastry chef

[@hazellelabra5531]

That guy from the circus tho

[@owenchiou9114]

hazelle labra so hot

[@jsoriano413]

I know right?! Dreamy

[@lesterordinado9432]

He can do trapeze in me if ya know what i mean

[@fahmijasni6321]

i know righttttt

[@ahem8272]

Though*

[@deltempleton4072]

You did it!!!!! Would not have been easy. A true chef can work anywhere. Bravo

[@frankievang8830]

Lmao! The dude was all for that cake but the girl with him was like, “It’s good...” someone is jelly. 😂🤷🏻‍♂️

[@AB-qb4eh]

??? Did we watch the same video? She seemed to really dig it too

[@youmakemelaugh1797]

I saw that 😁

[@confusedwhale]

Frankie Vang: Naw, they are both trapeze performers where someone's weight can be the difference between completing the show and a ambulance ride. She just doesn't want him to gain.

[@victoriacheeseburger3932]

The "I would have fired you if you took that long" thing really got to me

[@briannaward2607]

Right?! The arrogance of that comment

[@IjeomaThePlantMama]

​​@@briannaward2607did they edit the video? Cuz I definitely remember that part but it looks like it's gone now. It was the wife saying, right?

[@shawnsg]

Nothing seals the deal like telling them you have cold AND hot water.

[@naimairfan5738]

She is talented. Really talented.loved it as someone who loves baking. I am impressed.

[@naimairfan5738]

Thanks for the 💝

[@grandunification]

That is exactly how I make mug cakes and frosting! Except I just eat it straight out of the mug lol. Look up mug recipies, they're life changing.

[@refinery29]

+winsomemisfit Will do! :)

[@ruthhh.m]

7:24 Ma'am, let the boy eat!😂 he's been swinging around in the air for who knows how long, the least he deserves is a full piece of cake😂 jk, but the mug cake actually turned out really good, I'm going to try this recipe...

[@osheafernandes8031]

"I'd fire you if you took that long." 😂

[@zalibecquerel3463]

Good chef + bad kitchen + arbitrary constraints = not a bad result considering. Bad / amateur chef + Good / professional kitchen = WHS nightmare and possible death. I'd like to see that!

[@mugensamurai]

She did a beautiful job. Lol the circus girl was definitely jelly about how good it is.

[@sabrinatodd817]

Honestly that guy looked better than the cake.i would totally eat him

[@Akshay-08]

Would love to watch more of such baking or cooking videos. Yes, of course along with the regular content!

[@refinery29]

+akshay Stay tuned for more!

[@juliabaik7024]

walter white, a pro chef cooks crystal meth in an RV

[@lolipopscandy62]

7:11. is that mila kunis

[@voosum]

she was in love with the circus guy

[@daydreamer097]

the guy is hot af

[@tamagoswirl]

Ammed is so attractive tf

[@l1233799]

Compare to the others in the series, this chef had it easy :)

[@alelobrijelo]

I thought the title read VR ! Lol

[@lindaponce2536]

0kiccc0 lol we are triggered

[@aditi5737]

It's like me looking in my kitchen for ingredients to make a cake by adjusting the recipe with whatever I have😂😋😋😂

[@IjeomaThePlantMama]

The cake looks good and all, but does Ammed have an Instagram? The people want to know!

[@enzopereslabourdette]

instagram.com/ammedtuniziani/

[@hala8687]

He's married 😭😭😭😭

[@Elubial]

@@hala8687 You can still enjoy the eye candy.

[@Throbtometrist]

Fun series!

[@syedalina5592]

This proves that equipments aside, you gotta need skills to make anything anywhere... U go girl...

[@valerie4912]

Aaaaand now I want cake.

[@refinery29]

+val erie Us too!

[@samuelkoerniadi3534]

Haha more like need cake

[@allaboutiyan]

This Kitchen is actually nice

[@dolphinoegglet7263]

Cringed so hard when she cut into that plantain thinking it was a banana

[@jessd3601]

Dolphino Egglet notice how she didn't put it in the finished product lol it's like she realized after the fact

[@med8615]

@@jessd3601 you fucking dumb? She did use it in the middle dumb fuck

[@lukethomas6482]

@@med8615 chill out mate😂

[@med8615]

@@lukethomas6482 lol sorry

[@QuynhNhu-pt4ny]

jess d she still make that edible lol

[@eleanoresilver190]

is it just me or did the egg beating sound like Jingle Bells?😂😂

[@KillJoy_Since2017]

Your supposed to crumb coat and chill before putting on the icing

[@cre8rzaw]

That microwave actually had a convection oven setting... You can see it at 3:28 on the white part of the panel.

[@victoriagoeringer]

She slaughtered that challenge

[@KillJoy_Since2017]

How big is that RV It has a full kitchen

[@XpetraXpazlX]

You can cook a normal cake in a microwave if you buy specific Tupperware.

[@hesterw8803]

Why would you make so much frosting?!

[@isabellewabbott]

veganized this recipe and it was good!

[@stefanosdelacruz2075]

The cake looks good but damn id rather have a slice of him

[@lm7695]

She’s super cute

[@ntnnot]

Not the easiest set up alright. Nicely done. :)

[@jsoriano413]

GREAT JOB!

[@camit5153]

Gordon Ramsay has left the chat.

[@riyahdani8258]

*OOO HIS GIRL IS JELLYYYY*

[@Miriam-fk9wr]

Great video 👍🏻

[@ArtVaB]

her voice sounds like Arizona Robbins

[@centigradz]

I wud cook for him and his rv is dope.

[@Andrea-kf9lq]

What's the point of using two sticks of butter and 4 cups of sugar on that frosting if she's just gonna use just 1/4 of it...

[@chellyi7337]

Wow Amid 😯😍

[@aureliabadica9520]

Im pretty sure you're not supposed to be using rv water

[@olliepopAMV]

in a microwave, "MICROWAVE OVEN"

[@sarakatz6541]

It cooked fully in 1 minute 45 seconds? That seems way too quick to come out that perfect.... 🤔🤔🤔

[@joannavalavanis]

Sara Katz She used a microwave, they reduce baking time drastically :)

[@michellelopez5407]

Make sure the cake batter🎂 doesn't cause an explosion 🎉 in the microwave 😌😲

[@apollosleaf731]

_Gordon Ramsey has left the chat_

[@Yorkie610]

Gordon Ramsay entered the chat

[@MrSaish123]

The guy is what Dick Grayson would look like if he was real.

[@tumami7910]

*hunger intensifies*

[@alanna9584]

Why is he so hot

[@charlescascioppo7728]

The music was a little too much

[@katherineschoenberg5845]

I wanna see a chef make something using only chemistry equipment

[@AnnaBorshinML]

Gordan Ramsay is shaking

[@drouinjohnny9036]

Backing magician....

[@refinery29]

+drouinjohnny Right?!

[@Juan-lv1vy]

I wanna swing from HIS CHANDELIER. D A M N

[@margaretmccrea6042]

sugar is a wet ingredient...

[@chipseaterloverhater]

I always bake cakes in microwave...

[@susana.3.]

It looks like a set not a rv

[@Heedy770]

They don't have a lot of stuff??!!

[@denisgonzalez3883]

7:47 Why did they have to do her like that?

[@tommyf2176]

do wht

[@FiorellaCalderonCardenas]

Thought she waa going to bake in a oven

[@ntent1]

Did you not read the title of the video?

[@samah6871]

That circus dude was soooooooo hot damnnnn!!!

[@acevictory3587]

Lol

[@neilnelmar8007]

3

[@crushing0nline]

That guy is uh kinda cute💀

[@ashleyp243]

🍰🍰🍰

[@loislovescheese4776]

I fail at even making normal cake

[@jessapearyid6545]

gordon ramsay could never

[@jjs9672]

Is this a female only channel or something?

[@jasonng8031]

My kitchen is three times smaller...

[@J3RM1A]

Hi

[@refinery29]

+jeremiahtaala Hey!!

[@familyaccount4369]

wtf was that waste of plantain

[@theslimewizards1019]

3rd one +♡R29

[@paulplaysz4657]

Pro she says but still fails at the most easy part

[@zreenx]

ig: ammedtuziani youre welcome... but hes married to the woman in 0:41 already -.-" cute kids tho....

[@Rose-lz2et]

hope she washed her hands

[@shalimamb]

Frosting is so disgusting

[@molnarandrea1780]

Pro chef? Seriously? She is more clumsy in the kitchen than an amateur. And it has nothing to do with the microwave ..

[@efeozcelik9476]

cute lady

[@Demon-ky2mx]

Dr

[@zitapercsi8067]

Second

[@elliotrook8118]

A chef that doesn’t know how measurements work? You’re supposed to spoon the flour in and level off otherwise it’s compacted and inaccurate

[@jb76489]

Elliot Rook pastry chefs measure by mass

[@elliotrook8118]

I’m aware, I’m saying that if you must use measuring cups you should spoon it in and level it off as it will be more accurate. Not as good as by mass though