Chef Gemma Stafford crafts easy-to-learn microwave mug recipes

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) -- Cooking sensation Gemma Stafford has over 1 million subscribers on her Bigger Bolder Baking YouTube account, where she provides diverse, easy-to-learn microwave recipes using mugs.

"Somebody asked me to show them how to make a cake without an oven. Then it kind of dawned on me that you'd make a cake in a microwave," Stafford said.

She began creating mug cakes then moved onto microwave meals to suit all different lifestyles and diets.

Stafford does not include uncooked meat in her recipes, as microwave heating is uneven, and thus most of her mug meals are vegetarian.

However, she has perfected egg dishes and for other animal proteins, she recommends making mugs with leftovers.

"If you have a little bit of leftover roasted chicken. You can add that into a curry, and then you can pop that into the microwave," Stafford said.

Due to their size, the mug meals contain the benefits of portion control and cost, in addition to the convenience of shorter cleaning time.

"The beauty of these little mug cakes is that you mix them, you cook them and you eat them out of the same mug," Stafford said.

Putting together the usual cake ingredients of sugar, flour, cocoa, oil, milk and a pinch of salt, she whipped up a hot chocolate cake topped with marshmallows.

"Usually after 45 seconds I like to check them. Most of my mug cakes take around a minute," she said.

Although microwave sales have fallen with the current push for cooking fresh, 90 percent of American households still own one.

Stafford's newly released e-book "Gemma's Mug Meals: 30 Bold Recipes for Real Food Fast!" is $6.99 and contains 30 recipes for fast holiday fixing.