5 Minute Cake

Yesterday I opened up my inbox to something truly incredible: a forwarded mass email that I actually wanted to read. My aunt had sent along a recipe for "5 Minute Chocolate Cake," an individual sized cake that bakes for 3 minutes in the microwave. I had come to believe that microwaves were only good for reheating leftovers and making popcorn, but I was pleasantly surprised to pop open the door after 3 minutes and find a moist, more than decent cake for tonight's dessert. For those late night chocolate cravings or times when you just don't want to put a lot of effort into dessert, this recipe is one to remember.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

1 egg

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)

1 small splash vanilla

Directions:

(1) Mix dry ingredients in a microwave safe mug.

(2) Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

(3) Microwave on high for 3 minutes. NOTE: Place a plate under the mug to avoid messy cleanup if the cake overflows.

(4) Allow cake to cool. Put out onto a plate if desired.

NOTE:

I was missing a few ingredients, so I improvised to make the cake work. I didn't have any eggs, so I used 1/4 cup of crushed blackberries to act as a binding agent, and 1/8 tsp of baking soda as a leavening agent. I also only had about 1 tbsp of cocoa, so I added 1 tbsp of instant coffee in its place.