No Foolin' 5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Last night I dreamed that I was back living in Paris. I stopped to buy a ticket for the metro and then joined the rushing masses of commuters and made my way onto the train. Just as I was trying to figure out which exit I needed to take to exit onto the correct side of the Champs-Elysees, I woke up. The French chatter in my mind ceased and my morning started en anglais. Aaaargh! What a cruel April Fool's trick for my slumbering mind to play on me! Harumph. I grumpily got showered and dressed and made my way downstairs to make Squirrel's oatmeal. As I was waited for the oatmeal to cook I turned on my laptop and started going through some emails.
Thus was my state of mind when I stumbled across an email that my mom had sent me a couple of months ago that started with the following line: "Extremely dangerous knowledge, dispense on a need to know basis only." Uh oh. What followed was a recipe for a single-serving 5-minute chocolate mug cake. B-A-D news.
Yes, I made it. In my defense I waited until a bit later in the morning and had Squirrel help me mix up some of the ingredients and then we watched it cook in the microwave together. I even let her help me eat it. But I also must confess that it was my lunch, and no, I'm not feeling particularly repentant about it.
Although it wasn't Paris, it was chocolate, and that helped put a bit of a smile back on my grouchy face. This is not the best chocolate cake I've ever had, but for 5 minutes of my time it was delicious and well worth the calories. Seriously, 5 minutes! A couple of minutes to mix up the ingredients,
and then three minutes in the microwave.
When those three minutes are up, you have a mug filled with hot moist chocolate cake. Oh darn.

No Foolin' 5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
Adapted from an email recipe
1 serving

1 large mug
4 Tbsp. flour
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. oil
1/4 cup chocolate chips (plus some extra for sprinkling on top when it comes out of the microwave)
a small splash of vanilla extract

1. Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well.

2. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

3. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

4. Add the 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and vanilla extract, and mix again.

5. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Remove from microwave and sprinkle top of cake with chocolate chips.

6. Allow to cool a little, and then dig in!


* Don't forget! You have until Sunday, April 5, 2009, 10:00 PM PST to enter the measuring spoons giveaway! (Go here for instructions on how to enter).