Microwave Chocolate Mug-Cake

I think I will begin this recipe with a word of caution... this one is Extremely Dangerous!!! only because how effortless it is to make... and when I say effortless, I really mean all the effort you will need, is to stir the ingredients with a whisk for a minute or so.

I usually like elaborate baking, but this is a recipe I turn to when I don't have enough patience even to pre-heat the oven but I still REALLY want to eat a chocolate cake.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips (I use Nestle)
3 tbsp Milk (I use 2% or Skim Milk)
3 tbsp All-purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Instant Coffee Granules
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Method:
In a fairly large coffee mug, put the chocolate chips and add the milk to it. Microwave this for 30 seconds. Then whisk the chocolate and milk to a smooth texture. Now add the flour, coffee, vanilla and baking powder and whisk until mixed well. Then add the oil and mix that in. Put the mug back in the microwave for a minute. Insert a knife in the cake and if it comes out clean, your cake is done, if not put the mug back in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time till the cake is cooked. And that's it!!!

Let the cake stand for a minute or so and dig in! either with ice-cream, whipped cream, milk or as is!!!

Chocolate Lava Cake

Lately I have become an ardent fan of baking. And baking anything 'chocolate' is always welcome! The smallest of occasions is enough for me to pull out my mixing bowls, flour, chocolate chips etc n start experimenting. The problem is.... now I don't even wait for an occasion... at this rate I see another weight loss regime coming up in the very near future!! but lets not think about that now...

Lets talk bout whats been cooking in my kitchen... I think everyone I know absolutely adores the Molten Lava Cake you get in Chili's.... we do too... the problem is its too huge to finish aaand we don't always want to eat out and going all the way there just for desert is just too much work!!! On one such day I just thought of trying it out myself... none of my baking experiments have ever gone horribly wrong so I thought the cake will at the least turn out edible!! Plus Av is always up for experiments and the poor guy eats anything I make. SO... I made the cake just enough for two that day and now we will never go to chili's just to have that cake again!

Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Unsalted butter

1/4 cup (heaped) Chocolate chips (I used the Nestle semi-sweet ones)

1/4 Cup Granulated white sugar

4 Tbsp All-purpose flour

1 Tsp Vanilla extract
A pinch of instant coffee granules (optional)

1 Egg

How To

In a Microwave-safe bowl, put the chocolate chips and butter and microwave on high for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Check every 30 seconds, and if it is done, don't over-heat it.
Coat two small ramekins generously with butter and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Then add the sugar and coffee to the molten chocolate chips and butter and whisk till combined. Add the egg to this mixture and whisk till you get a smooth texture. Now add the vanilla and flour and whisk again... Do not over mix it!
Now, divide this batter equally between the two ramekins, place them on a baking dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes. When they are done the top usually looks cracked. It really depends upon your oven how much time the cakes will take to bake, so you might want to make the first attempt an experiment to gauge how much long you need to bake them to get that perfect gooey center with a nice cakey crust!

The cakes look like this when they are done. 

 Now after you get the cakes out of the oven, leave them in the ramekins for about two minutes to set, then loosen the sides with a knife and invert them into a bowl, add a big scoop of ice cream to the side n enjoy them piping hot!!!

Notice the gooey center!!! YUMMM!!!

Enjoy people!!!