1 min microwave chocolate cake for Blog Hop Wednesdays

I am undergoing a massive mid week crisis. I definitely dint feel springy when i got up this morning. For some reason, all i could think about was that mile long bucket list that i ve saved on my computer and the fact that i m already twenty four. I mean, i m twenty four. That s pretty old and i m not faring great if you take a close look at my bucket list. I m supposed to have finished CS inter, passed level A3 in french tres bien, baked the perfect alfajores and find bone china ramekins by May 2012. Chances are very narrow that i even begin any of the above considering the fact that i ve not even reached September 2011 of the bucket list. Who ever wanted me to draft a bucket list by the way? Bad idea. I wish i could break a rotten egg on their head. That s a fantastic idea. So when i was wallowing in a self induced and self motivated well of pity, i realised i had something to look forward to today. No, its not a part of my bucket list. You must leave that part alone. Otherwise, you will soon want to break a rotten egg on my very pretty head. Mind you, i ve a full head. So it wont be fun to do all the egg breaking. While i wallowed and whimpered and threw a very big tantrum right this morning, Mr. P dearest reminded me that it s time for blog hop wednesdays. Now, when he said that, i thought, ” My God, he remembered that but he doesnt remember to buy yoghurt for me.” See i told you, the blog has become a way of life in my household now. Anyway, i was paired with Charul of Tadka Masala this time.
Charul s Tadka Masala, i  must say, has a beautiful layout. I mean just look at those drop down menus and the neat labelling work she does on every post.  Her Glossary and Preps & Equips  columns piqued my interest. She s definitely making a mark of her own in the blogosphere. All her recipes are simple yet wonderful. Not many have the knack to keep things simple and beautiful 🙂 I picked this microwave chocolate cake from her blog. You can attribute the choice to the curious cat in me.
When the 1 min microwave chocolate cake stole the ramp at the blogosphere, all i said was ” Bah” I mean, how can some one make a cake in 1 min. And that too in a microwave. And i forgot all about it. It was not too great at that time for me to remember. Well, something changed that. Well, do you all remember that  milk bundt cake that i made sometime back? When i was making that, i had to heat up some leftover butter in the microwave. I spilled a teeny weeny bit of the cake batter in my butter bowl. Now, i dint notice it till i took back the bowl from the microwave and saw that the batter had turned into a small spongy soft mass.I very carefully popped it into my mouth and it tasted simply amazing. So, my head started ticking off that instant. Can i bake a whole cake in the microwave mode? Of course i knew i couldnt. And then, this microwave cake came into my focus all again. All in good timing, when Radhika announced her next blog hop pair list and i discovered Charul s space and this recipe too.
Chocolate is probably the next best thing to love on earth. I mean, i must thank Brahma for planting such brains in us that we could invent chocolate. I m not a chocolate person. Period. But that doesnt mean i hate chocolate. The chocolate cake craving does kick in occassionally for me too just like it did this morning. Just when i was not in a mood for all that beating, sifting and mixing. This microwave chocolate cake came as a blessing when my craving for that sinful piece of cake was at its highest.

Prep Time: Under 5 mins
Cook Time: Under 2 mins
Yields 4 small cakes in teacups

What you need?

All Purpose Flour 6 tbsp
Powdered Sugar 6 tbsp
Milk 6 tbsp
Oil 6 tbsp
Cocoa Powder 2 tbsp
Any chocolate biscuit 3 no.s
Baking Powder 1/4 tsp
Salt a small pinch
Vanilla extract 1/8 tsp( optional)

( This cake is a face saver if you have not made your dessert. Believe me, it s without all the sinful indulgences like butter and eggs but still tastes absolutely heavenly. You cant make this in an oven or on convection mode. Chances are you ll land up burning the cake thoroughly. This really does take only a min to cook. So its a quickie dessert after a heavy dinner. But the kids will love it more than anyone if you have this ready when they are back from school. Because it tastes relish with a glass of cold milk. I ate it that way. I did not even dunk in the cake. I poured the milk over the cake and just wolfed it down. The amount of sugar that i ve mentioned is a lil less cos we dont like our cakes too sweet. But maybe you could add a tbsp more. The batter is not runny like the usual cake batter but dont let that deter you. Its just perfect to microwave. And make sure the vessel in which you bake this is microwave safe. You can also use melted unsalted butter in case you need that rich feel to your cake. This is such a breeze to make if you want to show off your baking skills a lil too. I mean let your friends talk, you disappear into the kitchen for 5 mins and come back with a brilliant cake in a cute tea cup. Imagine that!! And yes, the baking time varies between 1 and 1 and a half mins. Mine got done in precisely 80 secs. So just keep an eye after a min. Insert a skewer and check after a min. If it comes out clean, then its fine. Otherwise bake for about 20 to 30 secs more)

How to make it?

In a mixing bowl, place all the dry ingredients except the biscuits and combine well.
Now, crumble the biscuits using your hand and add in to the dry ingredients.
Make a well in the middle of the mixing bowl.
Add all the wet ingredients starting with oil and ending with the vanilla.
Using a hand whisk, combine all the ingredients until well incorporated and make sure there are no lumps.
Now, fill any microwave safe tea cups or ramekins till halfway with the batter.
Cook on the highest power on microwave mode for 1 min.
Check to see if a toothpick inserted comes clean.
If not, cook for a further 20 secs.
That s it. You are good to go. My cakes had risen beautifully.

Let it cool and then serve with ice cream or pour cold milk on it and dig in just like me.
This goes to this month s  Blog Hop Wednesday week 15 at Tickling Palates. Head on over to see what others have cooked. I am also sending this to Kitchen Chronicles Summer Splash by Kalyani and Lets Cook Speedy Snacks