Five Minute Chocolate Cake

Forgotten to buy a present? Fear not! This recipe is perfect to show the birthday boy/girl that you care and is ready in a flash.

Prep time: 5 mins (ok, maybe 7...)

Serves: 8 (greed dependent)

• 175g soft margarine or butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp milk
• 2 eggs

1. Find any microwaveable bowl that is cake-shaped, i.e. round.
2. Melt the butter on a plate in the microwave for 1 minute.
3. Whilst the smell is wafting deliciously through the kitchen, put the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the cake bowl. (Use a sieve if you have one; if you don’t, massage out any offensive lumps with the back of a spoon – they will make the cake lumpy otherwise)
4. Beat the eggs, milk and butter in a mug with a fork until the mix is a little frothy.
5. Pour the eggy mess into the cake bowl and mix everything together.
6. Once you are satisfied with the sticky consistency, bang it into the microwave for 6 mins, preferably on top of a micro-rack (the wire grill thing).
7. Leave to cool, before adding the icing.

...WITH Homemade icing

Prep time: 2mins plus spreading

Serves: 1 cake and 1 bowl-licker

• 1 tbsp soft margarine or butter
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 heaped tbsp icing sugar
• Splash of milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Melt the butter in the microwave for 30 secs
2. Stir in the cocoa, sugar and a splash of milk until you have a sticky consistency
3. Add a dash of vanilla
4. Grab the cake, find your inner artist and get spreading!

Feeling domestic? Now try your hand at microwave Paella