In the interests of science.....

I've been sent the following recipe on two occasions now so I'm going to take that as a sign that I should give it a go.  The recipe in question is the 5 minute chocolate mug cake.  Now, the thought of being able to access homemade chocolate cake in 5 minutes is of course a Very Good Thing.  But is it really possible or is it just a cruel urban myth being spread around the internet to taunt us chocolate cake lovers.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

source unknown!

4 tablespoons plain flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional, but recommended!)

A splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

1) Add the dry ingredients to the mug and mix well

2) Add the egg and mix again

3) Stir in the remaining ingredients (not easy in such a small space)

4) Put the mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high).  The cake will rise over the top of the mug (mine did, but the cake was cooked enough by then to hold itself together rather than spread itself all over the microwave).  Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate.

Well, it was easy enough to put together.

But it is certainly the strangest-looking cake I've ever made!

I don't think I'll be entering it in any cake competitions!

And the taste?  

Hmmm, well sadly this is not the yummiest chocolate cake I've come across - it's certainly no chocolate fudge brownie!  To be fair I didn't use the chocolate chips as I didn't have any and I think they would have helped.  As would some ice cream, chocolate sauce....anything to disguise the cake really!  It has a strange springy spongey texture and a pretty bland flavour (you can tell that the usual butter has been replaced by oil).  So, for me, I'm afraid it's not really a winner.  

Having said all that though, I should point out that my 4 year old daughter thinks it's great, so hey, what do I know!?