BAKING: 2 minute Coffee Cup Cake

This week it's all about speed baking, a hot topic in our household.

When the craving for sweet stuff hits and there's nothing in the cupboard, a coffee cup cake in the microwave usually does the trick. 

This recipe is easy and quick, the preparation time is about 5 minutes.


Ingredients:

Cake:
2 tbsp Flour
2 tbsp Drinking chocolate powder (eg. Nesquik or Colacao)
1 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 Egg
2 tbsp Cream, yoghurt or milk
1/8 tsp Baking powder
A few drops of vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp vanilla sugar

Crumble topping:
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1tbsp sugar
Sugar or chocolate sprinkles, or a square of dark chocolate for decoration


Instructions:

1. Take a coffee cup. Put in a tablespoon of butter and 2 tbsp of sugar. Mix really well until fluffy. This bit is worth doing well, so mix for about half a minute minimum.

2. In a separate cup, whisk an egg until it's evenly mixed. Pour half into the butter and sugar mix. You can use one whole egg, but the cake can end up a little thick in texture. Alternatively, you can use the whole egg by making two coffee cup cakes - someone might much appreciate it! (But if you eat both, I won't tell.)

3. Stir in 2 tbsp cream, yoghurt or milk. Even soy milk will do. The creamier the liquid, the fluffier the cake, though.

4. Stir in the flour, drinking chocolate powder and baking powder. Now set your cup aside  for a moment.

5. Now for the crumble. In a separate cup, mix the butter, sugar and flour with your fingers, picking and squeezing the mixture until it is crumbly. Now pour this over your cake mix.

6. Stick in the microwave for 1-2 minutes… and voila! Take your freshly baked cake out of the microwave. If you are in doubt about its readiness, stick in a toothpick - if it comes out clean, the cake is done. 

7. Decorate with sugar sprinkles or melt a square of chocolate on top.

This cake recipe can also be varied. Instead of 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp drinking chocolate, you can just use 4 tbsp flour and add something for flavour, like 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Or try mixing in some raisins or blueberries or substitute some of the cream with a tbsp of coffee or a apple sauce.

Enjoy in front of TV, feet up, with a cup of tea!