Chocolate Cake in 6 Minutes

I always thought microwave cooking is a complex, still worse, a perplexing task - you measure ingredients accurately (something we rarely do in Indian homes, it is mostly our gut feeling or experience passed on from generations), calculate measurements vis-à-vis temperatures (mathematics was never my favourite subject), using eggs to make desserts, people scaring me all the time saying a few seconds here and there could ruin the dish and so on... Over the last few months I was observing a friend dishing out delicious desserts and other recipes and having absolute fun at it... My New Year gift this year was a Microwave - leaving me pleasantly surprised and I was automatically seen making a resolution with myself that I will learn the basics of microwave cooking, and more importantly, enjoy the experience! As long as you love to cook, the method or mode of cooking should be the least of your worries - what is essential is cooking from your heart and dishing out wonders from the kitchen for your loved ones!

Cook up a spongy Chocolate Cake in 6 Minutes! 

My giant leap in microwave cooking, or 'I-can-control-the-machine-and-cook-something-tasty' Moment sprang last evening when my aunt shared a wonderfully easy cake recipe ("Baking and Easy?!?!" is what I always thought., but this was literally a cakewalk - you don't need a convection/ grill for this one either!) that made my New Year's Eve and surprised all my loved ones at home too!!! My spongy, delicious chocolate cake was ready in literally 6 minutes... Here's a low down on the recipe  

QUICK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Prep Time: 12-15 mins | Cooking Time: 6 mins | Servings: 8-10 big pieces

Ingredients:

1. Maida - 1½ cup (150 gm)
2. Sugar - 1 cup heaped (approx 175 gm)
3. Cocoa Powder - 4 tablespoons (heaped)
4. Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon
5. Water - 1 cup (150 ml)
6. Oil - ⅓  cup (50 ml)
7. Vanilla Essence - 1-2 teaspoons
8. Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
9. Walnuts - ½cup (chopped)
10. Sugar syrup - 3-4 tablespoons (runny, not very thick - mix ½-1 tablespoon of powdered sugar with 3-4 tablespoons of water)

Preparation:

• Sieve the maida, cocoa powder and soda in a bowl and keep aside

Mixture of Maida, Cocoa Powder and Baking Soda to be sieved 

• In a separate bowl, mix water, sugar, oil, vinegar and vanilla essence and mix till the sugar melts completely into the mixture.

Sugar, Oil, Water, Vinegar and Vanilla Essence mixed till sugar melts 

• Add this mix to the dry powder and keep whisking till all lumps are cleared

• Grease a microwave-safe cooking container with oil and flour and add the batter to it.

• You can sprinkle some walnuts on the batter. Now microwave (regular settings) this for 6 minutes (open) and once done, allow it to rest for a couple of minutes. Insert a knife or toothpick to see if any batter sticks - if the knife is clear, your cake is ready

• Once the cake has cooled completely, drop it on a plate and brush/pour sugar syrup on it to leave it moist

Surprise yourself and your loved ones - it is never too late to experiment and cook up easy yet tasty dishes from your heart!