Microwave chocolate cake

Surprise the chocolate-lover in your life by producing this microwave chocolate cake in 30 minutes: it’ll disappear just as quickly – magic.

Ingredients
For the microwave cake
90g/3¼oz light brown sugar
70g/2½oz self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp espresso coffee powder
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
50ml/2fl oz sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
1 large free-range egg
55ml/2fl oz hot water
For the chocolate ganache
75g/2⅔oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
3 tbsp double cream
To decorate
40g/1½oz white chocolate, broken into pieces
Method
Grease a 15cm/6in silicone microwaveable cake mould with a little oil and line the bottom with a circle of baking paper.

Mix the sugar, flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a jug, whisk together the oil, egg and hot water.

Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly until you have a lump-free batter. Pour the mixture into the cake mould and tap a few times on the work surface to dissipate any air bubbles. Cover with cling film.

Microwave on full power (800W) for 5 minutes.

Remove the cake from the microwave and check if it’s cooked: poke a skewer into the middle, and if it comes out clean the cake is cooked. Leave the cake to stand for 5 minutes while you make the ganache.

To make the ganache, melt the chocolate on half power (600W) for 2 minutes, stirring often to ensure it does not burn. Remove from the microwave and add the cream, stirring until smooth and glossy.

To decorate, melt the white chocolate in a small bowl on half power (600W) for 1 minute, stirring halfway through, until smooth and runny.

Turn out the cake onto a serving plate and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Spread the ganache over the cake. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the white chocolate in thin parallel lines across the ganache. Drag a cocktail stick or skewer up and down, pulling through the chocolate to give a feathered effect.

Source: BBC