5 minute molten chocolate cake

Adapted from Michael Symon

Serves 4.

Goes well with salted caramel ice cream or raspberry gelato

INGREDIENTS

• • 4 ounces room-temperature butter, cubed

  • 4 ounces dark chocolate (55% cacao) broken into squares.

  • 1 5/8 oz all-purpose flour

  • 3 oz sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest or a capful of Boyajian orange oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 2 eggs

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a Pyrex measuring jug for 1 minute in the microwave.

  2. Whilst that cooks, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, orange zest, salt and eggs.

  3. Stir the melted chocolate mixture to combine the butter and chocolate, then whisk the rest of the mixture into it.

  4. Pour this batter into medium ramekins - you want to HALF fill them!

  5. Microwave on high - watch them carefully, 1 will take about 30-40 seconds, 4 about 90 seconds; but it depends heavily on the power of your microwave.

  6. They should reach the top of the ramekin, then stop rising and bubble. As soon as they level off, hit stop.

  7. Let cool for a minute before serving - they should still be very moist, or slightly molten.

Coffee Mug Molten Chocolate Cake for Two (Cook's Country)

We developed this recipe in a full-size, 1200-watt microwave. If you’re using a compact microwave with 800 watts or fewer, increase the cooking time to 90 seconds for each interval. For either size microwave, reset to 50 percent power at each stage of cooking. Use a mug that holds at least 11 ounces, or the batter will overflow. The bittersweet chocolate is added at two points.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz unsalted butter

• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped, plus 1 ounce broken into 4 equal pieces

• 2 oz sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Microwave butter and chopped chocolate in large bowl, stirring often, until melted, about 1 minute.

2. Whisk sugar, eggs, cocoa, vanilla, and salt into chocolate mixture until smooth.

3. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Whisk flour mixture into chocolate mixture until combined.

4. Divide batter evenly between 2 (11-ounce) coffee mugs.

5. Place mugs on opposite sides of microwave turntable. Microwave at 50 percent power for 45 seconds.

6. Stir batter and microwave at 50 percent power for 45 seconds (batter will rise to just below rim of mug).

7. Press 2 chocolate pieces into center of each cake until chocolate is flush with top of cake.

8. Microwave at 50 percent power for 35 seconds (cake should be slightly wet around edges of mug and somewhat drier toward center).

9. Let cakes rest for 2 minutes. Serve.

TEST KITCHEN TECHNIQUE: STIR PARTWAY THROUGH

You wouldn’t dream of stirring a cake that’s baking in the oven. But to ensure that a microwave cake bakes evenly, that’s exactly what you need to do. We stop the microwave and give the batter a stir after 45 seconds.