Hershey's: Microwave Chocolate Cake

I remember when I was young, there was this whole craze with making cakes in the microwave.  All the major brands had their own mixes out on the market, and they even came with new-fangled plastic pans to cook in.  Now of course the servings are much smaller, for only one or two, but back then it was whole cakes.  With icing.

Thank goodness my mom saved some of those plastic microwave cake pans, because that's what I use to make a cake that doesn't seem possible.  It's rich and chocolatey and amazing, but it's....made in the microwave.  Yeah, I don't understand it either.  But whenever I need something super fast for dessert, I turn this thing out in no time flat.  Oh, and if you use really good ingredients, like Valrhona cocoa, and you throw in the seeds from a vanilla bean instead of using vanilla extract, it takes it up a whole 'nother level.

Microwave Chocolate Cake
From Hershey's

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

⅔ cup water, divided

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

Dash salt

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

Grease and line a round 7- or 8-inch microwavable cake pan with plastic wrap.  Combine the cocoa and ⅓ cup water in a small bowl.  Microwave on HIGH for 50 seconds.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the oil, egg, vanilla, and remaining ⅓ cup of water.  Stir to combine.  Stir the cocoa mixture and add it to the cake batter.  Mix well to combine.

Pour the batter into the dish.  Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes (7 minutes for a low-powered oven).  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Turn out onto a plate and remove the dish and plastic wrap.  Let cool.  Frost with Chocolate Frosting.

Makes 8 servings

Chocolate Frosting

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1⅓ cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix together the butter, vanilla, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth.  Add cocoa powder and enough milk to make the frosting spreadable.