We recently enjoyed a family holiday in beautiful Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. We stayed in a cabin overlooking the water at the local caravan park, which made the whole trip feel relaxed from the moment we arrived. The timing was extra special because it was also my Mum’s birthday on Anzac Day. Dad had secretly booked two nights in the same caravan park, in the cabin right next to ours, but Mum had no idea we would be there. She thought we were away on holidays in New South Wales, so when she discovered we were actually next door, it was the loveliest birthday surprise.
I had planned to buy a birthday cake the day before because I knew the shops would be closed on Anzac Day. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived in Caloundra that afternoon and I did the grocery shopping, every cake had already sold out. I vaguely remembered that the cabins had ovens, so I decided not to worry too much. I bought the best packet cake mix I could find and thought I would simply bake it the next day. When we checked into the cabin, however, I discovered there was no oven at all. For a moment I wondered how I was going to save Mum’s birthday cake, but I decided to deal with it calmly the next morning.
That night I kept thinking through every possible way to cook the cake. I considered using the electric frypan on low heat, then wondered if I could cook it on the stovetop in a saucepan. Finally, I had a simple idea: I would make the cake in the microwave. The cabin had a glass bowl, so I used that as my cake dish. In about five minutes, the cake was cooked, the birthday celebration was saved, and a potential holiday baking disaster was completely averted.
After we came home, I decided it was worth creating a microwave chocolate cake from scratch, rather than relying on a packet mix. This easy microwave chocolate cake recipe is the result. It is quick to prepare, cooks in around 6 minutes, and uses simple pantry ingredients. It is a great recipe to keep on hand when guests arrive unexpectedly, when you need a fast dessert, or when the lunchboxes are looking a little empty in the morning.
This cake has a light crumb and a soft texture. Like many cakes cooked in the microwave, it is not as rich or overly moist as a traditional oven-baked cake, because microwave cooking uses the liquid in the batter to cook the mixture quickly. Even so, it is a very handy backup chocolate cake, especially when time is short or an oven is not available. Once it is cooled, spread it generously with vanilla buttercream, finish it with sprinkles, and you have a simple homemade cake that looks cheerful and tastes delicious.
INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
100ml sunflower oil, or a similar light-flavoured oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
125ml hot water
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 cups self-raising flour
3 tbs cocoa
Sprinkles, to serve
LET’S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
1. Place the eggs, sunflower oil, vanilla essence, and hot water into a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add the caster sugar, self-raising flour, and cocoa, then continue whisking until you have a smooth chocolate cake batter with no dry pockets of flour remaining.
2. Line a microwave-safe dish with baking paper. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared dish and gently smooth the top so it cooks evenly. A square Pyrex-style dish works well for this recipe, and silicone cooking moulds can also be used if they are suitable for microwave cooking.
3. Place the dish in the microwave and cook on full power for 6 to 7 minutes. The cake is ready when the top feels set and springs back when lightly touched. If it still looks wet in the centre, return it to the microwave for a little longer, checking carefully so it does not overcook.
4. Allow the microwave chocolate cake to cool in the dish for 5 minutes. After that, carefully transfer it to a wire rack and leave it to cool completely before adding the icing. Cooling the cake first helps the buttercream stay light and fluffy instead of melting into the surface.
To make the buttercream icing
Place 125gm butter, 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla essence, and 1 tbs milk into the bowl of a stand mixer or use an electric hand mixer. Beat until the buttercream is pale, light, and fluffy. Spread the vanilla buttercream over the cooled chocolate cake, then add sprinkles to serve.
Note: You can also use silicone cooking moulds to make this microwave chocolate cake, as long as they are microwave safe. For this version, I used a 20cm square Pyrex dish, which gave the cake a good shape and made it easy to slice once cooled and iced.
