Cooking with Laura

So, last night, Kelly wanted chocolate cake. Being of the instant gratification generation, she opted to use this recipe for a 5 minute cake you bake in the microwave (which is apparently very popular with the stoner crowd). After getting decent results, she convinced me to try it.

Now, as many people can attest, my cooking skills leave something to be desired (although I think the number of things I've set on fire is greatly exaggerated). But this is cake you make in a coffee mug in the microwave - how hard could it be?

Let's backtrack a bit. Kelly, who had apparently googled something to the effect of “baking for impatient people,” selected this recipe on the basis of reviews such as these:

• “my friends and i are stoned eating the cakes now. they are awesome. and if we can make them anyone can. you have made munchie time easier thank you”
• “your are the jesus of 13 year olds who are to lazy to make a cake"

I, of course, encouraged Kelly to “make the stoner cake!” Since Kelly does everything I tell her to (except kiss cute boys), she did. The results:

Kelly: Um, it looks AWESOME. And it pretty much tastes awesome.
Laura: Now I want to make it.
Kelly: Doooooo iiiiiiiiit!
Laura: It only takes 5 minutes... ok, let's go to the kitchen!

Sold. Except… I don’t have any cocoa, so, on the advice of one of the commenters, I decide to substitute hot chocolate mix and use less sugar. One minute later:

Laura: Shoot! I forgot to put in less sugar. Should I dump and start over?
Kelly: Yeah...
Laura: You know, Betty Crocker actually makes this stuff already mixed.

So, we get past the dry ingredients without further mishap. Now, we are at the egg stage, and man, they were not kidding about the pasty part. Then, I add the milk and stir some more.

Laura: Er, now I've made chocolate milk with a soggy lump in the middle.
Kelly: Keep stirring!
Laura: This is taking longer than 5 minutes.

I add the rest of the ingredients, and then, as is traditional, lick the fork I’d been using to stir.

Laura: Ugh! I hope it tastes better baked than the batter just did.

Microwaving time! They also weren’t kidding when they said it would puff up above the rim of the mug.

Laura: OMG. It's like the Leaning Tower of Chocolate Cake.

Final result? Eh, not that great. Kind of bland – I think I needed to use more hot chocolate mix (or actual cocoa, like the recipe called for) and probably leave out the vanilla. But I did not explode anything, so perhaps we will try again.