After resisting for so long, I’ve finally succumbed to making  microwave “cup” cakes after watching Iron Chef Michael Symon prepare them on his new Cooking Channel show, Symon’s Suppers.  Over the years, I’ve seen various recipes from food bloggers, many of them with mixed reviews.  The chief complaint I’ve read about microwaved cup cakes is that they can be too dense and dry.  Well not these!  They turned out surprisingly well, considering it only took about 5 minutes and minimal effort on my part.   To top it off, clean up was easy with only one bowl to wash.

For this quick indulgence, I used  Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, some instant coffee and a dash of Kahlúa.  The result was a molten cake – an ooey, gooey, chocolately delight.  I was careful not to overcook them so I checked on their consistency after 50 seconds.  I ended up microwaving these for a total of 1 minute and 5 seconds, adjusting the power on my microwave to 70%.  Fill the cups to about half or a little less than two-thirds full since the cakes rise and might overflow if too full.

I like that these cakes can be made in small, individual portions, so hopefully no more eating half the pan of something sweet  in one sitting!  With the handy dandy cup, it was so easy to add a scoop of ice cream on top. In this case, I added a scoop of Häagen-Dazs  Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream.  Delish!

One warning: This can be a dangerous habit.  Imagine being able to give in to your sweet cravings, whatever flavor it might be, in no time at all!   I wonder what flavor I’ll make next?!

Microwave Mocha “Cup” Cake
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:
8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into cubes and at room-temperature
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 packet Starbucks VIA® or 1 to 2 teaspoons instant coffee
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 tablespoon Kahlúa liqueur
your favorite ice cream, optional, for garnish
chopped nuts, optional, for garnish

Method:
Place the butter and chocolate together in a glass bow and melt in a microwave, approximately 45-60 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave.

In another bowl, whisk together the coffee,  flour, sugar, orange zest, salt, eggs and Kahlúa . Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Divide the batter among 6 coffee cups.

Microwave for 50 seconds to 2 minutes on high, depending on the power of your microwave and how molten you like your cakes. Let cool for 30 seconds.

Top with the ice cream and chopped nuts.  Serve with a glass of ice cold milk.

Adapted from a recipe from Michael Symon.

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