Microwave Chocolate Pudding Cake
Adapted from NYT Cooking (Samantha Seneviratne)
Ingredients
Cake
- 86 g 86 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 60 ml 60 ml whole milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee or espresso (optional)
- 165 g 165 g packed dark brown sugar
- 128 g 128 g all-purpose flour
- 32 g 32 g unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Topping
- 110 g 110 g dark brown sugar
- 24 g 24 g unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup 180 ml boiling water
- to taste ice cream, to serve
Method
- Cake
- Melt the butter in short bursts in the microwave in a 1½–2 quart microwave-safe soufflé dish or casserole.
- Whisk in the milk, vanilla, and instant coffee (if using). Whisk in the brown sugar, then add the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until just combined.
- Topping
- Whisk together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the cake batter.
- Pour the boiling water over the top.
- Microwave at full power until the set cake starts to emerge through the sauce in various spots and the sauce has thickened, 5–7 minutes. It's fine to check partway through.
- Serve warm, with ice cream.
Notes
- The instant coffee is optional but adds real depth to the chocolate flavor.
- Knowing when to pull it out is the only tricky part — look for firm cake bubbling to the surface. A little underdone is fine; it keeps setting as it cools.
- Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften slightly while the cake cooks.