One of my earliest baking memories is of this cake made by my Grandma – well not so much the cake, or even if I helped make it – but of the crumbs left in the cake tin! When you remove the cake from the tin it leaves little traces of soft moist cake behind – and it is those little traces of cake crumb that are my most enduring memory of this cake – and the best bit is that 20-30 years later it still tastes the very same!
The next most important point to make is this cake cooked in 5 1/2 minutes!!! So at any given point you are only around 10-15 minutes away from a whole chocolate cake – forget tasteless cakes in a mug – this is real cake, whole cake, cooked in no time at all
This was definitely trial and error – the original recipe said to cook on medium for 10 minutes – so I thought I would try 40% for 10 minutes – and well suffice to say I now know how to make rock cake!
So second time around I went with fullpower and 4 minutes – eventually cooking for a further 1 1/2 minutes – each microwave will vary so I recommend starting at 4 minutes and going for 30-60 second increments until it bounces back to the touch and a skewer or knife comes out clean.
You will need a microwave proof cake tin – I have the original old ring tin but I see you can get them online and in some stores still.
Onto the recipe!
Grandma's Microwave Chocolate Cake
A favourite of mine since childhood, so easy to make
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Plain White Flour, 195 grams
- 1 Cup Sugar. 205 grams
- 3 heaped Tablespoons Cocoa, 18 grams
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Cup Milk, 250 mls
- 1 Cup Oil, 250 mls
- 3 Tbsp Golden Syrup, 45mls
Icing
- 1 1/2 Cups Icing Sugar, 202 grams
- 1 heaped Tablespoon Cocoa Powder, 10 grams
- 1 teaspoon melted Butter, 5 mls
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence, 5 mls
- 1-2 Tablespoon Water, 15-30 mls
Instructions
- Spray or line the microwave proof cake tin (I used a ring tin) It does leave a fine crumb behind but you can always use a circle of baking paper in the bottom of the ring to avoid losing the top of your cake.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and combine well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and combine well - I used a whisk to ensure it was all well combined.
- Pour into the prepared cake tin, pop into the microwave and cook on high for 4 minutes, then check and cook for 30-60 second increments it bounces back to the touch and a skewer or knife comes out clean. It took 5 1/2 minutes in our 1100w microwave.
- Allow cake to cool in the tin then remove onto a rack ready to ice once cold.
- !Icing
- In a medium bowl add the icing sugar, cocoa and mix well
- Add to this the melted butter and vanilla and mix
- add water a small amount at a time until you have a slightly runny spreadable consistency
- Spread over the cooled cake
- Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this special recipe from my Grandma, I was so pleased to remember it and even better that my Mum was able to dig it up.
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Happy Baking
Anna
Jeanette Wigmore says
Did you cook the Microwave Chocolate Cake on full power? Years ago I used to make a Microwave Chocolate Cake in an old 650W microwave. I haven’t tried to cook it in my 1000W
justamumnz says
In step 5 i mention how long it took in my 1100 watt microwave.
Duaa Ilyas says
I love your recipe! I was wondering if I take out cocoa can I used this recipe as a plain vanilla cake? I wanted to make strawberry shortcake and make the cake in microwave instead.
justamumnz says
I haven’t tested it sorry! You could try and add some vanilla essence. Let me know if you try it how it goes
Karen Bates says
Can this be cooked in the oven instead of microwave.
justamumnz says
Not this one, but I do have several other chocolate cake recipes, simply search, chocolate cake on my website
Susan says
My mum used this recipe all the time for when visitors arrived, sometimes with, sometimes without icing. She also served it for dessert with chocolate sauce made from 3 melted Mars bars mixed with a little cream. Yummy!
Lynne says
I dont have a microwave ring tin, how long would i cook in a ñormal round microwave cake tin, or shuld i put a cup or something in the middle to create the ring? Many thanks 😊
justamumnz says
I would pop a glass in the middle of you can to create the ring for even cooking.
Joanne says
Could you replace plain flour for self raising and not use baking powder and baking Soda
justamumnz says
Yes you can. Possibly add 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda as well as Self Raising Flour.
bsymommonologues says
Looks delicious !