You have just been shopping and you're back in the office. You know that there is a microwave and you know that chocolate cake is the only thing that will deal with that craving. Do you want a cup of coffee? No, you want a cup of cake!

This is how you do it.

Utensils

• Largest mug you've got
• Smallish spoon or fork for stirring
• Table spoon for measuring
• Oven cloth or equivalent to avoid scarring

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons plain flour*
• 4 tablespoons¹ sugar*
• 2 tablespoons cocoa (not drinking chocolate)*
• 1 medium egg
• 3 tablespoons of milk
• 3 tablespoons of oil (cooking not motor)
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional, but you'll wish you had put them in)
• A small splash of vanilla extract and your favourite tipple

*these are the dry ingredients

Method

1. Add dry ingredients to your largest mug and mix well. Start very slowly and don't go mad or you will be wearing it rather than cooking it. If you are an idle type, you have to do a bit of work for this to work properly. You can tell when it is mixed properly as all of the mix is a pale brown colour even when you poke the spoon right to the bottom of the cup. Digging up white flour means you need to continue mixing.

2. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. There shouldn't be any dry ingredients that are still dry.

3. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. This looks horrendous with the oil floating on the top but don't despair, mix it in and keep mixing until the liquidy ingredients are a nice shiny, deep brown and the consistency of double cream.

4. Add the chocolate chips (if using), vanilla extract and if you are a drinker you could add a slug of your favourite tipple (unless it is beer or Bloody Mary), then mix again.

5. Put your mug in the microwave and cook (high) for 4 minutes at 850 watts (fairly normal UK microwave). Higher or lower wattage will require less or more time and will need you to practise a few times².

6. The cake will rise over the top of the mug; this is usual³.

7. Use the cloth to remove the mug. It will be very hot.

8. Wash⁴ the mixing spoon and re-use as an eating iron.

9. Allow the cake to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

It is extra lovely with cream or ice cream. Custard might be nice or even a chocolate sauce. This can easily serve two but you could eat it all yourself if you don't have any friends, or none close enough to deserve half.

You could of course pre-mix the dry ingredients and keep them in a jar near the microwave. Then if the eggs, milk and oil were in the fridge it would be so much easier.