5 Minutes? For Real?

So I got one of those forwarded e-mails from my friend Katherine (I know, it's a good name) and usually I just delete them without even reading them. Not just from Katherine...from everyone. I hate forwards. Just e-mail me personally to see how I'm doing, ya know? Anyway, I was going to delete it when something caught my eye. The word CHOCOLATE. So naturally, I immediately read it. Here is what it said:
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

So me being the anti-microwave person that I am, I thought this was NEVER going to work. In my mind the microwave does not cook food. It makes popcorn, heats tea water when I forget to fill the water cooler and unevenly tries to reheat leftovers. That's it. I really thought this was just going to be a great way to occupy the children for 5 minutes. I have my 8 year old niece for a sleepover and all I've been listening to all day is VERY high pitched squeals of delight as the kids chase each other around, in and out of the house. Sorry to all the neighbours on my cul-de-sac. LOL So we gathered up the "cast of characters" as The Pioneer Woman would say (I LOVE HER) and I started measuring things out and the kids had a jolly good time dumping stuff in their own personal mugs. Well knock me over with a feather...a few short minutes later we had CHOCOLATE CAKE! Dry ingredients first:

Then egg, milk, oil and vanilla.
Pop them into the microwave for 3 minutes per mug. So 6 minutes later...
We had this:
At this point, my ever critical Martha-ness came out and I thought "We are NEVER going to be able to get that out of the mug." BUT true to the recipe, they slid out of the mug onto a plate with no effort at all. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! I was shocked. So then came the taste testing and no, it's not the best I've ever tasted but for 5 minutes? It's darn good.

Notes for next time:

-One mug is PLENTY for 2 kids to share. They each had their own and they are climbing the walls now.

-I would cut down on the cocoa just a smidge

-For sure add the chocolate chips. I omitted them to just try out the actual cake part. It's a little lacking.

-I'd use 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp applesauce.

-Eat it right away. When the cake cools it gets pretty hard.

This is something I'd for sure try again! Great for a rainy day like today!