Kailey's Lava Mug Cake

A ridiculously tasty treat that takes less than ten minutes and two bowls to make!

While most people probably only pay attention to April 1st more than most other days in April because of April Fool's Day, for me, it's my younger sister's birthday and that's always what I think of before even vaguely considering playing a prank on someone. She's back at college right now, so real birthday celebrations will have to wait until she gets home, but for the time being, I think I've got something she and anyone else who needs a chocolate fix will really, really enjoy.

Seriously, these things are delicious.

I usually feel bad for telling her about what we've been doing for the blog while she's at school because it's not like I can just mail her the soup I made for dinner, or the chicken I baked, but this is something you don't even need a stove to prepare. It's an incredibly quick recipe that's ready to eat almost immediately, and if you're anything like me, you'll start wanting another one pretty much as soon as the first is gone.

Winter has apparently officially given way to a cold, damp spring, plus or minus the freak snowstorm on the way to work. (That happened. I was very upset.) It's just the kind of weather where you want to curl up with a blanket and a good book, and maybe a steaming hot mug of delicious chocolately goodness.

I was introduced to this recipe by my good buddy Ari, who discovered this recipe for a Nutella lava cake, tried it out, and got hooked. I was a little wary at first because I thought I didn't like Nutella (I know, crazy, but I'd tried it before and not loved it, and I still don't necessarily like it on its own), but can promise even if you don't, this doesn't taste much like Nutella from the jar at all. You can also substitute it for peanut butter, if you're really against Nutella or can't get your hands on it.

All the ingredients go in one bowl. Almost all the measurements are in tablespoons, and the only step that takes any amount of effort is making your own self rising flour. I just spooned in four tablespoons of flour as directed and added small amounts of baking powder and soda, and it worked out absolutely fine.

Once all the ingredients in the bowl, you mix it together until everything's nice and combined...

And then that gets poured into a microwave safe mug. This recipe is supposed to make two or three servings for a small mug, but most of our coffee mugs are huge, so my batter only made one serving, and filled the mug about two thirds of the way to the top.

As a finishing touch, add a few teaspoons of chocolate chips! I had a hard time getting them to sink down under the batter, but they didn't burn and I didn't think it detracted from the final product, so I wouldn't go crazy about it.

This gets put in the microwave. Depending on the size of your mug, this could take thirty seconds or a minute and thirty seconds, and the baking process happens very quickly, so don't turn your back on it! You'll know it's cooked when the top looks glossy and a little cakey, but the middle is still nice and liquid.

This creates a delicious melt in your mouth cake with a molten center. It's super filling, and can be kind of overwhelming to eat all in one sitting, but I can assure you that it tastes good cold or room temperature too, so you can definitely set it aside and come back to finish it later if you want.

All told, this is pretty much the perfect thing for any occasion, and it's an easy pick me up or treat when you're in the mood for something tasty. Hopefully it's something people like my sister can try out too, since this isn't something that's going to survive in the mail!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lava cake to dig into.