Quick Chocolate Pudding

I'm always searching for super quick, super simple desserts that I can knock up if afternoon visitors stay for dinner, or if I just have a dessert hankering after the girls have gone to bed. A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a recipe which claimed to provide a 7-minute chocolate fudge cake. I tried it, and while it took a little longer than 7 minutes (maybe 15), it was still quick and pretty tasty. I've adapted it a little since I first tried it and it's become a regular go-to if I need dessert, pronto!

My version is nearly always adapted for just hubby and I (with a little left over for breakfast), but double the ingredients and you'd easily serve 6 with a side of vanilla ice cream. The result is what I would call a self-saucing pudding.

For the cake:
55g self raising flour
55g caster sugar (I use raw)
15g cocoa
1 egg
25g butter, melted
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla essence (I use home made)
handful chocolate callets (I use either Callebaut 34% or Callebaut 54% depending on how grown up the customers are)

For the sauce:
50g soft brown sugar
15g cocoa
100ml hot water

1. To make the cake, combine flour, sugar and cocoa in a large-ish microwave-safe bowl (I used Pyrex). This is the bowl the cake will cook in, so it needs room to accommodate rising.
2. Add egg, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Whisk by hand until well combined. Top with chocolate callets.
   
3. In a small bowl combine the sugar and cocoa for the sauce. Mix until well combined with no lumps. Sprinkle over the cake batter.
4. Pour the hot water over the back of a metal spoon, over the batter (this will stop the water causing any craters in your batter). Stab the mix a few times with a fork to let some of the water into the batter.
   
5. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. The surface will be springy to touch when it's ready.

The finished product isn't particularly pretty, but you can dress it up with ice cream if you're entertaining, or eat it straight out of the Pyrex if it's all yours. It definitely hits the spot when I'm craving a chocolatey dessert.