CAEK!

I've lost the original source of this recipe; I tripped over a link to it via comments on Ursula Vernon's blog a few months back and have since mutilated it slightly to suit my tastes.

It results in enough cake for one or two persons, depending on how hungry they are and whether or not PMS is involved. It is very dense and eggy in texture, not overly sweet. What I really like, though, is that it can be made in less than ten minutes, cooking included.

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil (though I've also used melted margarine with great success)
A dash of salt (if you so desire)
A wee bit of vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients. Add the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix well. Pour into a lightly oiled mug and microwave for 2.5 to 3 minutes. There, you have cake.

Standard knife blade/toothpick tests for doneness work just fine while you're trying to nail the exact time down. Be aware that the mug will be obscenely hot. This actually makes it doubly useful for those suffering from cramps, as it makes for an excellent warming pad.

If melting a substitute for oil, do it in the mug itself. Just swirl it around the cup to coat it a few times before adding it to the batter, and you've saved yourself the trouble of greasing the mug.

I'm presently out of vanilla. I tried a bit of almond extract in its place, but it wasn't quite my thing. A few dry frozen raspberries mixed in to this evening's batch went well, and a palmful of chocolate chips would surely be a nice variant.