The first two days in a carbless existence are tough. When you realize how much there is you can’t eat – pretty much anything sweet! – the pleasure of essentially eating as much fat as you want to eat isn’t as much fun if you can’t have chocolate cake.

I discovered this cake recipe on a website with tons of low-carb recipes, and I’m thankful I did. My sweet tooth is absolutely satisfied, and it’s really easy to make. It’s similar to the chocolate mug cake I would make my senior year of college when I had a chocolate craving in the middle of the night and didn’t want to drive to the store.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon heavy cream

2 tablespoons cocoa

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda

1 teaspoon baking powder *

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Spray a 2-cup measuring cup or small bowl with cooking spray. Add the egg and beat it with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Microwave on HIGH 30-60 seconds or until it puffs up and no longer looks wet in the center. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 1 serving

Can be frozen.

With granular Splenda:

Per Serving: 281 Calories; 23g Fat; 9g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 9g Net Carbs

I topped with whipped cream, but not the real stuff with a ton of sugar – this is one case where the stuff made of oil is probably best.