I sneak in one of these easy chocolate mug cakes just about any time I get a night at home alone. I just toss a few simple baking ingredients into a mug, pop it in the microwave for 1 minute, and out comes a moist, delicious little cake for one. I use both cocoa powder and chocolate chips to get the most chocolate-y flavor, and I’ve perfected the timing to make sure this cake is never dry!
Top Reader Reviews
My grandson and I each made one today and they turned out sooo yummy!!!! So fun to make too!!♥️🥰
–
This was perfectly moist & gooey & sweet (but not too sweet). I loved it!
–
Microwave Chocolate Cake in a Mug
The fact that I can make a single serving chocolate cake in the microwave really changed the weeknight dessert game for me. No need to bake up a whole chocolate cake when I can make this mug cake recipe all for myself! Of course, my kids always want one of their own when they see me getting the mugs out after dinner. But these little cakes are so quick and customizable, it turns into an extra bit of fun for all of us. My husband prefers a peanut butter mug cake, but my heart will always belong to chocolate!
Email this Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Easy Dessert Recipes.
There’s nothing I love more than curling up on the couch, turning on my favorite reality show, and digging into this double chocolate mug cake after a long day. It’s so rich and satisfying that you’d never guess it was made in the microwave!
Founder, Easy Dessert Recipes
Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 12-16 ounce coffee mug
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder *
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup whole milk **
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon mini semisweet chocolate chips ***
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and baking powder.¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Add the milk, butter, and vanilla. Stir to combine.¼ cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons salted butter, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Lightly spray a mug with cooking spray.
- Transfer mixture to prepared mug.
- Top with chocolate chips.½ tablespoon mini semisweet chocolate chips
- Microwave for 90 seconds.
Notes
- Don’t forget to spray your mug with cooking spray before adding the batter to make cleanup easier.
- When measuring out your flour, don’t pack it into the measuring cup. Spoon then level the flour or you will have a dense mug cake.
- Microwave in 30-second increments or your mug might overflow. Still delicious, but a little messy.
- Just like ovens, all microwaves can be a little bit different from one another. If at the 90-second mark, your cake is still undercooked, continue microwaving in 10-second increments until it’s fully baked.
- If you place your fingertips on the top of the mug cake and a small amount of cake residue sticks to you, that means it’s perfectly baked and ready to eat. If you microwave your mug cake for too long, it will harden and not have the desired consistency. Be careful to not go over 90 seconds unless it’s truly undercooked!
- If at first your mug cake doesn’t turn out to be picture-perfect, that’s okay! Sometimes, even easy recipes like this need a little practice to get perfect. Plus, even if it’s not too pretty, it’ll still be delicious.
Foolproof Tips
- Use a large mug. A small 8 oz. coffee mug doesn’t work so well for this dessert. The cake needs room to “bake” and rise — it will expand in the microwave. So I recommend using a 12-16 oz. mug for best results.
- Rest the batter. Letting the batter rest for 2–3 minutes before microwaving yields a noticeably fluffier, softer texture. This gives the baking powder time to react with the liquid ingredients, forming tiny air pockets that help the cake rise more evenly in the microwave. Simple but effective!
- Microwave 30 seconds at a time. This prevents the batter from overflowing, and prevents a dry cake. Checking for doneness regularly means you won’t over-cook it!
How to Make a Chocolate Mug Cake in the Microwave Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this easy mug cake recipe. Melt the butter in the microwave.
Whisk the Dry: In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of baking powder.
Add the Wet: Then add ¼ cup of whole milk, 2 tablespoons of melted salted butter, and ¼ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Transfer: Lightly spray a 12-16 ounce coffee mug with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Then transfer the cake batter to the prepared mug.
Add Chocolate Chips: For an extra kick of chocolate, top with ½ tablespoon of mini semisweet chocolate chips.
Microwave: Microwave cake in 30-second increments, for a total of 90 seconds. You want to keep an eye on it so the batter doesn’t bubble over. If it’s not fully cooked at 90 seconds, continue in 10-second intervals. Be careful not to overcook, or it will become dry and chewy.
How to Store
In the (highly unlikely) event that you don’t finish this chocolate mug cake in one sitting, you can store it tightly covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 1 day. Enjoy at room temperature, or gently reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Leave a Reply