Okay I know I’m on a crazy cake fix lately but I can’t help myself. I blame being stuck at home for weeks on end—and soon to be months, unfortunately. And while my typical go-to dessert is ice cream, right now I’m having a love affair with cake. Especially this chocolate mug cake recipe that literally only takes 90 seconds to cook in the microwave.
The inspiration behind my simple mug cake came from enjoying this delicious molten lava cake from Joy the Baker a few weeks ago. While I absolutely loved her recipe, like always, I decided to simplify it. And given that Google Trends—and Pinterest Trends—both are seeing a search peak in mug cake recipes, clearly, people are as cake obsessed as me these days. So I made my own recipe.
This chocolate mug cake recipe took a lot of trial and error. There are numerous different mug cake recipes online that really, really suck. And I did not want mine to suck. So I had a very process where I tried five different ingredient combinations—yes, really—and then tested out this particular recipe twice. I even had a friend test it out for me! I wanted to make sure this recipe was absolutely perfect for all of you.
Oh, and please always remember that every cake needs frosting. You can make an easy homemade vanilla frosting following this tutorial. Or at least a good dollop of whipped cream. Simply sprinkling in some powdered sugar is not tolerated.
Use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
If you’re a milk chocolate stan, I mean, that’s fine. You do you, it’s your dessert! But for this recipe I really love to use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, because I think it contrasts well with that dash of salt. Plus, I’m a dark chocolate junky.
In particular, I really love to use Hu Gems! They are dark chocolate gems great for both snacking and baking, and they really pack in that dark chocolate flavor into the cake. Plus, they’re so much bigger than normal chocolate chips, which creates little pockets of chocolate melty goodness. It’s like your own molten lava cake, but without the effort of having to turn on the broiler!
Anywho, I highly recommend anything from Hu Kitchen. I met the founders at an event and they are really nice, genuine people. And their products reflect their authenticity and transparency.
Don’t go over 90 seconds—trust me!
My first few times trying this recipe I cooked the mug cake for 2 minutes, and the cake was absolutely horrific. Turns out I was overcooking it! The cake really doesn’t need that long in the microwave.
When choosing a mug, you’ll want to find something that has good height. Baking powder is a leavening agent, which means your chocolate mug cake will rise—even when you’re only cooking it for 90 seconds. Make sure there’s a good amount of room on top for your cake to rise, because the last thing you’ll want is to waste all of that delicious chocolate with a microwave explosion.
Chocolate Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp chocolate chips
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Microwave the butter in the mug for 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, milk, baking powder, and salt until smooth.
- Sprinkle in the chocolate chips, and lightly mix until combined.
- Microwave for 90 seconds.
- Serve with a dollop of frosting, whipped cream, or any other desired cake toppings.
Other desserts to make at home!
Because who doesn’t love dessert? Here are a few of my favorites—and some cocktails to pair. Because, duh.
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