Molten chocolate mug cake and ice cream for one. Need I say more? This mug cake recipe is a five-minute-microwave hero when a chocolate craving hits.
Molten Chocolate Mug Cake
I don’t often have a reason to bake a cake and even if I think, “well, I don’t need a reason!” baking a big cake for myself is just a bad idea. It means I will either eat the entire thing or end up throwing most of it away. Depending on the outcome, it’s either an exercise in excessiveness or wastefulness and so there hasn’t been a lot of homemade cakes in my life.
And then I talked to my best friend who told me people use their microwaves to cook things. Not just to reheat leftovers, or nuke a frozen meal, but real cooking where you combine raw ingredients, toss them in the microwave, and, voila, dinner or dessert (or both!) is served. It was a revelation.
Turns out, my microwave could deliver what I thought was out of reach: a single-serve mug cake that’s fast and easy. Plus, there’s no risk of a chocolate overdose followed by the day-after self-hate that goes with a regular-sized cake. The moderation is built right in.
A Mug and a Microwave
It really is as simple as combining a few ingredients in a mug and popping it in the microwave, but if you need a visual reference you must watch this Lucky Peach video. Not so much for the detailed steps, but more for the quirkiness of it that might make you smile. I adapted this same recipe here – I switched a few things up like cream for milk, butter for oil, and a nice dollop of ice cream to finish it off.
Decadence, it seems, is the order of the day.
Some Things You’ll Need
- A microwave-safe mug
- Melted butter
- An egg
- Heavy cream
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar and unsweetened baking cocoa
- Vanilla
- Chocolate chips
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Molten Chocolate Mug Cake
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
As the name of this recipe suggests, this single-serve cake is “baked” in a mug in the microwave meaning there are just five minutes between you and a big spoonful of this chocolaty rich dessert. Adapted from Lucky Peach, my version amps up the decadence with some butter, cream, and a generous dollop of vanilla bean ice cream to top it off.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup vanilla bean ice cream (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the butter, egg, and cream together in a coffee mug until well combined. Add the flour and sugar and keep stirring. Add the cocoa, vanilla, and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Place the mug in a microwave and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the mug from the microwave and let it sit for a few minutes to cool.
- Top the cake with the ice cream, grab a spoon, and dig in.
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 933
- Sugar: 75.8g
- Sodium: 2415.8mg
- Fat: 56.3g
- Carbohydrates: 99.5g
- Fiber: 4.1g
- Protein: 13.5g
Keywords: molten chocolate mug cake, mug cake recipe
Kayley says
October 25, 2018 at 7:47 pmIt tastes good but the texture turned out weird? I might have done it wrong. You advertised it as a “molten” chocolate mug cake. I thought it was going to be like a lava cake but mine turned out completely cooked through. The texture is also a little spongey. Did I do something wrong?
★★★
April says
October 26, 2018 at 9:52 amIt could be a difference with the microwave power – if it was too spongy it might have been cooked too long. You might want to try cooking it a little less next time!
Sarah says
July 21, 2018 at 7:18 pmIs it really true that the cake has 933 calories?? Seems like a lot for a little cake?
April says
July 22, 2018 at 7:10 amHi Sarah – it’s actually a pretty big serving, almost enough to serve two people and it’s pretty decadent with all the butter, sugar, and cream.
Paige says
June 26, 2018 at 11:15 pmI did not enjoy this cake. I followed the recipe exactly and it was still not good. It had a strange texture and was not very chocolatey. It was also not cooked all the way through even though I cooked it for two minutes. I would not do this again, very disappointed:( 👎👎👎👎👎
★
April says
June 27, 2018 at 8:43 amHi Paige, I’m really sorry you didn’t enjoy it.
Michelle says
May 13, 2018 at 1:32 amIt’s late on a Saturday night and the hubby and I were wanting a fancy dessert. It popped into my head to search for a microwave coffee mug cake. I made yours and it is unbelievably delicious! Light and chocolatey. It’s was so easy to put together and just magic that I can cook this in 2 minutes. We love it!!adj
★★★★★
April says
May 14, 2018 at 8:51 amThat’s great! It really is the perfect easy sweet treat 🙂 So glad you guys liked it!
Jenny Milchman says
April 11, 2018 at 2:27 pmYour blog is seriously after my own heart–sub cream for milk–genius! I look for ways to add butter too 🙂 The extra fat makes recipes taste better, and I am pretty well convinced it’s healthier too. Will try these mini cakes, and am about to make your peanut butter chocolate muffins later this afternoon. Thanks–I just subscribed!
April says
April 12, 2018 at 6:25 amHope you enjoy them!
Lucy says
April 10, 2018 at 7:25 amI had a major chocolate craving and found this on pinterest – LOVED IT!!
★★★★★
M says
March 23, 2018 at 11:44 pmThis was so yummy! The first time I made it, I thought it was slightly too sweet, so I decided to add just a little less sugar. I have made it several times since and now it is my go-to recipe when I’m in an I-want-dessert-now mood. What a great idea!
April says
March 25, 2018 at 7:27 amSo glad you liked it! 🙂
Amy says
January 30, 2018 at 8:32 pmFound this on Pinterest and love it!
Hilary says
January 24, 2018 at 4:33 pmAbout what size mug does this fill? A standard size? Or should I use a larger mug?
April says
January 24, 2018 at 7:07 pmHi Hillary – a 10-12 ounce mug should work great.
N says
January 18, 2018 at 6:45 pmI added a bit of coconut oil to enhance the chocolate and it turned out quick, easy, and delicious! Definitely doing this again! Thanks!
Mimk says
November 17, 2017 at 12:20 pmCan we use milk instead of heavy cream?
April says
November 17, 2017 at 12:54 pmYes, it will work fine 🙂
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
July 28, 2016 at 2:20 pmYou know I don’t think I’ve ever actually cooked something in my microwave! It’s time to remedy that…this mug cake looks like a delicious way to start!
suzi says
July 22, 2016 at 1:11 pmThis looked so yummy I decided it would become breakfast and lunch today! It was super easy and a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth craving in one small serving. Thanks, this was delicious