5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
This Chocolate Mug Cake is a 5-minute dessert that’s rich, chocolaty, and perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It’s the best treat when you’re craving something sweet.
Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe
Friends, we’re turning to our microwaves today in pursuit of dessert. In this case, a simple chocolate mug cake that takes all of five minutes to make. It’s decadent, it’s rich, and it’s my favorite short-cut dessert recipe when I get a sudden onset chocolate craving.
- It’s so easy – just mix up a few pantry ingredients.
- It takes less than 2 minutes to cook in the microwave!
- This recipe makes a generously-sized mug cake – enough for two to share, but I will not judge if you decide to keep it all to yourself. I’ve done it, and I always feel pretty darn good when I do.
- It’s great plain, but a small scoop of ice cream takes it over the top. It melts into the warm cake, so every bite is a little gooey chocolate bite of heaven.
I first made this mug cake back in 2016 after trying a recipe from the now-defunct magazine, Lucky Peach. Since then, I’ve made it countless times with some tweaks here and there until I landed on this version I’m sharing today.
Ingredients
- Melted butter cooled to room temperature
- Egg
- Heavy cream
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Chocolate chips – I like dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Mug Tip: A 12 to 14-ounce microwave-safe mug is a good size to use for this recipe. If you go any smaller, the cake batter may spill over the top while the cake cooks.
How to Make It
Combine all of the wet ingredients in the mug. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter is combined.
Mix in the chocolate chips and then place the mug in the microwave. Cook the cake for up to two minutes. The best way to do this is to cook it for one minute and 30 seconds and then check it. If it’s not done, add up to one minute more. The cake is done when the top is set and springs back when you lightly press it.
The cake will puff up a lot when it’s cooking, but it will sink a bit as it cools. I like to let it cool for a few minutes before enjoying it.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. Just stir until it comes together, and be sure to scrape the sides of the mug so all of the flour and cocoa powder are mixed in.
- I highly recommend the chocolate chips – they create melty chocolate pockets in the cake. But, to switch it up, you can swap half of the chocolate chips with some chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans. They add a nice crunchy texture in the cake.
- I’ve made this mug cake in a few different microwaves, and, for me, it usually takes 2 minutes. Every microwave is different, so I recommend that you start at one minute and 30 seconds and then cook it in 30-second increments, checking it each time.
- This chocolate mug cake has a dense texture, but it shouldn’t be rubbery. If it’s rubbery, that means it was overcooked. That’s why you should cook it in increments after the first minute and 30 seconds – it can go from done to overdone pretty quickly.
- Topping ideas: I love it with some ice cream, but it’s also great with some whipped cream, caramel sauce, or chocolate sauce.
I hope you give this one a try! Your sweet tooth will thank you ♥️
Happy microwaving,
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Cookies and Cream Cookies
- Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake
- Mocha Pudding Cake
- Nutella Pudding
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.
PrintChocolate Mug Cake
This Chocolate Mug Cake is “baked” in a mug in the microwave so that means there are just 5 minutes between you and a big spoonful of this chocolaty-rich dessert! This recipe makes one large mug cake that can easily serve two people.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings (1 large mug cake) 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Microwave
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
- 3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Vanilla ice cream, optional for serving
Instructions
- Combine the butter, cream, and egg in a 12-ounce microwave-safe mug until well combined.
- Add the flour, sugar, and cocoa and stir until just combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the mug so all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- This cake usually takes two minutes to cook in the microwave, but I recommend starting at one minute and checking it every 30 seconds until it’s fully cooked. The cake is done when the top is cooked, and the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the mug. The cake should spring back when you lightly press on the top.
- Remove the mug from the microwave and let it sit for a few minutes to cool. Serve it warm with the ice cream, if using.
Notes
Mug: Be sure to use a microwave-safe mug that is at least 12 ounces. If it’s smaller than that, the batter may spill over the sides while it cooks.
Cooking tip: This cake has a dense texture, but it shouldn’t be rubbery. If it is, that means it was overcooked. So, be sure to cook the cake in increments as instructed and check on it. It can easily overcook if you don’t.
I highly recommend serving it warm with little ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. The topping melts into the cake and creates a more gooey texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 of the cake
- Calories: 384
- Sugar: 25.1g
- Sodium: 41.5mg
- Fat: 24.8g
- Saturated Fat: 14.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 38.6g
- Fiber: 3.4g
- Protein: 7.3g
- Cholesterol: 136.2mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Recipe, photos, and post updated from the archives. First published in July 2016.
This 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
You 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!
Can we use milk instead of heavy cream?
Yes, it will work fine 🙂
I added a bit of coconut oil to enhance the chocolate and it turned out quick, easy, and delicious! Definitely doing this again! Thanks!
About what size mug does this fill? A standard size? Or should I use a larger mug?
Hi Hillary – a 12 ounce mug should work great.
Found this on Pinterest and love it!
This 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!
So glad you liked it! 🙂
I had a major chocolate craving and found this on pinterest – LOVED IT!!
Your 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!
Hope you enjoy them!
It’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
That’s great! It really is the perfect easy sweet treat 🙂 So glad you guys liked it!
Hi Paige, I’m really sorry you didn’t enjoy it.
Hi 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.
It 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?
It 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!
Terrific recipe. Am anxious to try other flavors. Guests, grandkids loved making and eating.
Thxs
Oh, that’s great! So, glad you liked it!
Oh, I’m sorry it didn’t work – was there something specific? Would love to help you figure it out!