Chocolate Mug Cake in the Microwave
Sometimes, you just want cake. Warm cake. Chocolatey cake. Yet there’s no cake at the ready on the kitchen counter. I keep this chocolate mug cake mix in the pantry so that I can make a single serving of chocolate cake any time I want. It only takes minutes thanks to the microwave which means that you’re only moments away from warm, gooey chocolate cake!
I like to bake. I like to bake cake. I like to bake chocolate cake. Yet sometimes, I want to eat chocolate cake without the hour long baking session. I just want to grab a portion of cake, brew a cup of coffee or tea, and get down to the business of eating cake.
If I happen to have something on the counter in the Farmhouse Kitchen, problem solved. If not, I don’t always have the luxury of the time needed to bake a cake from scratch. A boxed cake mix could bridge the gap for me, but it can be a challenge to find a boxed baking mix that is safe to have here at the farmhouse due to our food allergies.
Enter the mug cake. In minutes, I can mix up just enough batter for a single serving, pop it in the microwave, and know that I’ll have a warm cup of deliciousness ready to enjoy in less than a minute. If I’m making a single dessert, this recipe is perfect.
This cake isn’t traditional. Yes, it really is mixed up in a mug or coffee cup. Indeed, I do “bake” it in the microwave. I make no apologies because we’ve been enjoying these little cakes for months now while I worked to get the recipe for the dry mix just right. Many dozens of mug cakes later, I still delight in digging into one of these warm cakes.
In a house where we sidestep multiple food allergies and try to match insulin doses to every bite of food we eat, this cake is a real treat. The dry mix can be easily adjusted to accommodate food allergies or intolerances and I have kept the sugar purposely on the low side. The portion is sensible and consistent which makes this a dessert that we can bolus for more easily.
If you bake with sugar substitutes, you can make your routine baking substitutions to tailor this mix for your needs. If you have a corn allergy to consider, the cornstarch can be completely omitted and replaced with flour. While I haven’t attempted to make a gluten free version, this recipe uses very little flour so it should be adaptable using your gluten free baking ingredients. If you successfully create a gluten free version, I hope that you’ll share it with us so that we can pass it along.
No, this isn’t my grandmother’s cake. I’m not sure if she would be duly impressed with the ingenuity and speed with which I could make her one of these chocolate cakes or shocked that I would go this route rather than bake a traditional cake in the oven. I like to think that it would be the former, that she would be tickled at having a warm mug of this moist chocolate cake set in front of her. It sure would make for a wonderful conversation here in the Farmhouse Kitchen over tea and a pair of chocolate mug cakes.
If you liked this recipe, you might also want to make…
Chocolate Mug Cake
I like to use buttermilk in this (and most) of my baking recipes. I always keep it on hand and I like the flavor that it adds to recipes. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can add milk or your favorite milk substitute. In a pinch, you can also add water.
For a cake with a molten, fudgy consistency, use 6 teaspoons (2 tablespoons) of buttermilk for the cake batter. If you prefer a more traditional cake-like consistency, use 5 teaspoons (1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) of buttermilk.
Ingredients
For the Dry Mug Cake Mix:
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For One Microwave Mug Cake:
- 3 Tablespoons mug cake mix
- 1 Tablespoon baking chips
- 5 – 6 teaspoons buttermilk *see note above
Instructions
To Make the Dry Mug Cake Mix:
- Add all of the dry ingredients to your large storage container or mixing bowl. Stir to combine them. Store the dry mix in a container with a tight fitting lid until needed.
To Bake a Mug Cake:
- Select a microwave safe mug that holds at least 8 ounces. In that mug, combine 3 tablespoons of the mug cake mix, 1 tablespoon of your favorite baking chips, and the buttermilk (see note above). Stir the ingredients until they are well combined, approximately 30 seconds. The batter will be quite thick.
- Transfer the mug to the microwave. Microwave the mug cake on high for 40 seconds. The cake will rise and expand. Each microwave is slightly different, so feel free to adjust your cooking time to match your microwave.
- Remove the mug from the microwave. Take care as the mug and contents will be hot. Allow the mug cake to cool at room temperature for a minute or two before topping with whipped cream, powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, or your favorite frosting or cake topping.
I got such a giggle out of your first paragraph! I have been making mug cakes for quite a while now. I use monkfruit instead of sugar, being a diabetic. I have added fruit and seasoning for a apple cake. Had a spice cake with fresh grated ginger, oh that was so good. Your imagination is your limit. I love a plain vanilla cake. Hmmm may have to get up and make a mug cake right now.
I am so glad that you had a giggle. I love the sound of a spice cake with fresh ginger. I’ll have to give that a try. Also, I’ll work on a monkfruit version so that we can hopefully have a new version to share. Thanks for the inspiration!
If I want a vanilla cake mix and leave out the cocoa, do I add more flour for volume?
Yes. You can add an equal amount of additional flour to replace the cocoa. The cocoa adds a lot of flavor, so you might want to add a bit of vanilla extract before mixing or even a pinch of cinnamon to your cake. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
Will selfrising flour work?
I haven’t tried it, but I am confident that it could work just as well. I would substitute self-rising flour for the All-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in the recipe. In round numbers, I would use a generous 1/2 cup of self-rising flour. That would make this recipe so simple as you would combine 1/2 cup self-rising flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup sugar for the dry mix.
I hope that you will give it a try and let me know how it works out for you. I’d love to update the recipe so that others can give it a try using your idea!
di I have to use buttermilk????
No, you can use milk or even water and still make a delicious mug cake.
Can water or skim milk be used in place of buttermilk with this recipe. We don’t keep buttermilk and I’d rather not have something go to waste if we’re only using for this one recipe.
Yes, you can absolutely use milk or water. I have tested both and they are delicious.