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This easy chocolate mug cake recipe has no eggs and can be made for one or two (if you like to share). It is one of the easiest dessert recipes you’ll ever make and you’ll never make another mug cake again after you try my recipe!
Holy bananas, you guys. This chocolate mug cake recipe is one of your all’s favorite desserts to make. The simplest chocolate dessert yet incredibly moist, easy, and the best single-serving dessert out there (to share or not to share)! Mug cake for one or two and it is eggless and all made in the microwave!
You likely have ALL the ingredients in your pantry already. When you get that late night craving? Or want a small batch dessert (and not whip out a giant baking pan to make brownies to nip that craving)? This chocolate mug cake IS FOR YOU!! If you haven’t made this yet; you are 100% missing out.
What is a mug cake?
I still seem to get this question a lot and a mug cake is literally as it sounds. A cake in a cup! It’s great because you don’t need to whip out a bunch of tools to make this easy chocolate mug cake.
Why is this the BEST Easy Chocolate Mug Cake recipe out there!
Seriously though, you’re probably so over mug cake recipes and you’re probably rolling your eyes at me right now but STOP! I promise you this isn’t like any other mug cake out there. I’ve tried a bunch of mug cakes and I hated them.
I thought they were a really neat concept for a quick dessert fix but nothing would ever beat baking an entire cake or cupcake. I hated that all the mug cakes came out SPONGY and they had the grossest texture.
Last week, I was CRAVING chocolate like none other. It was a pretty dire situation. We didn’t have any desserts in the house because I hadn’t been baking and I didn’t want to run out to get anything so I thought I’d give a mug cake a shot.
It ended up turning into a recipe development hour because the first batch came out horrible. Like, I threw it in the trash can and it was just one lumpy sponge thing.
The second one was slightly better but still really bad. The third, I switched out some ingredients and added a little bit more of some and it came out how I wanted but I knew it could’ve been better so on the fourth try, I finally got it to work and the exact texture I wanted.
Ingredients you’ll need
For the exact measurements, please scroll down to the recipe card.
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder – make sure to check the “best by” date for this. It’s an important factor.
- Sugar
- Salt
- Milk
- Oil
- Chocolate hazelnut spread
Substitutions and variations
- You can use dark cocoa powder if you desire but I actually have a dark chocolate mug cake recipe for that!
- I’ve heard of so many variations that folks have used for the chocolate hazelnut spread. Here are a few ideas:
- Mini chocolate chips
- Lindt truffle in the center
- Mini M&M’s or your favorite mini candy bar
- Caramel sauce
How to make chocolate mug cake
For complete instructions, visit the recipe card below.
Whisk together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Add the liquids. Next, add the liquids into the bowl and whisk until a batter-like consistency forms and there are no remaining dry ingredient lumps.
Pour into a mug. As it’s a microwave mug cake, make sure you are pouring the batter into a microwave-safe mug!
Time for add-ins! If you’re using the chocolate hazelnut spread, go ahead and add that right into the center! Same for other add-ins. You don’t have to push it down, the batter will cook around it and sink it down.
Microwave! Time cook it! Place the mug in the microwave and cook for 70 seconds (please see important notes below).
Tips for success
- Please note that ALL microwaves are different therefore can yield different results and can overcook this mug cake if you aren’t careful. My microwave is 950 watts and I cooked mine on 100% power for 70 seconds*. Knowing this information, it may help you better judge how long to cook yours for and at what power.
- Mug size makes a huge difference! If you’re using a larger mug that is taller then it will take longer to cook. If you’re using a larger but wider mug, it may take less time to cook. There isn’t a one size fits all for this, sadly. The cooking time is a general cook time that works best for most. Unfortunately, there are so many factors that can contribute to your particular mug cake.
Common questions
This chocolate mug cake is made without eggs. Why?
Okay, I get asked this a lot too and the reason why this mug cake is made without any eggs is because that is what makes it have a spongey texture!
If you think about it, it makes sense. Why would you put an entire egg into a mug cake when a regular full-sized cake often asks for one or two eggs? This isn’t a full-sized cake. And of course I’m not going to ask you to divide an egg in half. Just omit it! Best texture, ever!
Can I make this with self-raising flour?
You can, but I tested it with self-raising flour and it just came out spongey and not the texture I wanted.
I like my cakes light, fluffy, and moist and with the self-raising flour, it just didn’t yield the results I wanted.
There have been many people who have used self-raising flour in this recipe and didn’t notice a difference so if you’re up for the challenge, I say go for it.
Can this mug cake be made in the oven?
No, this was solely developed for the microwave. I have had readers who have baked this but I honestly don’t recall how it turned out and/or what temperature or time.
If you love mug cakes, you may like these different variations on my chocolate mug cake:
- Dark chocolate mug cake
- Very vanilla mug cake
- Peanut butter chocolate mug cake
- Espresso chocolate mug cake
- Pumpkin spice mug cake
- Salted caramel apple spice mug cake
The Best Chocolate Mug Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, (you can add 1 tbsp. more if you like it a bit sweeter)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (59 ml) + 1 tbsp. milk
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon hazelnut chocolate spread or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.1/4 cup (31 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) baking powder, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) kosher salt
- Whisk in the milk and vegetable oil until all ingredients are combined and batter has no clumps.1/4 cup (59 ml) + 1 tbsp. milk, 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Pour batter into a microwave-safe mug. Mine was a 14-ounce mug. You want enough head space for the cake to rise without pouring over.
- Add hazelnut chocolate spread in the middle of the batter or mini chocolate chips. Just drop it in the middle, no need to push it down and sink it in the batter. It does that on its own when it cooks! :)1 tablespoon hazelnut chocolate spread or mini chocolate chips
- Place a paper towel into the microwave and set the mug on top (this is to catch any batter if your mug cake overflows).
- Microwave mug cake for 70 seconds on high (PLEASE READ NOTES CAREFULLY BELOW)
- Carefully remove from microwave and enjoy!
Best mug cake recipe I have tried! Only had 1/4 cup of milk, so added a tablespoon of strong coffee, since my fav chocolate cake recipe has coffee. DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing!
I tried to follow the ingredients and steps well but the flavor is so bitter except the biscoff I added. I know it said to said third sugar to be sweeter but I wasn’t expecting it to taste like that. If I did something wrong, please tell me.
it might be your cocoa powder
I used pancake mix for this recipe, which I usually do with other mug cakes. They turn out fine. But this one was a bit TOO MOIST. If that’s even a thing! I did use dutch processed cocoa though so I’m not sure if that made a difference. I added a Godiva chocolate into the middle and it turned out kind of like a lava cake! Yum.
But this is still delicious! Ps I had to cook it for 90 seconds in my 950 watt microwave.
pretty sure what made the difference was the fact you use pancake mix instead of using the ingredients stated in the recipe
You are going to save me a ton of money, im always craving chocolate cake and i go to a bakery to shop, but no more, i already had everything in my pantry, i have never left a review but this.. this is life changing.
Thank you so much!!!
I was really craving a chocolate mug cake tonight & thought I’d try this one. It’s definitely not my favorite chocolate mug cake. Really lacking in flavor.
My favorite includes coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut milk, dates & pure cacao paste, along with a few other ingredients. Other people may not always have these specific ingredients on hand, but I do, so I use them to their advantage.
Don’t think I’ll be making this again, unfortunately. Will be returning to my favorite.
I must admit it the reason I am giving it a 4 is because of the first time I tried it it was a bit over cooked but I did it again and it was absolutely LOVELY and moist but other then that 1st small problem it was absolutely delicious!! I would definitely recommend to use dark chocolate chips or white as it will give more flavour as the coco powder is already chocolate
Thanks, I loved it. I will use this recipes again.
I cooked it in the small bowl I mixed it in to save on washing. I threw in a square of chocolate on top instead of a spread, it made a lovely gooey center.
So I multiplied the recipe by 4 since I was intending to make 4 mugs, but I added cinnamon (cinnamon should always be with carbs because it levels out insulin, I put it on everything) and vanilla. I also used light olive oil cause I did not have enough coconut oil. I realized the next day that I did not multiply the milk right because I only used 1 cup, not 1.25, which is what it should have been.
I forgot I was making 4 and divided it all into these 3 cute little Rachel Ray personal casserole dishes I had, and never use…. I did 100 seconds each since it was more per dish OMG, came out beautiful and me and the teen boys loved it. They came out perfect. The chips did not sink, but in a way made it like icing on top. I’ll have to push in some for a chocolate center.
So I am going to play with it more. I want to see what an egg will do the multiplied recipe and see what substituting will do.
Now for the quest…. how would you make something that taste like gingerbread? I, oh so, love gingerbread… like the ones at Whole Foods or Sprouts. I am thinking ginger and some molasses to the vanilla cake recipe. I’ll get an idea for what the seasonings are and go from there.
German Chocolate next… maybe add coconut flakes and I will try the salted caramel you make.
Thanks so much for an awesome recipe.. .at an easy to play with level
Somehow overly dry but also too oily. Chocolate chips don’t sink, they sit at the top.
It came out gluey. And it was disgusting. Would not recommend.