The entire world is baking right now, it’s impressive and exciting. I love so much that you all are making the best of this time at home…and baking up a storm. I’ve said it before, but it’s so fun to see all the HBH recipes being made. And the desserts are without a doubt the most popular. But the thing that I’ve come to realize? Some of us don’t need a strawberry cobbler that serves eight people. Or a three-layer cake that feeds a twenty-person birthday party. Or two dozen homemade Somoas cookies. Nope, most of us don’t need all those servings. Though I personally love a little leftover dessert…you know for late-night snacking and TV watching. Sometimes, like on Friday or Saturday night, we just need a rich, heavy on the chocolate, warm, and melty piece of chocolate cake…with a scoop of ice cream too.
Yes, sometimes that is just what we all need most. Enter these cute little warm chocolate-filled mug cakes. They require no oven and instead are baked in the microwave and ready in just about five minutes. Truth is, I’m not usually someone who uses the microwave. In fact, for many years I actually didn’t have a microwave in my house. I don’t often find many uses for it, but sometimes it’s a handy kitchen appliance. And you know something? It does have the ability to create a delicious chocolate mug cake within just 5 minute’s time. If there was ever a reason to own a microwave, this cake recipe is it.
The quick details.
This cake comes together in five minutes tops, so the details are pretty darn quick. Start with your wet ingredients. I like to use coconut oil as the oil for these cakes. Melt it in the microwave in the mug you plan to “bake” your cake in. Once melted, whisk in a single egg, a few tablespoons of milk, a splash of vanilla, and honey…to sweeten things up. I personally like to use honey as my sweetener as I’ve found it creates a perfectly soft, tender, and moist cake. But maple syrup or granulated sugar work well too. Once the wet ingredients are combined. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. At this point, the cake is almost ready for “baking”.
But I have a couple secrets.
First, coffee. Now, if you don’t enjoy coffee you can use an equal amount of water, but I will say that you really don’t taste the coffee. It only highlights the flavors of the chocolate and creates a slightly “gooey” cake. You want to swirl the coffee into the batter, not fully incorporating it. This is key and keeps the cake from drying out. Second, chocolate chunks…and a generous helping too. The chunks are a must and act as the “molten” layer to these mug cakes. You will add them to the center of the batter. As the cake bakes, the chocolate sinks in, melting as it sinks. It leaves you with a puddle of warm melted chocolate at the bottom of your cake. With every bite, a little of that melted chocolate is scooped up with the cake. And it is delicious.
Key for success.
Eat this warm, right after cooking. This isn’t a cake you want to eat leftover, it’s meant as a quick chocolate fix. It should be eaten right away and preferably with ice cream on top. Nothing is better than warm cake with vanilla ice cream. SO. GOOD. I will say that that every microwave is different, so the cooking time is a little tricky. That said, I tested this on two different microwaves and found two minutes to be just the right amount of time. You may need to adjust slightly by fifteen seconds, give or take.
So with all that, have I convinced you that you need a chocolate mug cake in your life tonight? This is the best afternoon pick me up…warm after dinner dessert…or late-night snack with a side of TV watching. Hey, don’t judge, this is life in quarantine. It’s weird, and the normal “rules” of life just don’t apply. So enjoy your cake…any time of day you like! See you all tomorrow for another Cocktail Saturday.
Looking for other quick desserts? Bake these up! Crinkle Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies Coconut Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread 5 ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
watch the how to video:
