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Because it’s Friday and we need our fix…5 Minute Molten Chocolate Mug Cake. You don’t need to be a skilled baker to bake up these deliciously EASY chocolate mug cakes. This deep-dish style cake in a mug requires just one coffee mug, simple pantry staple ingredients, and takes almost no effort or time to make. There are hints of vanilla, swirls of melted chocolate, and every bite is truly delicious. Enjoy this personal-sized cake warm, right out of the microwave, with a scoop of ice cream.
Half Baked Harvest At Home
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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:
5 Minute Molten Chocolate Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, (or olive oil/canola oil)
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
- 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chunks, very roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. Melt the coconut oil in a (10-12 ounce) microwave-safe mug. Whisk in the egg, milk, vanilla, and honey until combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, stirring until just combined. 2. Spoon the coffee into the center of the batter and gently swirl it in. Do not fully incorporate the coffee. Place the chocolate chunks in the center of the batter. 3. Microwave on full power for 1 minute 45 second to 2 minutes (I always do 2 minutes). Dig your spoon deep into the cake to spoon up melted chocolate with every bite. Serve with ice cream. ENJOY.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Easily the worst recipe I’ve ever used. 3tbs of oil is just WAY too much. Oil literally pooling on top
extremely gelatinous although i did use a slightly chilled mega egg, i have no faith that if it were room temperature, it would be any less mucilaginous. I would not recommend unless you are looking for a good laugh thank you, and goodnight.
Mine was a little salty and not as sweet as I would have liked, but I only had a darker chocolate on hand so that could be why. I also didn’t add the coffee because it was 10:00pm LOL. Did you use Diamond or Morton’s kosher salt? Maybe I needed to half the salt since I was using Morton’s? However, I loved the texture and I topped it with sliced berries!
Hey Amanda,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback! I used Morton’s salt but you could totally adjust that to your liking next time:) xT
Not bad. A little gluey. Better than a poke in the eye.
Any chance this recipe would work without the egg? What could i add in for the egg?
Hi there,
So sorry, I have never tested this recipe without the egg, you could certainly try a chia or flax egg to see how that works for you! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Made this recipe tonight, sensational texture, taste and so simple to put together.
thank you for saving the day when I had run out of butter ha ha ♥️
Hey Christie,
Wonderful! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great Saturday! Xx
I loved this recipe! Instead of 3 tbsp. of oil, I did 1 tbsp of oil + 2 tbsp of greek yogurt to make it a little less calorically dense. This gave it a really rich and smooth texture that was delicious! I didn’t want to brew coffee at night so I just mixed in coffee ground instead. It accomplished the same thing (another layer of flavor) and the texture was barely perceptible. I opted for 2 tablespoons of maple syrup which was just the right amount. This was exactly what I needed to satisfy my late-night chocolate craving! Can’t wait to make again!
Hey Courtney,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you and I appreciate you making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xT
Made this tonight with homemade vanilla ice cream. My kids & husband LOVED it! Will def be a repeat recipe over here! Thank you T!
Thank you SO much! I always love reading comments and seeing that the recipe was a success! Have a great day! 🙂 xT
Could you make this recipe without milk or with a milk substitute?
Hi Isabel! You could try oat milk or coconut milk! xT
Super good! I made this today and I fell in LOVE!!! I almost didn’t add the coffee cause I don’t like coffee, but I’m glad I did cause it just adds to the flavor!!!😁
Definitely try this recipe out. 👍
Thank you so so much Alexis! xT
So gooddd
Thank you Emily! xT
Not great – very spongy consistency.
Sorry to hear this Rosemarie! Please let me know how I can help! xx
I love this treat but now I have been diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity. I wonder if coconut out almond flour would work.
Hi Diane,
Fantastic!!🌻 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Made this for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day and he loved it so much he asked me to make it again tonight! I used 3 tbsp honey, gluten free flour, and Lily’s chocolate chips, and microwaved for 2 minutes. Followed everything else exactly. It was all perfect! We will continue to make this.
Hey Brie,
Wonderful!!😊 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
I found 2 of these mugs at home goods and they have your (half baked harvest)logo, they are so cute . Where can I find more of these mugs ?
Hi Alina,
Hmmm so sorry I’m not sure what you are referring to, we’ve never made mugs before! xx