1 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe With Molten Lava Sauce

The result is a warm chocolate cake that’s light and fluffy in the center with a rich, fudgy sauce enrobing the cake. I’ve been a recipe developer for over 12 years now, and I’ve probably created over 2500 recipes in that time, but this Chocolate Mug Cake has the best taste to effort ratio of anything I’ve ever made. Although it can be prepared in about 1 minute, it tastes like a molten lava cake that you might order at a restaurant. I love having these with a glass of milk, but you can gussy it up with a dollop of cream or some fresh berries.

Why this recipe works

Since there is no wheat flour in this recipe, it is gluten-free, which makes the cake very tender. There’s no fancy mixing technique necessary for this cake, but the trick lies in how it’s cooked. By slightly undercooking the batter, it leaves a molten layer of chocolate sauce on the outside of the cake, which serves as a sauce for the cake.

What are the ingredients for Chocolate Mug Cake

Oil - The oil prevents the cake from sticking to the sides of the mug. It’s very important to apply an even layer of oil to every surface of the interior of the mug; otherwise, your cake will not rise evenly, and it could be challenging to unmold. Cocoa Powder - The chocolate flavor comes from the cocoa powder, and the higher the quality of your cocoa powder, the better your cake will taste. I do recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder as opposed to a “natural” one. Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated with an alkalizing agent (base) to neutralize its acidity. The reaction makes the cocoa powder much darker in color and gives it a more chocolatey taste. My favorite brand of dutch-processed cocoa powder is Valrhona. Sugar - The sugar is in this cake for sweetness. If you find the cake too sweet, you can reduce the amount of sugar, or use alternative sugars. Egg - Egg provides both lifting power as well as structure to this cake and is an integral part of this recipe. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a 1-to1 plant-based substitute for the egg for this chocolate mug cake recipe. Cream - The cream in this mug cake serves as a liquid, flavoring, and fat. You can substitute it with any liquid that’s relatively high in fat such as coconut cream, or non-dairy creamer. Vanilla Extract - Adding vanilla extract is optional, but I like the flavor it adds. You can also add other flavorings to this like instant coffee, or liquors like rum or Kahlua. Baking Powder - Baking powder is a leavening agent that’s made from baking soda (a base) and cream of tartar (an acid). When a liquid is added, these powders mix in the solution, reacting to form carbon dioxide gas. The release of this gas forms tiny bubbles, which helps doughs and batters rise.

How do you make Chocolate Mug Cake?

The first thing you need to do is oil the mugs you’re going to use. I recommend using mugs with tapered sides as it makes it easier to unmold, but as long as you oil it well, a mug with parallel sides will work as well. Then you want to add the sugar and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl. It’s important to sift the cocoa powder; otherwise, you may end up with lumps of bitter cocoa powder in your cake. Add the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk everything together until smooth. Since there is no gluten in this recipe, you don’t need to worry about overmixing the batter at this stage, so make sure you whisk it until everything is well combined. Add the baking powder and whisk it in. At this point, you don’t want to overmix it, or you risk losing the air bubbles the baking powder releases, so give it a quick mix until there are no lumps, and move on to the next step. Divide the cake batter between the two oiled mugs. Microwave the cakes one at a time in the center of the microwave. You want to cook it until the batter reaches about halfway up the sides of your mug. The batter should be set in the middle, but the top should still be glossy. In a 1000 watt microwave oven, it will take about 19-20 seconds. At 800 watts, it will take about 22-23 seconds. Unmold the Chocolate Mug Cake onto a plate and serve it while it’s still hot.

Variations of Chocolate Mug Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter - Drop a dollop of peanut butter into each mug before you microwave it for a chocolate peanut butter cake. Chocolate Raspberry - Add some fresh or frozen raspberries (or any berry) to the batter before cooking it to give it a little zing. Chocolate Mocha - Add some instant coffee granules to the batter before mixing it, and then top the finished cake with a dollop of whipped cream to make it taste like a mocha. Double Chocolate - Add some chocolate chips to the batter for a double dose of chocolate in your mug cake.