An easy chocolate mug cake with a deep chocolate flavor and rather nutritious thanks to no refined sugar and quality chocolate. Serve in layers with fresh strawberries and cream as a chocolate strawberry shortcake!
A chocolate mug cake has to be the best invention for someone who is craving chocolate cake! Because sometimes you just want cake, preferably chocolate but you do. not. have. much. time. Enter MUG CAKE.
All it takes is a quick mixing of ingredients in a mug, and microwave at 1 min plus some more seconds. How can you beat that in terms of speed for chocolate cake?
Mug Cake Ingredients
All you need to make this mug cake is olive oil, milk, maple syrup, plain flour, baking powder and unsweetened cocoa powder. Oh, and a mug and microwave.
Why Is This Mug Cake Wonderful?
- easy to make
- moist
- chocolatey
- healthier snack
- vegan
- refined sugar free
- nut-free
- gluten-free
How To Make This Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake
1. Mix the wet ingredients straight into a mug.
2. Add the dry ingredients.
3. Mix until just combined.
4. Microwave until the top is rather dry, about 1 minute and 30 seconds for me. But microwaves vary so try one minute and check it. If it is wet on top, microwave again at 15 second increments. Mine was pulling away from the sides when it was done.
How Does This Mug Cake Taste?
The cake in this recipe is not super sweet. So if you want a sweeter cake, you could add a bit more maple syrup. And because there are no eggs, feel free to taste test the batter.
If you want to make this cake extra chocolatey, add a teaspoon of coffee. No, you don't taste any coffee; it has the magical power to take the flavor of chocolate and make it even better if that's possible.
Of course, feel free to just dot the top with a few more chips while it is cooling, and eat it straight up. I won't tell.
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How To Serve This Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake?
So many ways! Sprinkle some chocolate chips on it while warm so they go all melty. Then eat it with a spoon right out of the mug.
Or, go fancy, and slice the cake, and serve with layers of strawberries, cream and hot fudge sauce.
Substitutions You Can Make To This Recipe
Coconut oil or vegetable oil can be used instead of olive oil
You can use your favorite milk
You can use maple syrup instead of cane sugar.
You can use all purpose flour instead of my gluten-free baking flour. I would not use the alternative flours such as coconut flour or almond flour.
Top Tips for Making This Recipe
Do NOT over mix this batter. Stir enough to mix the ingredients, leave lumps. Other wise your mug cake will turn gluey.
Make sure you scrap bottom with your spoon to stir up all the flour.
If the batter is too dry, add more milk. If too wet, add more flour. You want it to look like my batter.
Can You Bake This In The Oven?
Yes, you can make this in the oven instead of the microwave. Bake it at 350 F for 10-15 minutes, testing at 10 minutes.
Other Quick Recipes
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Vegan Mug Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoon organic cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (or gluten-free)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
Optional
- 1 teaspoon brewed coffee (optional to deepen chocolate flavor)
Useful Equipment
- 6oz Weck jars (to serve as I did as strawberry shortcake)
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Instructions
Make Mug Cake
- To the mug, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Mix these ingredients well.
- Add the olive oil, milk, vanilla and coffee, if you are using it, to a mug.
- Stir until JUST blended. If you over-stir, you'll make the cake gluey. Lumps are okay.Scrap the bottom of the mug to be sure no flour is stuck to the bottom.Scrap down the sides of the batter so it's mostly on the bottom.
- Microwave uncovered around 1 min and 20 seconds. Depending of the mug size (and your microwave), you might have to put it back for another 10 seconds.
After the Microwaving
- If you want a quick way to frost it, sprinkle chocolate chips on top while it's hot. They will melt.Let it cool for 2 minutes.Run a knife around the edges after it cools.
- Either eat straight from the mug or use a knife to gently encourage it to come out.Layer it as a dessert with strawberries and cream as I did.
Shayla says
Is it possible to use unsweetened applesauce instead of the flax egg??
Debbie says
Shayla,
You can try, but typically applesauce is a substitution for an oil in a baked cake. I fear the mugcake would not rise much with out the flax egg. you can also use a chia egg - 1 tbsp chia in 3 tbsp water, soaked for 10 minutes. It works like a flax egg. Dee xx
Ela says
I can't stop looking at this beautiful photo! It's seriously so pretty, Dee. Your shortcake looks so mouthwatering. 🙂
Debbie says
Ela!That is so sweet, thank you! So glad you like my mugcake! Dee xx