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This 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake will finally convince you that a mug cake can actually be good! Unlike most mug cakes that turn out dry, rubbery or muddy, this one is as good as the real thing. It is so soft, moist, gooey and chocolatey that it is hard to believe it’s made in the microwave in just 5 minutes start to finish. All you need is 7 basic ingredients (no eggs), a mug, a fork, and some measuring spoons. It is truly the perfect quick sweet treat for your late night cravings – and with 20M+ views and 1000s of remakes, I know many of you agree!
This was THE best mug cake I’ve ever had! Legit tastes like a fresh chocolate cake! The texture was perfect – not rubbery and didn’t taste off at all. Highly recommend.
– Ushna, ★★★★★
Moist and soft, NOT rubbery!
Developing a good mug cake recipe is surprisingly tricky. We have a very few ingredients and little room for error – so everything needs to be just right. After a ton of testing, here are 3 things I learned and why this recipe works:
- Eggs are the enemy of mug cakes. Yup, you heard me right! Not only is it annoying to have to use a quarter of an egg or half of an egg yolk, eggs cook fast in the microwave and are usually the culprit behind rubbery, spongey mug cakes. Not to mention, eggs provide structural integrity to baked cakes, but we don’t really need that in a small mug cake. So no eggs in this one!
- Butter is not worth the trouble. Some mug cakes use butter, which adds an additional melting step and is just not worth it. Just like my Easy Chocolate Cake, I opt for oil only in this mug cake to achieve the moistest texture that stays moist
- A little baking powder goes a long way. Microwave cakes rise a lot from the quick heat burst they get, so we don’t need to add too much raising agent. This recipe uses just 1/4 tsp. Any more, and the cake will explode and overflow
The result? A moist, soft, chocolatey cake that feels like a baked cake. If you want to make it even more indulgent, try covering it with hot chocolate like I do in my Hot Chocolate Mug Cake!
This was the only mug cake recipe I’ve found that isn’t leathery and oily. It’s SO moist and spongy and delicious!
– Dhaya, ★★★★★
Step by step photos
Here are some quick photos for you to visualize this recipe:
Start by whisking the milk, oil and sugar in a mug.
Sift in the dry ingredients (sifting is NOT optional!).
Stir or whisk until the ingredients are combined and no lumps remain. Clean the edges of the mug.
Microwave for 60-90 seconds until the cake is just cooked!
How to tell when it’s cooked
It is hard to give a precise amount of time for microwaving a mug cake, since different microwaves have different power settings, and the time also depends on how large or wide your mug is. This cake can take anywhere between 60-90s – and the best way to tell whether it’s done is by looking at it! A microwave cake cooks in 3 stages:
- Heat up: This is the longest stage that takes ~50-60 seconds. During this time, the batter is heating up and slowly rising, but the rise is not very quick
- Quick rise: Once the batter has heated up, you will notice the cake starts rising very rapidly. This is where the majority of the cooking happens. This stage takes only 10-20 seconds
- Slow sink: After the quick rise phase, the cake starts sinking again. At this point, it should be fully cooked. Stop cooking and remove from the microwave
The mug cake will have a wet looking patch on top but it should actually be cooked and spongy when you press on it. You can also check with a toothpick to ensure it’s done. If there’s any wet batter, give it another ~10 seconds.
A few more tips to get it right
Before I get into the quick recipe, let me share my best tips to get this mug cake right:
- Choose the right kind of mug. It should be microwave safe, and have at least 12oz of capacity. The cake won’t take up the full mug, but can rise quite a bit in the microwave, and using a big enough mug will help ensure the batter does not spill over
- Measure accurately. Instead of using random spoons, use proper measuring spoons to get the quantities right. For flour, make sure to first fluff it up and then add to the spoon, swiping off any excess. My recipe has also been updated with grams, so I highly recommend a scale for the most accurate results!
- Sift the dry ingredients. Since we are pretty much dumping everything into the mug, I recommend sifting the dry ingredients to minimize any lumps. This is especially important for the cocoa powder
- Ensure there are no lumps. When mixing the dry ingredients into the wet, they can form lumps. Use a spoon/fork or mini whisk to gently mix and break these lumps. Stop mixing as soon as a homogenous batter forms – overmixing can cause it to become rubbery
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Ingredients
- 4 tbsp whole milk (60g)
- 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (20g)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar (37g)
- 4 tbsp all purpose flour (32g)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (12g)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Optional: 2-3 tbsp chocolate chips to mix in, and a chocolate spread like Nutella to serve
Instructions
- To a 12oz microwave safe mug, add the milk, oil and sugar. Use a fork or mini whisk to mix well until combined
- Sift in the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt), and gently stir with the same fork or mini-whisk. Scrape the fork along the edges to ensure everything is well combined. The dry ingredients can float on top of the wet, so take your time to properly mix them in and ensure there are no lumps. Stop mixing as soon as everything is combined (over-mixing can result in a rubbery texture)
- If using, add in the chocolate chips and stir until just combined
- Clean the edges of the mug with a paper towel, and microwave on high for 60-90s. The cake will heat up, then rise rapidly and start to sink again – at this point it’s usually cooked! I usually check with a toothpick around the 70s mark and give it another 10-20 seconds if there’s still wet batter inside. If in doubt, lean towards undercooking rather than overcooking, as overcooking in the microwave can result in a tough, rubbery texture
- Optionally, spread on some Nutella or chocolate ganache. Serve and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
Notes
- Optional add-ins: I like to add chocolate chips to my mug cake, but you can add any kind of chocolate candy you like, as long as it’s chopped into chunks! Serve the cake as it is, or spread some Nutella or chocolate ganache on top. You can also serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Storage: This is a single serve cake meant to be eaten in one sitting. If you have leftovers, cover the mug with a coaster or cling wrap, and keep at room temperature for up to 1 day
More mug cake recipes
After the warm response to this mug cake, I have turned midnight mug cakes into a series! Check out the rest of them, and let me know what I should turn into a mug cake next:
Comments
Amiyah
Honestly, no words. Just make it, you will not regret it. It’s very delicious and moist!
Suzanne
Easy to make and delicious. I didn’t have dairy milk so I used plant based unsweetened almond milk. I used half of the sugar. Chocolate chips made it sweet enough. I will make this again. I put it in the microwave for 75 seconds – perfect.
Khadija
This was so good!!
sherry
it was amazing. i saw this recipe was so so good I made it at like 2 am and it turned out perfect. more people need to be made aware of this creation
Kathy S
Absolutely perfect texture! I didn’t have chocolate chips, so added unsweetened coconut. Topped with Greek yogurt/vanilla/honey mix. Yummy!!!
Hazra
wow Zoha this was amazing. my 14year old daughter loved making this!! thank you for a wonderful tasty easy recipe for a quick mug cake when you are feeling that little bit in need of a chocolate hit. you are amazing 💝
Nayeli Gonzalez
Omg, ive tried many different mug cake recipes but this one is by far the best i ever had. Only thing i do is in a separate bowl I mix together all the dry ingredients and then sift it slowly to the milk and oil. It takes a few extra minutes but it makes it easier to mix together.
Rumy
I made this cake the other day. It was so good, chocolatey and moist. Really super quick and easy to prepare and truly takes 5 min
Anna
WOW! I’m not even a fan of chocolate. Delicious 😋
Rinku
Hi, is there any way to make this with almond flour?
Zoha
you could try but it will likely turn out dry.
Jack
Sooooo good! Mmmm…. I found out you can substitute the milk for heavy whipped cream!
Sheri
Hi Zoha!
This mug cake was so delicious. The perfect warm chocolate dessert for a cold winter evening! Thank you!
Kayla
I’ve had way better Mug cakes. This one was not good. The chocolate chips were the only saving grace for this recipe. 🙊 Add tons!!
SS
The best mug cake I have ever made. Thank you so much. Perfect recipe (just reduced the quantity of sugar to suit my taste).
Just one request, can you pleaseshare a mug cake recipe for vanilla cake? Thanks!
Anna
So disappointing. All I can taste is oil. Even Nutella can’t save it
Natalia
This recipe is fantastic. I’m an experienced mugcake maker 🤣 and this is the best chocolate mugcake love made and tried! I’m lucky to have found your page! Thank you!! Wish you all the best!
Umaima Lakhani
its my favorite mug cake recipe, so yummy 🤤
Zoha
YAY!
Amanda
Sorry to be one of those annoying people but could I make this in the oven we don’t own a microwave 😭
Penny
Amanda, I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I have tried others that I put in our air fryer on the bake setting at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. I will be trying this recipe soon. If they don’t require eggs, I usually do in the microwave. With eggs, I do like to bake them. Microwaves don’t cook hot enough to kill any bacteria or parasites in food.
Zoha
Aw so sorry but I have only tested this recipe for the microwave!
Mariam
Best Mug Cake recipe I’ve ever tried! made it numerous times adding all kinds of chocolate I have available, even tried with marshmallow also terrific! 10/10
Zoha
YAY thank you!
Tania
This cake satisfied my cravings ✨️🫡
Zoha
Doing it’s job 😀