Chocolate Mug Cake: microwave yourself some cake in the comfort of your dorm room

By Victoria Stiegel on September 23, 2012

Everyone’s had that midnight chocolate cake craving, but leaving your room is more hassle than it’s worth in middle of the night. Mug cake recipes have been making the rounds on the internet for years, but they have been invariably disappointing and often rather precarious. They are often spongey, and not in the yummy sponge cake kind of way either. Plus they tend to have an egg in them, and it’s difficult to scale an egg if you want a slightly smaller or slightly larger serving of mug cake and they are what ends up making the cake seem rubbery.

But then, after years of fruitless googling, I found this recipe. In multiple locations, so it seems the blogosphere discovered this gem all at once… and I can’t really trace it to its original source. Suffice to say that I cannot personally take credit for it, but am delighted to have found it.

Since mug cake doesn’t require an oven, as long as you’ve got a microwave in your dorm you’re set. You will of course have to pick up some ingredients at the supermarket first, but they’re generally not far. (Heck, at UIW we’ve got Central Market literally a block away!) So, without further ado, here’s the recipe:

Mug Cake 01

Ready to be microwaved!

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp sugar (can add more to taste)
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp peanut butter (approx.)

Step 1) Mix dry ingredients in your mug, making sure to get out all the lumps
Step 2) Stir in the vegetable oil and milk until smooth
Step 3) Add peanut butter in the middle and push it down into the batter (it should be covered)
Step 4) Microwave on high 1-1.5 minutes

And that’s it! Enjoy your cake!

Mug Cake 02

And ready to eat! Chocolatey peanut buttery deliciousness!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily customise it as well. You can substitute something else for the peanut butter – my best friend says it’s delicious with Nutella, and tonight I tried it with some marshmallow fluff and it worked pretty well. My BFF also says she puts almond butter in for her parents and they seemed to enjoy it that way. I also like to add chocolate chips (I recommend milk chocolate, especially if you’re only putting in 2 tsp of sugar, as the chips will add sweetness) or Andes mint chips. Don’t leave out the peanut butter or whatever you’re substituting for it, though, as it helps keep the cake moist.

So there you have it – quick and easy chocolate mug cake that’s also quite affordable. Excellent snack choice for dorm-dwellers and those who live off-campus alike!

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