There comes a time in every girl’s life when she needs a chocolate mug cake.
Perhaps it’s one of those days where you just want to curl up on the couch all day and watch bad Lifetime movies about stolen babies (ladies, you know what I’m talking about).
Or maybe you just ran four miles for the first time in your entire life and unless you counteract it immediately with a dessert, the universe will be thrown out of balance and implode, and the entire 2012 apocalypse will be all your fault.
Or maybe it’s your birthday and everyone forgot so there was no cake. Okay, sorry, that last one was kind of depressing. Anyway, my point is, sometimes you just need a bite of cake to make things right. Just a bite.
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Love peanut butter and chocolate? Check out my No-Bake Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars or Peanut Butter Fluff Cups.
What Makes This Mug Cake The Best?
I was never a fan of mug cakes because all of the versions I’ve tried have turned out rubbery and just not at all delightful. Until I found this recipe, which for me is the one. This is why I like it:
- It’s not overly sweet. (If you want it sweeter, add more sugar or some chocolate chips.)
- It’s small. Other recipes I’ve tried have just been too big and they make me feel like I just over indulged. This one is just a few, rich, delightful bites.
- There is no egg. I find that eggs make mug cakes rubbery or spongey and they also mean that you can’t scale the recipe in size. If you want a small cake, you can’t just split an egg in half, right?
- There are a lot of variations. Add chocolate chips, use nutella, jam, or caramel sauce in place of the peanut butter, vegan-ize it by using soy milk in place of cow’s milk… lots of options.
Don’t be tempted to leave out the peanut butter (or jam, or whatever you drop in the center) because it helps keep the cake moist and rich. It simply wouldn’t be the same without it.
Make it a Vegan (Dairy-Free Mug Cake)
With one simple swap, this Chocolate Mug Cake can be made vegan. Simply swap the milk with your favorite non-dairy milk and you’re good to go! Life is good.
So, shout out to Jessie at Made From Scratch for experimenting with mug cakes until finding this perfect mix. You just saved the universe from imploding!
“The One” Chocolate Mug Cake
Servings 1Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.03)
- 2 tsp sugar ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder ($0.02)
- a pinch salt ($0.01)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 2 Tbsp milk ($0.04)
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter ($0.13)
Instructions
- In your mug, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt). Make sure there are no clumps.
- Stir in the vegetable oil and milk until the mixture is smooth. Drop a tablespoon of peanut butter into the center and push it down into the batter.
- Microwave on high for one minute and then enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
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Love microwave mug cakes? Check out my Funfetti Mug Cake, or Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake!
How to Make a Chocolate Mug Cake – Step By Step Photos
Add 2 Tbsp flour, 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt to a microwave-safe mug. Stir them together very well.
Add 2 Tbsp milk and 1 Tbsp oil, then stir until it forms a batter.
Drop a dollop of peanut butter (about 1 Tbsp) down into the center of the batter.
Microwave on high for one minute and you’ve got yourself a cake with a melty, peanut butter center! The cake turns out extra light and fluffy and the peanut butter kind of sinks in as the cake rises up around it. So magical!
Every bite has a light cake and a gooey, rich bit of melty peanut butter. Absolutely perfect.
And then five or six delightful bites later, you’re done and you don’t feel like you do when you “accidentally” eat a whole pint of ice cream. …not that that ever happens. 👀
I’ve been making this mug cake since back when the recipe was first posted. Tonight, I used Biscoff spread in it for the first time and it was wonderful. Highly recommend!
The cake was pretty good, but there was just one little thing. I think there was too much baking soda, it ended up tasting really bitter, and I don’t know why. This always happens with my mug cakes, and I read the directions at least 4 times.
The recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda is much more concentrated and would definitely ruin it.
I just made this for my boyfriend and he loved it.
To add on, I’ve never seen a mug cake recipe call for baking soda. They always use baking powder. The two are not interchangeable.
Just made this tonight. I actually opted to use less oil (I used coconut) and it turned out great all the same.
I made this and it was absolutely horrible. No sweetness at all and very dry.
Best mug cake I’ve ever had. The warm, gooey peanut butter center is EVERYTHING. Added a few chocolate chips and used oat milk. Perfection.
Agree with the suggestions for more milk and more sugar (at least 1 tbsp). This mug cake is so good with a spoon of ice cream on top. Overall a very easy recipe when you’re stuck in the house without sweets!!!
It was great! Per comment suggestions I used a tablespoon of sugar and used jam instead of peanut butter. I used some hommade peanut butter on the side like a frosting and it tasted amazing! Just what I needed.
This recipe did not work. It did not rise so I got an inch of cake. It was also very dry and somewhat bitter.
Yes, I agree about it being quite bitter.
This was a great recipe and I agree that it had the perfect cake texture. I also think that the sweetness was perfect, though I did mix in about a tablespoon of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. I also added a little more milk and some vanilla.
This is super good. I actually liked that it wasn’t too sweet, however I did find it dry. Peanut butter doesn’t add a whooole bunch of moisture because it’s so thick and sticky – I would like to try it with Nutella. I’m sure jam is very good too. Also I like that it’s teeny tiny because I don’t have to feel bad about eating it haha
I love this a little too much. I increase the sugar to 1 Tbsp, add a little vanilla, and use a spoonful of jam instead of peanut butter. I’ve used blackberry jam and orange marmalade and both have been good. What I think made a big difference for me was when I started using Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa. It just seems way more chocolatey. Oh and I usually make a recipe and a half cause doubling it would be crazy. 😆
Really great recipe for satisfying my crazy chocolate cravings without feeling guilty after!! Next time I make it I’ll probably add a bit more sugar, maybe an extra teaspoon, but that’s it. Otherwise this is an excellent low-effort dessert
Far too often I have to talk myself down from whipping up my favorite mug cakes because the portions are just too much for me to stomach. This is definitely smaller than most recipes, but is just the right size to satisfy a quick craving!
I have a sweet tooth so I doubled the sugar, added a splash of vanilla and a sprinkle of chocolate chips along with the peanut butter. It was still not too sweet, and very yummy. The texture is fluffy but still has a good cakey chewiness. I will definitely make this again!
I’ve made this at least four times and the trick is adding more sugar (I use one tablespoon) and chocolate chips or another sweet candy. Nice fluffy and chocolaty treat :-)
There were a couple things that bothered me a bit from these recipes.
1. It’s really quite small. I put it in a normal-sized mug and it barely took up even a third of the space.
2. As said in previous posts there is not a lot of sweetness to it. If I make it again I will likely add quite a bit more sugar. I don’t like super sweet stuff but this could definitely use a bit more.
I do have to say the texture was spot-on! It was airy and fluffy and literally the best cake texture you can get, in my opinion!
I loved this! I knew looking at the ingredients and the amounts it wouldn’t be too sweet. I was just looking for a nice little dessert that wasn’t too many calories and would fulfill my craving, this was perfect! I drizzled some dark chocolate syrup and it was great, just what I needed.
If you’re looking for something more sweet, I’d double the sugar, peanut butter, and add about 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.