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.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
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!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
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. 👀
Delicious. A lot of mug cakes can be spongy in an almost rubbery way but this one is truly like cake. The molten peanut butter in the middle is the cherry on top. I used 2 tablespoons of sugar since virtually all mug cake recipes call for 2 tbsp and I assume 2 tsp in this recipe is a typo. If you try this recipe thinking it’s a low sugar version I think you’ll be very disappointed.
Cake it self is not sweet enough and is bitter from the cocoa and lack of sugar, peanut butter save the whole thing
Not very good had to add ice cream. Not enough sugar in the mix
Dreadful. Chocolate Sahara.
It’s not very sweet, but it’s still good. I’ve tried adding various sweeteners and I think the best one is just adding some toppings after the cake is made. Changing the recipe will throw off its marvelous texture, and texture is just as important as taste to me.
This was really good, but not quite as sweet as I would have liked. I think adding a tablespoon or two of brown sugar would make this perfect. Side note- if you’re like me and only have huge coffee mugs, you can double the recipe :)
Dry, powdery,flavorless and not sweet at all. I won’t use this one again.
Want wanted sweet that wasn’t going to be a long process on an after-work evening at 7:30pm. It also needed to be soft due to recent dental surgery. This hit the spot! So delicious and easy.
I’m only giving it a 4 out of 5 because, it is very hard to swallow
Beautiful texture though and I love the taste
You truly can’t go wrong with this recipe. Tonight I had the bright idea of making it with a blop of tahini instead of the peanut butter (inspired by the Bon Appetit “tahini hot fudge skillet cake”) and it is SO good.
I loved this recipe personally but I think it can also be ate without the peanut butter because I have never really liked it so I would suggest that too for people that don’t like peanut butter. But all in all this recipe was phenomenal.
This was such a perfect mug cake with chocolate chips, a little powdered sugar and a cold glass of milk 🥰. Can’t wait to make it again with different toppings!!
I love this recipe and have used it for years when I need a sweet treat! I use Nutella instead of peanut butter and cook for about 45 sec in the microwave! Love it
First time I’ve ever commented about a recipe. Geez, people can be mean! This worked really well for me and was super yummy! Definitely mug sized, which is awesome. I used coconut sugar, coconut oil and soy milk, plus chocolate chips instead of peanut butter. With a scoop of ice cream – yum!!! I’m going to have to be careful I don’t make too many, lol.
This recipe is good if you want a single bite of cake. If you want the hint of a mug cake. The suggestion of cake.