For a sweet single serving treat, all you need is a mug, a microwave, and a few pantry staples. Brown sugar cake batter is speckled with semisweet chocolate chips in this cookie-inspired mug cake!
If ever there were a time for the mug cake to make a return from its heyday in, well, whatever year it was, (2015 or thereabouts?) it is now. It’s a quick solution when you need a sweet, comforting treat for just one or two people, all while sparing your kitchen much mess.
I developed this recipe to soothe both my cake and cookie cravings. The brown sugar batter is light and springy, and it reminds me of a chocolate chip cookie with pockets of gooey melted semisweet chips.
This recipe stirs together with nothing more than a fork, and cooks in the microwave for 45-50 seconds. That’s almost instant gratification!
Similar to my recent crazy cake posts ( and ), this recipe requires no eggs, milk, or butter. It’s pantry staples all the way!
The mixture is stirred together and then poured into an 8 oz. mug. These days the usual coffee mug size is about 11 oz. and that size will work also. The cake just won’t rise all the way to the top of the mug.
A mug cake fresh from the microwave will be hot and steaming. The top may look under cooked, but it’s not – it’s just shiny from the steam generated in the microwave (you can check with a toothpick tester to be sure).
As the cake cools it will pull away from the mug ever-so-slightly. You could turn it out on a plate, but there’s no reason to, really! Enjoy it straight from the mug.
The brown sugar batter could be varied with other flavors of baking chips such as peanut butter or white chocolate. Nuts, dried fruit, or even a chopped fun-size candy bar would work as a mix-in!
The vegetable oil in the cake batter keeps this cake moist and tender while baking powder gives it a springy texture. This mini cake is wonderful on its own, but served hot with a scoop of ice cream on top, it’s truly decadent!
Yields 1 serving
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon molasses
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for garnish
In a bowl or a glass measuring cup with a pour spout, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir together with a fork using the tines to break up any lumps of brown sugar. Add the oil, water, molasses, and extract. Stir together until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon semisweet chips.
Pour the batter into an 8 oz. (1 cup capacity) microwave-safe mug. Use a rubber spatula to effectively scrape all of the batter into the mug. Add a few more semisweet chips on top of the batter, if desired.
Microwave at 100% power for 45-50 seconds, or until the cake is well-puffed. Let stand for 2 minutes. A toothpick tester should come out without any uncooked batter clinging to it. Serve warm.
Notes:
This recipe was tested in a 1000 watt microwave. Higher wattage will cook this cake faster, lower wattage will cook slower. Adjust the time 5-10 seconds accordingly.
Turn the cake out onto a plate if desired. For easiest removal, spray the mug with cooking spray before adding the batter to it.
This recipe will work without the molasses if you don’t have any on hand. It will not taste as cookie-like, but still delicious.
Serve this warm with a dollop of whipped cream or topped with vanilla ice cream if you have it!
