Molten Chocolate Lava Mug Cake is a fudgy, rich, and chocolaty cake that comes together in 5 minutes in a microwave. It’s a great dessert recipe for 1, and you can easily scale the recipe too.
Here are some more mug cake recipes: Vanilla Mug Cake, Gingerbread Mug Cake, Pumpkin Dump Cake, Bacardi Rum Cake, Strawberry Cake, Chocolate Chip Pound Cake, and Lemon Pound Cake.
Jump to:
About Chocolate Lava Mug Cake
Some of us have a sweet tooth, and the sudden cravings for something sweet and delicious are almost regular. But what do you do when you do not have something sweet at home?
This instant dump-and-go 5-minute Microwave Chocolate Lava Mug Cake Recipe is my savior. It is a cross between a chocolate cake and a souffle that will satisfy your chocolate craving.
Dump the ingredients in the mug, a nice mix, and a quick microwave, and there you have your Microwave Lava Mug Cake ready in minutes.
This rich chocolate mug cake has a gooey center, is chocolaty and fudgy, and uses a few basic pantry ingredients.
The best part about his molten lava cake is that you don’t have to make a large cake. Just make individual-size portions in under 5 minutes and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some sliced strawberries, and you have a gourmet dessert ready. Perfect for chocolate lovers.
This microwave mug cake is an excellent dessert for 1 (single serving), but you can scale the recipe and make it in more mugs if you want to make it for more people.
Ingredients
Flour – This recipe uses all-purpose flour, which results in a soft spongy cake. You can also opt for whole wheat flour for a healthy twist.
If you want a gluten-free cake, you can also use gluten-free flour.
The use of whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour can change the taste and texture of the cake, and it won’t be as soft and spongy as the all-purpose flour one.
Sugar – I use granulated sugar to make this recipe but feel free to use powdered jaggery, cane sugar, or brown sugar.
Cocoa Powder – You will need unsweetened cocoa powder. I like Hershey’s Dutch process cocoa powder.
Baking Powder – Baking powder makes the cake rise and soft and spongy.
Vanilla Extract – Use a good quality vanilla extract, as this single ingredient adds flavor to the cake.
Dark Chocolate – To make the center of the cake gooey with a pool of chocolate lava, some chopped dark chocolate is placed in the batter before baking so that the chocolate oozes out while eating it.
Use any dark chocolate to add to your mug cake. You can also go for milk chocolate or white chocolate instead of dark chocolate.
I like to chop the chocolate, but you can keep small chocolate squares or chocolate chunks over the center of the batter before baking to get a clean, warm molten center.
Others – You will also need water, milk, egg, and unsalted melted butter to make this easy dessert.
You can top the cake with caramel, a dollop of peanut butter or Nutella, ice cream, chopped fruits, peanut butter chips, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc.
How To Make Microwave Chocolate Lava Mug Cake
Stir together
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
in a microwave-safe 16 oz mug using a fork or a small wire whisk.
Tip – To check if the mug is 16 oz, fill it with 2 cups of water. If the water fits, the mug is fine. You can divide the batter into 2 smaller mugs if you want to eat smaller portions.
Add
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoon milk
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
to the mug and whisk everything well.
Place ¼ cup of chopped pieces of chocolate on top of the batter and top gently with 1 tablespoon of room-temperature water.
Keep the mug in the microwave and cook for 1 minute on high.
Check the cake. The edges should be set, and the center should be slightly wet and sticky. If not, cook for another 15 seconds.
Do not overcook the cake. Find the perfect timing according to the power of your microwave. Cook for 1 minute first, then adds a few more seconds if required to get that perfect texture.
Remove the mug from the microwave and let it rest for a minute.
Don’t serve it right out of the microwave; the center will be too warm and can burn the tongue. Also, keeping the cake for a minute will thicken the chocolate pool slightly to perfection.
Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and some strawberry slices. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any microwave-safe mug or ceramic mug to make this mug cake. The mug should be 16 oz in size. Add 2 cups of water to the mug to check the correct size. If the water fits, the mug is fine. I like to use my ceramic coffee mug to make this recipe.
You can divide the batter into 2 smaller mugs if you wish.
This recipe can be easily made without the egg. Replace the egg with
1. unsweetened apple sauce
2. yogurt
3. flax seeds paste
4. mashed ripe banana
Use 1 tablespoon of any of the above options instead of one egg.
Yes, you can. However, it will take longer to bake, and the texture will be denser, more like a muffin, and less gooey. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees c (360 F) for 10-12 mins.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious and gooey molten chocolate mug cake topped with vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream.
You can also top it with seasonal chopped fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, kiwis, mangoes, etc.
Caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, or even Nutella are great for topping this cake.
You can also sprinkle some confetti, chocolate chips, or coconut flakes on top.
Storage Suggestions
Cover the leftover mug cake in the cup with foil or plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for a day or two.
Reheat in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds before serving it again.
You Might Also Like
Recipe Card
5 Minute Microwave Chocolate Lava Mug Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup finely chopped dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon water (room temperature)
Instructions
- Stir together all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a microwave-safe 16 oz mug using a fork or a small wire whisk.
- Tip – To check if the mug is 16 oz, fill it with 2 cups of water. If the water fits, the mug is fine. You can also divide the batter into 2 smaller mugs if you want to eat smaller portions.
- Add butter, milk, egg, and vanilla extract to the mug and whisk everything well.
- Place the chopped dark chocolate over the batter and top gently with water.
- Keep the mug in the microwave and cook for 1 minute on high.
- Check the cake. The edges should be set and the center should be very slightly wet and sticky. If not, cook for another 15 seconds.
- Do not overcook the cake. Find the perfect timing according to your microwave. Cook for 1 minute first then adds a few more seconds if required to get that perfect texture.
- Remove the mug from the microwave and let it rest for a minute.
- Don’t serve it right out of the microwave as the center will be too warm and can burn the tongue also if you keep the cake for a minute, it will thicken the chocolate pool slightly, to perfection.
- Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and some strawberry slices. Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!