Gooey Chocolate Mug Cake for Two

Why We’re Obsessed With This Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe

• Quick and easy. Have a rich and chocolatey, single-serving chocolate cake warm from the microwave in 2 minutes. It’s a quick way to satisfy a craving for chocolate cake, no oven needed.
• Just enough for two. I’ve seen a lot of mug cake recipes made for one person, but I wanted mine to cater to two, so someone else can get in on the fun.
• Egg-free. I updated my original recipe to make this single-serving cake without eggs. It turns out delicious fudgy and gooey!
• Perfect for chocolate lovers. A mug cake is the best way to enjoy a chocolate cake without the effort of baking a whole cake.

What is a Mug Cake?

For the most part, when someone talks about a mug cake recipe, it’s going to mean that it’s made in the microwave. This type of recipe is meant to be a quick, easy, and smaller version of a more typical (larger) chocolate cake.

What You’ll Need

For this mug cake recipe, we’re taking the ingredients from a classic chocolate cake and downsizing them to fit in a mug. Scroll to the recipe card below the post for the full printable recipe with amounts.

• Dry ingredients – You’ll need all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Since a mug cake doesn’t need to rise like a normal cake, we skip the leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda.
• Cocoa Powder – I like to use Hershey’s. You can make this cake with natural or Dutch-process cocoa.
• Milk – Any kind.
• Butter – Melted before you start.
• Chocolate Chips – I couldn’t resist folding a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the cake batter, plus a few extra sprinkled on top. You can use dark, white, or milk chocolate, too, or swap the chocolate chips with nuts.

This Can Be Made With or Without Eggs

I shared this mug cake recipe here many years ago on the blog. And while it’s always been a very popular recipe, it has a 50/50 split with people either loving the spongy texture from the eggs or those who aren’t fans.

So, the girls and I experimented with many different versions of this recipe, eliminating the eggs. We wanted a cake that was dense and moist and richly chocolatey. And we made it happen! In this updated mug cake recipe, you will find no egg.

But! If you have already fallen in love with the previous recipe I shared (with eggs), just look below the recipe card in this post – you’ll find the original recipe there!

How to Make Chocolate Mug Cake in the Microwave

For these cake cups, simply stir a few common baking ingredients together in a small bowl. Then divide the batter between two cups or small-sized mugs and microwave for two minutes. Be sure to read the recipe card below.

• Combine the ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix in the milk, butter, and vanilla. Stir well to make sure everything is well combined.
• Add chocolate chips. Stir them into the batter.
• Divide the batter between two mugs. Make sure the mugs are microwave safe! Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top.
• Microwave for 2 minutes.
• Let cool, then dig in! Give the cakes 10 minutes to cool before eating. The chocolate will still be gooey, but it won’t be so hot that it burns your mouth.

That’s it. Two minutes, and they’re done. The best darn microwave cake you ever did taste!

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this cake in a cup with fresh raspberries or strawberries. This is especially pretty for a little Valentine’s Day celebration. A dollop of freshly whipped cream, a drizzle of ganache, or a scoop of ice cream would also be great. My parents taught me how to eat warm chocolate cake with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. It’s pretty wonderful!

While I recommend letting the microwave mug cake cool for ten minutes before eating, I have to admit that I nearly always dig right in. Yes, it’s hot. But I just can’t resist.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Refrigerate. These mini mug cakes store well in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend letting them come back to room temperature before serving.
• Freeze. You can freeze the baked and cooled chocolate mug cakes for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature when a craving strikes!

With just one spoonful, you’ll know exactly why my family loves this gooey chocolate mug cake. It’s beautifully moist and gooey, incredibly chocolatey…and pretty darn perfect when you’re already in your pajamas for the evening and that craving for chocolate cake won’t let you go.

* For those of you who have relied on the original recipe that I shared here many years ago (with eggs), scroll down below the new recipe card. You’ll still find the original recipe there!

More Chocolate Desserts

• Chocolate Mousse Cups
• Chocolate Cherry Fudge Bundt
• Chocolate Wacky Cake
• Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

ORIGINAL RECIPE (with eggs): Gooey Chocolate Mug Cake for Two

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. cocoa powder
• big pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• heaping 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few more for sprinkling on top

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
2. Add milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir well to incorporate.
3. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide batter between 2 microwave-safe cups (my cup holds 6 fluid ounces) and then sprinkle the tops with a few more chocolate chips.
4. Microwave both cups at the same time on high for 2 minutes. The cake will rise up above the cup rim, and then settle back down as it cools. Microwave strength varies, so adjust accordingly. The cakes should be cooked, but very moist, and a bit gooey in the middle.
5. Allow cakes to cool for about 15 minutes prior to eating. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

These are best when eaten within a few hours of cooking them. As they cool, the chocolate chips will harden, so the cakes will be less gooey. But they’re still very, very good. ;)