Who says you need an oven to bake? Not us! Okay, so maybe you need an oven if you’re going to be a real Star Baker. But, if you’re in a pinch, a microwave will definitely do. Just stick your ingredients in your favourite (microwave safe) mug and you’ll have a delicious cake in your cup faster than you can say ‘ping’!
Perfect if you want a late-night snack without the faff, haven’t got the right baking kit or don’t want to a whole cake in the house. Check out our recipes for the perfect chocolate mug cake, gluten free mug cake or vegan mug cake.
How to make a chocolate mug cake
The common problem with mug cakes? A dry, rubbery bake. The kind where the cake might bounce back if you throw it against a wall. Luckily, you won’t get that here! This moist mug cake is absolutely delicious, with a warm molten centre. Mmm…
You’ll need:
34g plain flour
2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsps granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsps vegetable oil
1 tbsp Nutella
What to do:
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Add the milk and oil in slowly, mixing every time you add so that you’ve got a smooth, clump-free batter.
Pour the mix into a large mug. You’ll want to make sure the mug’s not full to the brim. That way, there’s space for the cake to rise without spilling over and getting your microwave mucky!
Dollop the Nutella into the middle of the batter without stirring it or mixing it in. This’ll give you a nice gooey centre.
For a 1000W microwave, cook the mug cake for 1 minute. Enjoy!
How to make a gluten free mug cake
If you’re coeliac or have some other kind of gluten intolerance, there’s no need for you to miss out. You can have an indulgent hug-in-a-mug too!
You’ll need:
35g gluten free flour
2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsps granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
28g melted unsalted butter, plus a little extra for greasing
3 tbsps milk
1 tbsp chocolate chips
What to do:
Grease the mug with a little butter to stop the cake sticking to the sides
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a bowl.
Add your melted butter and milk to the bowl, whisking until you’ve got a smooth batter.
Pour half the batter into your mug, add your chocolate chips on top and then add the second half of the batter.
For a 1000W microwave, cook the mug cake for 1 minute, then let it cool a little to set before tucking in.
How to make a vegan mug cake
Ditching the dairy? No problem. With a few substitutes, you won’t even know the difference.
You’ll need:
2 tbsps plain flour
2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsps granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil
3 tbsps your favourite non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsps dairy-free chocolate chips
What to do:
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a bowl.
Add your wet ingredients (butter/oil, milk and vanilla) into the bowl as well, stirring until you’ve got a smooth batter.
Cover with the chocolate chips. And there’s no need to stir here, we’re after that slightly oozy molten core again.
For a 1000W microwave, cook the mug cake for 40 seconds for a super gooey centre or 50 seconds for a medium gooey one. Delish!
Extra microwave mug cake tips
Microwave settings: If you don’t have a 1000W microwave, you’ll need to adjust the timings a little. And there’s an easy trick to get it just right. Add 10 seconds for every 100W difference for every minute of cook time.
Here’s an example: if you have an 800W microwave and your chocolate mug cake takes 1 minute to cook in a 1000W one, it will take an extra 20 seconds in your microwave.
Checking your microwave’s wattage: Not sure how powerful your microwave is? Check its manual to be sure. Unless the manual is loooong gone by now, in which case there’ll probably be a label on the inside of the microwave door. You could probably google it too if you know the make and model.
Got everything you need?
If you want to take your baking to the next level, try some of our other recipes – from delicate choux pastry to incredible steamed bagels. Or maybe it’s time to upgrade your tech? If you’ve got questions about anything from stand mixers to air fryers to ovens, you can pop in-store or chat to a tech expert via video call on ShopLive.
