“Minute” Chocolate Mug Cake – Can You Really Make Cake in 60 seconds?

No, it actually takes 45 seconds! Turns out I was wrong about mug cakes. I’ve had the belief over the past few decades, that a decent mini chocolate cake from a microwave was impossible. I based this on the fact that every example I’d come across had the texture of a hockey puck.

I assumed the cause was the microwave’s ultra-violent thermodynamics, and that there was nothing anyone could do about it, but then I got to thinking. Maybe there was a way to tweak the existing recipes out there to minimize this problem. Long story short, I tweaked an existing recipe, which minimized the problem.

The secrets were using smaller amounts of batter, and cooking for way less time than has been suggested by others. Once you’ve boiled off all the water in the batter, you are totally screwed, so the idea here is to just barely get to the point of doneness, and stop. For me that was exactly 45 seconds.

I’ve included the power data here, so you can compare it to your microwave. Apparently, I have a 1,100-watt model, which is a very common rating, but of course, if yours is much more or less powerful, you will have to do a few tests to figure out your ideal time.

Now, is this as good as a traditionally baked chocolate cake? Of course not, but it’s certainly close enough. And when you consider the fact it literally takes only a few minutes to make, this should find its way into your summer dessert recipe rotation. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 chocolate mug cakes:

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

pinch salt

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp melted butter

1/8 tsp vanilla extract (I forgot to add, and it was fine, but I’d put a few drops to be safe)

- Stir well, then add:

1 tbsp shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)

2 tbsp toasted sliced almonds

1 or 2 tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1, but it could have used a few more chips)

3 tbsp milk

- Stir well, then add:

1/4 cup flour mixed with 1/4 tsp baking powder

- Pour into 2 coffee cups and microwave on full power for 45 seconds

View the complete recipe