Chocolate mug cake for adults

As a single woman, it's hard to make dessert at home unless I'm willing to be saddled with an entire cake or pie. I came across mug cake recipes a few years ago which seemed like a great alternative when you have a sweet tooth but no where else to dump the rest of your sweet leftovers. I've modified and perfected this recipe over the years. The flavor profile is more suited to adults than children with the use of black cocoa, extra virgin olive oil, and mole bitters.

Recipe

Combine the dry ingredients in an 8-ounce microwave-safe mug:

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp all-purpose, cake, or pastry flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened black cocoa
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• A few grains of ground cayenne, up to a pinch

Mix the dry ingredients well, making sure to mix the bottom corner all the way around.

Add the wet ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgen olive oil
• 3 tbsp milk
• 0.5 - 1 tbsp chocolate syrup (optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 shakes mole bitters (optional)

Mix well before microwaving for 70-85s. The top center will look a little uncooked for a nice molten texture in the middle, but don't undercook it. Wait at least one minute before eating with a spoon while still hot.

Modifying and other tips

It's weirdly hard to mix thoroughly in a mug. For the dry ingredient mixing step, I tilt and rotate the mug while stirring to make sure I get the whole bottom inner corner circumference incorporated. Otherwise you might get chunks of unmixed flour or other dry ingredient.

If you want a drier cake, add up to 1 tbsp more of flour.

You can substitute 2 tbsp almond flour for one of the tablespoons of regular flour. You still need at least 2 tbsp regular flour for the batter to transform from sludge into cake when cooked.

You can substitute for regular unsweetened cocoa for black, I just prefer the depth of the flavor of black cocoa for this recipe.

For stronger cinnamons like Vietnamese, you might want to reduce the amount.

I have not tested this in an oven, but you could try using an oven-safe ramekin and perhaps 350°F for 15-20 minutes as a starting point.

Cover photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

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