This mugcake is for those times when you just have to have chocolate. And cake. Or brownies.
And you need it all within 5 minutes.
The mugcake is part rich chocolate cake, part fudgy brownie, and it’s so fast and easy. It’s a very dangerous little trick to have up your sleeve.
The batter is whisked together in a minute, and the cake cooks in under 3 minutes.
I’ve made mugcakes in the past on my blog and in my cookbook, and have experimented with my fair share of microwave cakes over the years.
Many cakes and goodies made in the microwave tend to be dry with a weird texture. And the surface is pock-marked with crater-like holes, which don’t exactly persuade me to dive right in.
This, however, is the best microwave cake I’ve ever made because it’s not dry in the least.
There’s butter and Greek yogurt in the batter, which helps it stay moist.
And the easy vanilla glaze that’s poured over it seeps into the open, tender crumb, boosting the moisture level even more.
There’s only a small amount of flour, which also keeps the mugcake on the fudgier and denser side. Just the way I like my cakes.
Light and airy is overrated.
There’s both melted chocolate chips and cocoa powder, making it very chocolaty.
I like to add a pinch of instant espresso granules to my chocolate cakes and brownies because it really brings out the chocolate flavor, and it doesn’t make them taste like coffee.
It gave this little cake extra chocolate oomph.
Because microwaves and mugs vary, you may have to play around with things to find the sweet spot for your setup.
I used a 14 ounce mug which is bigger than most, and cooked for 3 minutes. If your mugs are smaller, divide the batter between two mugs and cook separately for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
Do not fill your mug more than halfway full with batter because it’ll overflow. It’s amazing how much puff these things get, and you need to leave major room for expansion.
All that stands between you and brownie-cake is 5 minutes..
There’s no catch. It’s dangerously fast, easy, and is sure to satisfy your chocolate cravings.
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Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Microwave Mugcake with Vanilla Glaze
This is the best microwave mugcake I’ve ever made because it’s moist and not dry in the least. The texture is a cross between soft, moist devil’s food cake and a fudgy brownie. Both melted chocolate chips and cocoa powder give it plenty of rich chocolate flavor. The buttery vanilla glaze seeps into the porous cake, adding even more moisture and flavor. For times when you just have to have chocolate and need it in less than 5 minutes, make this. It’s dangerously fast, easy, and is sure to satisfy your chocolate cravings.
Ingredients
Mugcake
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons vanilla or plain Greek yogurt (1/4 cup buttermilk may be substituted and if using buttermilk, omit the 1 tablespoon of water)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso granules, optional (but recommended to boost chocolate intensity; make sure they’re instant so they dissolve. Instant coffee granules may be substituted)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- scant 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (a little less than 1/4 teaspoon)
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Vanilla Glaze
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- about 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- splash of cream or milk, only if necessary for consistency
Instructions
- For the Mugcake – Prepare a large mug (at least 14 to 16 ounces) or two smaller mugs by spraying the inside with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir with a fork or whisk until melted and mixture is smooth. If necessary, heat for about 10 seconds if your chips are resisting melting.
- Add the egg, yogurt and water (or buttermilk, and omit the water if using buttermilk), sugar, cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla, optional espresso granules, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, optional salt, and stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared mug(s). Do not fill your mug over halfway full with batter because it will overflow in the microwave. Use two mugs rather than one if you’re on the fence because mugcakes need ample room for expansion because they puff dramatically during cooking.
- For 1 large mug, cook on high power for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until firm yet springy to the touch. For 2 smaller mugs, cook separately for about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes, each. For my 1 large mugcake as shown, I cooked for 3 minutes. At the 1 1/2 minute mark, the cake puffed up over the top of the mug by about 1 inch, where it stayed and ‘hoovered’ above the mug for the duration of microwaving. Immediately upon powering off the microwave, the cake fell, by about 2 inches below the top edge of the mug. Your mugcake will deflate considerably while it cools. While it cools, make the glaze.
- For the Vanilla Glaze – In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and stir with a fork or whisk until smooth and combined. If necessary to achieve desired glaze consistency, add a splash of cream or milk.
- Pour glaze over the cake(s). It’s amazing how much glaze the cake will soak up so don’t be alarmed if it looks like you have a lot. If you do have extra glaze, it will keep airtight for many weeks in the refrigerator. Mugcakes are best eaten fresh, but will keep airtight for up to 2 days at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 792Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 263mgCarbohydrates: 87gFiber: 3gSugar: 75gProtein: 19g
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Have you ever made a mugcake?
I was preparing to make this recipe and Instruction 2 says to melt the butter on high. 3 says to add the chocolate chips. On the printed recipe there is no mention about how much butter to use with the chocolate chips. There is a butter amount for the glaze, but not for the cake. What am I missing???
I don’t know what version is printing for you but the directions you can read/see for the recipe on your screen are what you should follow.
If for some reason that is just not working for your devices after restarting and troubleshooting, perhaps this recipe will work and it’s similar and amazing! https://www.averiecooks.com/one-minute-microwave-brownie/
Following up to this comment – there isn’t an amount listed for butter to be melted for the chocolate chips. I took a stab and went with 2 tablespoons and everything seems to be ok. It actually tastes great! But same, not seeing in the instructions how much to use.
Thanks for the catch, yes 2 tbsp is correct. This recipe has been up for 10 years and no one until now mentioned it! Glad that it tasted great!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now..
But today is the first time I tried it with the glaze. It was AMAZING!! This is 100% the best mug cake I’ve ever made (and sadly/ regrettedly, I’ve made a lot of mug cakes). It requires more ingredients than any other mug cake I’ve made, but don’t let that stop you, this recipe actually tastes like a moist chocolate cake. It also turned out just as good with the pound plus dark chocolate from Trader Joes. Thanks for another great recipe, Averie!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! So glad it’s the best mug cake you’ve ever made! TJ’s Pound Plus bars the best!
I’ve just finished trying this recipe out. Honestly, this stands as one of the best microwave mug recipes that I’ve tried out so far. But… Like you said… It’s a very dangerous little trick… It’s so easy to make and taste so good. But you have to remember to check the weight scale all the time :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that it’s one of the best microwave mug recipes that you’ve tried!
Absolutely devine!!!! just made it now and I feel like im in heaven.
Thanks for sharing
Wonderful :)
Hi! I’m a recent reader of your blog and this is the first recipe of yours I’ve tried. This is what transpired…
I was craving for something brownie-ish and chocolatey tonight and I’ve been DYING to try this mug cake recipe (I’ve tried others and they all ended up dry and inedible) so I figured, well, it’s only 10PM so why not! Lo and behold, we had no eggs in the refrigerator. I was so disappointed, then realized — hey, vegans can make pastries without eggs, and so can I! So I Googled and found out that you can substitute 1 egg with 1/4 cup yogurt. I only had greek yogurt so measuring was pretty difficult, and so I’m not confident I had a very accurate 1/4 cup. I figured I was safe since your recipe called for 3 tablespoons anyway, so I just went with it. I also did not have brown sugar (I made cookies recently and forgot to stock up. And I finished my vanilla while making the glaze. I seriously need to visit the grocery soon.) so I just used white sugar. I mean, it was already messed up from the start. I couldn’t back out now. When I finally got my mug into the microwave, I was freaking out because it wasn’t rising like the mug cakes before. I wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t put in baking powder (which I had! I just couldn’t find it…) but I still trudged on. I made thr glaze and put in on the mug cake…
Long story short, despite having an incomplete list of ingredients, this turned out the be the best and actually enjoyable mug cake I have ever had!!!! I can only imagine how much better this will be when I try it with egg. My cake turned out a little too sour from the yogurt. It was also a little dry so I’ll need to let it microwave for a shorter time (I couldn’t tell when to stop since it wasn’t rising, so I left it the whole 2 1/2 minutes).
Anyway, sorry this is so long. I felt like I needed to share my experience! Haha! Thank you so much for this recipe! :)
Happy to hear this “turned out the be the best and actually enjoyable mug cake I have ever had” – wonderful!
This recipe is perfect— I’m sick at home today and whipped it up so fast. Comfort food to the max. I didn’t have any Greek yogurt OR buttermilk so I used sour cream instead, turned out great. Thank you!
Perfect way to sub the sour cream for yog/buttermilk! I hope you feel better soon and that this was soothing comfort food for you :)
Hi,
I just bought your book on Mug cakes and I have already tried several recipes.
I have read your instructions and followed them to the letter but the cakes althoug very tasty, seem to have a denser texture or very fine texture compared to regular cakes. The bottom section of the cake seems to be quite ‘holy’…Is that the way they usually turn out or am I missing something?
How light should these turn out to be? (as opposed to heavy rubbery texture?)
Many have the texture of Bread pudding. I must say they are fun to make.
Help please.
Hi Pauline
I wish I could say the mug cakes book was mine but the only book of mine that’s in stores already is my PB book, Peanut Butter Comfort. So for the more detailed questions about mugcakes, I’m not really a huge expert but in my experience, yes, they’re very ‘holey’. And the texture can range from fine to dense. Most of the ones I’ve made or tried are pretty dense unless overcooked, at which point they’re lighter, but quite dry. This particular recipe, the chocolate one, is meant to be dense like a fudgy brownie.
Ooh- going to have to try this for sure. Love the mug. Where did you find it?
it’s linked in the post – see “14 oz mug”…. :)
Just made this–sooooo tasty! I accidentally doubled the water, but ultimately I think that was a good thing because it was VERY soft and gooey (how I like my chocolate desserts) but not liquid. It has a tang from the yogurt that went really nicely with the vanilla glaze. Thanks for the awesome easy recipe!
Thanks for the great comment Rachel & so glad you liked it – despite doubling the water. A happy accident that sounds like it worked out well and everything turned out just right. Glad you loved it! :)
one can never have enough mug cake recipes…amazing as always averie
Averie, this is about the . . . third time that I’ve visited your blog to drool over this mug cake! It looks SOOOO good! Thank you so much for linking up to Wake Up Wednesdays!! Pinning this one!
Well I am happy you like it so much! Thanks for pinning!
How gorgeous is that mug?! I mean the cake is amazing but that mug – SO CUTE!
Thanks girl. I love the mug, too! It’s new and perfect for pics I thought!
That blue stoneware makes this mug cake look GOOOD! I don’t have a microwave and so I think I am the last person on earth to try a mug cake but this post makes me want one somethin fierce. Gorgeous photos and awesome mug Averie!!
It’s great you can manage without one! For me, it’s such a timesaver and I’m happily hooked on it :)
The only thing that prevents me from weighing 300 pounds is pretending that mug cakes don’t exist :) I love how easy it is!
LOL! Too easy :)
OMG OMG! This looks amazing!!! I literally cannot wait to whip this up! I hate when it’s late at night, you are craving chocolate have none left! This recipe will solve that dilemma! Thanks :-)
You just gave another idea for a great dessert. I am passing it to my teen who loves making mug cakes.
That’s great! And you don’t look old enough to have a teen! AT ALL! :)
I love the gorgeous mug, Averie. Seriously girl, I should NOT have read this post. Now I’m going to be making this mug cake every five minutes cause that’s how often I want.need.crave chocolate cake, lol.
Oh we’re twins then! :)
I LOVE mug cakes, but yeah, it can be dangerous to have these recipes on hand. On the plus side, hey, I’m not making a full pan of brownies! But then: oh, I can make one of these after dinner every night! And I totally will.
As a blogger (and author) you know that any time you can small-batch something, it’s so appreciated. We don’t need any.more.food. laying around!
SO yummy, SO brilliant-and that mug is SOOO pretty!
Mugcakes are the best! So easy and no need to mess up multiple dishes to make a full batch of cookies or cupcakes :)
Easy and so much chocolate. What’s not to love here?!
Ooh! Another genius recipe, Averie! Love the shot of the mug with the criss-crossed spoons, too…so blue and purrrty. Just beautiful. Even more beautiful is how you formulated this recipe using Greek yogurt. Moist and no big dry air pockets. Looks like perfection! Mmmm. Thanks for sharing, m’lady!
Thanks for the photo compliments. There’s only so many ways you can photograph a mug so I tried to goof around with the spoons :)
And yes, no weird dry air pockets and wonky texture in this one like most microwave food!
I used to make mug brownies and completely forgot until seeing this. Such a great cake, love the glaze!
LOVE this recipe. I’m SO into mug desserts! This will be a favorite for sure!
They’re too easy to make. But at least it’s just one little item. Not a big, huge jass cake. Because I do not always need those just laying around!
game. changer.
It’s also good for those times when you just have to eat out of a mug. You just have to. XOGREG
And if I didnt have a food blog to cook for or a family, I’d be SUPER content to eat most of my meals out of mug. Lol
Wow this looks AMAZING!!! I would love to make this with my boyfriend but he has an egg allergy; he can eat baked goods with eggs in it like cakes and brownies but he cant eat scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, etc. Does the egg cook all the way like an egg in a cake (is it safe for him to eat it)?
The egg cooks through completely in this, yes. It’s not raw!
On other matters, normally if someone is allergic to eggs, whether the egg is cooked, raw, in a baked good, scrambled or fried, or baked into a casserole, it wouldn’t matter. Egg is egg. So just do as you know is right for your own dietary needs and situation!
Oh my goodness, Averie….this is sooo good and yet sooo dangerous that I am a microwave ding away from a rich, warm chocolate fix!
Pretty dangerous indeed :)
I live mug cakes but they are dangerous in my house because I am always tempted to eat them around the clock or whenever I have an extra 5 minutes!
LOL. Glad you’re a fan of them. Me too!
*Love* your gorge blue mug (and this cake)! It looks super-fudgy…not at all like something that came out of a microwave. Genius! xo
Thanks, Valerie! Best microwave cake I’ve ever made!
I have had terrible luck with mugcakes. So much so that I stopped making them because I wasn’t ever satisfied after eating them. (Choking them down, really.) But this recipe actually looks unique and different – way to find something that actually works!
I LOVE that mug!!!
Perfect for my 1:30am chocolate craving when I need to go to bed! ;)
That’s the time it REALLY hits the spot for me too!
This looks incredible! How do you even come up with these things?! Great post, as always :)
partyatgatsbys.me x
Long runs and too much time to dream up recipes in my head :)
Woah definitely dangerous! But hey, bathing suit season is almost over :-D
Lol. So true!
I have tried to make mug cakes, but they didn’t turn out that well! Will try your recipe for them!
Thanks, Angie. Yes this one is my best ever and I bet you’ll love it!
one mug is not enough for me…
LOL!
This looks incredibly dangerous! And I love that you added greek yogurt, sounds absolutely perfect.
It is pretty dangerous to have at your fingertips :)
I just LOVE that mug, Averie! So beautiful and unique looking. And um, this mugcake is just pure genius!!!
Thanks, Ashley. I thought it would make for the perfect mugcake for photos b/c it’s so bright and colorful!
Shouldn’t the name be Happy Hormonal Cake?
Whoa! I want to dive a spoon into that mug cake! It looks amazing, not to mention the cutest blue mug I’ve ever seen ;)
Thank you so much!
I love quick chocolate brownies! I have a 100 calorie 1 minute version on my b log but this one seems more fudgy! Definitely have to try it! Thanks!
Wow, your version sounds fab!
This looks way better than any microwave mugcake I’ve ever made. I love my brownies on the fudgy, dense side too and this one is truly perfect! Aw, how dangerous! x
Very dangerous and it’s my fudgiest one yet. Nice and rich without the weird texture they can be prone to!
Well hello there, amazing little brownie! Can’t wait for my taste buds to meet you! :) Love this recipe, Averie!
Lol. Such a cute comment :)
Ugh! You just made it way too easy to get my chocolate fix at night! ;)
I feel so behind, I’ve yet to make a mug cake. I even sent a recipe to my friend and she made it and I still have not.
Lol. It happens. I’ve yet to watch 99% of the shows most people talk about!
I have never made any microwave treats since our microwave is TERRIBLE!! So bad and cannot properly cook anything! But man, I wish I could!! This is insane Averie and I LOVE you giant mugs. I mean 14oz? Now that is what I am talking about! Oh and that glaze is perfection! Seriously, what and amazing easy and quick dessert!
5 mins. Too quick and easy. My micro in Aruba is like yours. Kind of. It’s just super hot. I need to halve the cooking time on things or it’s charred!
This is perfect Averie. Kevin’s niece begged to make a mug cake when she was visiting last month. We never got around to it, but this would’ve been PERFECT! I’ve never actually made one before. It’s warm and cozy and hits all the right spots, especially when you just want something truly decadent all for yourself. The vanilla glaze put it over the top. I can only imagine how moist it is!
14 oz mugs – I like your style. All my mugs are oversized. I even have a 20 oz one that I use for coffee! My old coworkers thought I was insane, but you know about my love for coffee.
I have a 20 oz mug from Starbucks that’s 5 yrs old and I have drank.so.much coffee in that thing over the years! But it’s green plastic and NOT camera friendly :)
This is a new one I got and so far, it makes a great mugcake. And trust me when I say easier said than done to make a great one. Most recipes (and I tried alot for cookbook #1) are dry, bland, boring, and did I mention dry? This is the opposite. You’d love it! Too easy, too!
Light and airy is totally overrated. Give me rich, chocolate, dense, fudginess any day. And is it terrible that I would still plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on this?!
Plop away :)
Love how easy this is! Such a great way to satisfy a chocolate craving in a pinch :)
Love it! I have yet to try a mugcake but have seen so many recipes for them. Someday I will get around to trying one – and it’ll probably be this one from you! Fudgy chocolate brownie cake with vanilla glaze? Pretty much perfect.
You’re going to love it! Lmk if you try!
These microwave cakes are dangerous because it makes it way too easy for me to have my dessert in no time at all! ;) Looks amazing, Averie!
Thanks! And yes…way.too.easy.
Such a fine looking cup of chocolate …and in a beautiful handwarmer mug! Perfect for curling up with on the couch. I love mug cakes for their size and convenience (just made a blueberry variety with coconut oil the other day). I always try to use yogurt in them because they just turn out better, but I’ve also made them with applesauce and butternut squash. This chocolate version looks very good–the melted chips are a great idea to help give it that fudgy density!
I love the mug, too. Just got it. Loving it! And that’s great you add yogurt to yours. Not sure why I wasnt doing that all along. I always add it to other cakes. And I could squash (pumpkin) working too!
just loved loved loved these gooey chocolaty mugs,chocoholic’s heaven :-)
thanks!
I want something gooey and chocolatey NOOOOWWW :D Also, that blue mug is absolutely beautiful!
Thank you!
Dangerous indeed! 5 minutes to a chocolate fix could cause some serious problems. ;-)
It’s both a blessing and a curse it’s so easy and fast!
This has to one of secret pleasures. I will never truely admit I love to use my microwave to cook desserts or main meals on that note( as my grandmother would say: heven forbid!!!)
I love soft cake desserts, hot or cold. If is like a brownie, I am an instant fan!
What a cute cup! So funky!
I am long past not admitting to using a microwave. There is a stigma around it that I’ve never fully understood. It’s just a fast way to cook stuff. I’ll take it :) I bet this cake would make a believer out of even your grandma :)
Light and airy IS SO overrated! I agree:)
Never made a mug cake because I’m a weirdo who doesn’t love cold chocolate and desserts, but then…I’m a weirdo:)
Ok this one isn’t cold though. It’s warm! I mean, fresh out of the microwave and as warm as it gets. If you want a warm, fast, choc dessert, here you go!
Whoops-meant to say I don’t love hot desserts. But I could easily put this in the fridge;)
LOL – Ok, got it :) Well yeah, you could refrigerate it. I am actually a big fan of serving my brownies chilled. Or anything richly chocolaty, I do tend to love a chill. This one was warm though, and gooey and loved it. But you could do it cold, too!