3 Ingredient Mug Cake (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Dr. Erin Carter · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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This 3 ingredient mug cake is the best! It's rich, fudgy and chocolatey and ready to enjoy in less than 5 minutes. This single serving dessert is naturally gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free too!

3 Ingredient Mug Cake (1)

Why you will love this recipe:

  • Even though it's made from scratch this chocolate mug cake recipe is so simple and easy to make and only requires 3 ingredients!
  • This flourless mug cake has the best flavour - it's chocolatey, fudgy and so rich.
  • The best part is that this single-serving dessert is ready to enjoy in less than 5 minutes! It's such a quick dessert recipe.
  • It's made with pantry staple ingredients including maple syrup and cacao powder.
  • This healthy mug cake is naturally gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and paleo. Just note that this is not a keto mug cake recipe.
  • This chocolate mug cake can be made with either cocoa powder or cacao powder.
  • It's made with no flour, no butter, no milk, no soy milk, no coconut oil,no powdered sugar, no oil, no baking powder, and no refined sugar.
  • This mug cake is cooked in a microwave so you don't need to heat up your house by turning on the oven.

If you love microwave mug cakes you will also love my chocolate caramel mug cake, chocolate almond flour mug cake recipe and gluten-free chocolate mug cake.

Taste and texture:

This homemade chocolate mug cake is rich, fudgy and chocolatey. It tastes like a dark chocolate brownie. It is never dry, but is so moist and decadent. It's perfect if you have a sweet craving and is the fastest way to make a chocolate cake that I know of.

Key ingredients and substitutions:

You should be able to find all of these basic ingredients at any local grocery store. For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

3 Ingredient Mug Cake (2)
  • Cacao powder - cacao powder is what gives this mug cake that delicious, dark chocolate flavour. Instead of cacao powder you can use cocoa powder.
  • Egg - one egg is used to bind the ingredients in this cake together and help it rise when it cooks in the microwave.
  • Maple syrup- maple syrup is used to naturally sweeten this delicious chocolate cake and keep it refined sugar free.

Step-by-step instructions:

Step one:

First, put the dry ingredients and wet ingredients into a large, microwave-safemug.

3 Ingredient Mug Cake (3)

Step two:

Now whisk together the ingredients until you have a smooth batter and there are no clumps remaining.

3 Ingredient Mug Cake (4)

Step three:

Place the mug in the microwave and heat it on high heat for approximately 60-70 seconds (until it puffs up and has a cake-like consistency).

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Tips:

  • I recommend using a large mug to make this gluten-free mugcake. If you use a short mug it might overflow when you cook it.
  • Be sure to use a microwave-safe mug for this cake. Otherwise the mug might break or explode in the microwave.
  • Be sure to stir or whisk the ingredients well so there aren't any clumps remaining.
  • For best results don't cover the mug when you heat it in the microwave. If you do the cake ends up with more of a slimy texture or rubbery texture rather than a cakey texture.
  • Let the cake cool for a couple minutes before adding the caramel and peanut toppings. This helps give the cake the perfect cake-like texture.
  • Don't overcook this cake - if you cook it too long it will turn out more dry and crumbly rather than moist and fudgy.
  • Cooking time may vary depending on the type of microwave you use.

Variations and optional ingredients:

  • You can use cacao powder or cocoa powder to make this coffeemug cake.
  • Feel free to add a handful ofchocolate chips to make this into a double chocolate mug cake.
  • You could add some nuts such as chopped pecans or walnuts to give this mug cake even more texture.
  • You could add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to give this cake even more flavour.
  • Feel free to add a pinch of salt to the top of this chocolate cake. Salty chocolate is my favorite!

How to serve:

This mug cake is delicious served as is, but you could also top it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, coconut whipped cream, fresh berries, vanilla yogurt, chocolate sauce or even chocolate chips.

You could also top this easy mug cake recipe with creamypeanut butter to turn it into a chocolate peanut butter mug cake or Nutella to turn it into a chocolate Nutella mug cake.

How to store:

This 3 ingredient chocolate cakeis best served right away but you could cover it and store it in the fridge overnight. I don't recommend trying to freeze mug cake.

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Frequently asked questions:

Why is my mug cake so spongy?

If you add too many liquids or too many eggs to mug cake it will turn out more spongy rather than cake like.

Is this a vegan mug cake?

No, this is not a vegan mug cake recipe as it contains pan egg.

Can I replace the egg in this mug cake recipe?

I have not tried making this mug cake without the egg and I do not recommend trying to omit it or replace it.

Can I make this mug cake in an air fryer?

I have not tried making this recipe in an air fryer so I am not sure if it would work out.

Other recipes you will love:

  • Vanilla protein mug cake
  • Orange chocolate fudge
  • Coffee cookies
  • Chocolate coffee banana bread
  • Chocolate almond butter bars
  • Dairy free brownies with caramel

Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me onInstagram,Pinterest,TikTokandFacebookwhere I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!

Recipe

3 Ingredient Mug Cake (7)

3 Ingredient Mug Cake

This is the best 3 ingredient mug cake! It's so easy to make and is ready to enjoy in less than 5 minutes. It's also gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free.

5 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute minute

Total Time: 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 1

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Dr. Erin Carter

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a mug, whisk together the ingredients until they are smooth and there are no clumps remaining.

  • Cover the mug and heat it on high heat in the microwave for approximately 60-70 seconds (until it puffs up and has a cake-like consistency).

  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  1. I recommend using a taller mug to make this cake. If you use a short mug it might overflow when you cook it.
  2. Be sure to stir or whisk the ingredients well so there aren't any clumps remaining.
  3. You can use cacao powder or cocoa powder to make this mug cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg

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DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!

3 Ingredient Mug Cake (2024)

FAQs

Do you put eggs in mug cake? ›

So for a single-serving mug cake, just skip the egg; a whole egg will overpower the small amount of batter (and it's pretty tough to divide an egg in quarters). Luckily, you don't need the egg—a pinch of baking powder is enough to help the batter rise up the sides of the mug.

How do you make a Betty Crocker mug? ›

Empty Cake Mix into microwave-safe 9- to 12-oz mug. Add 3 Tablespoons Water or Milk. Stir until cake mix is well blended, about 30 seconds. Microwave uncovered on High as directed below or until surface is mostly dry.

Why is my mug cake not fluffy? ›

You didn't use self-rising flour

Self-rising flour is a flour mixture that includes salt and baking powder, two ingredients that help cake become cake. This type of flour gives these baked goods a light and fluffy consistency.

Why is my mug cake rubbery? ›

A rubbery mug cake is indicative of being overcooked, or incorrect measurements. Please be precise with the measurements and stop cooking once the cake is soft but not wet on the top.

Why does mug cake become hard? ›

Leaving the cake inside the microwave after baking -

Overheating the cake is one of the reasons why your cake turns out to be hard and tight.

Can I use milk instead of eggs in cupcakes? ›

No, you can not. Milk is used as a liquid in cakes. Eggs add a little bit of liquid, but also have lots of other effects on your batter.

What can you substitute for egg yolk in mug cake? ›

The best egg yolk substitutes for thickening are:
  1. Silken tofu.
  2. Mashed banana, avocado or pumpkin.
  3. Gelatin or agar-agar.
  4. Nut butters.

What makes a perfect mug? ›

The perfect mug should be a balance of several factors: it should be able to hold enough tea to get you through two McVities Milk Chocolate Digestive biscuits (I believe the ideal volume to be 400ml); it should have a wide enough mouth that the tea cools down at an appropriate rate–narrow mugs keep it scalding for too ...

What makes you a mug? ›

If you say that someone is a mug, you mean that they are stupid and easily deceived by other people.

Can you cook in a mug? ›

Mug cooking is one of the greatest boons of our existence. You can snap up a quick, yet delicious, meal all in one dish. This rigatoni looks fancy AF, but comes out of a mug. Have frequent midnight cravings?

Why does my mug cake taste bitter? ›

If you purposely or accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder without making any changes to your recipe, you'll definitely end up with a bitter taste. Remember, baking soda is an alkaline, or base, ingredient that naturally has a bitter taste.

Why did my mug cake fail? ›

Don't overfill your mug with ingredients

So, if you fill it past two-thirds of the way full, you're more likely to have a messy overflow situation in the microwave. Overfilling might also affect how well the cake cooks through, as more batter means a longer bake time, which your recipe might not have accounted for.

Why is my cake not moist and fluffy? ›

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

How to bake a cake with a microwave? ›

Set your cake

Place the mug inside the microwave and set the cooking time to around 2 to 3 minutes. Start with 2 minutes, after which check the cake. To check if the cake is done, put a toothpick or a knife into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few wet crumbs, the cake is ready.

Can you bake with a coffee mug? ›

Cooking Mug Cakes

Coffee mugs are not just for drinking out of. Once you enter the world of mug cakes, dessert will never be the same, and your coffee cups can quickly become one of your favorite pieces of kitchenware.

How much does mug cake cost? ›

Costs: 950 rupees, Description: Cake will have kitkat crumbs and chocolate ganache toppings with chocolate sponge - 500g rich chocolate ganache with kitkat!

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