This is a super quick and easy recipe for one or two people. A comforting and decadent dessert, perfect for your next late-night Netflix binge, or you can turn It out into two bowls and pair it with a scoop of your favourite ice cream, and you’ve got your next date night by the fire sorted!
What you need
- A mug and spoon
- A microwave
- 1/3 cup of quality cooking chocolate
- 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter or oil
- 4 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or essence)
- A pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons of self-raising flour
What to do
Add the butter/oil and chocolate to your mug. You can use chocolate squares, chips or melts, and dark chocolate is preferable but you can use milk, white or even caramel chocolate as desired.
Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. If necessary, microwave for a further 30 seconds until chocolate and butter are melted. Stir until all components are melted and well-combined.
Add sugar, vanilla, and egg, to the chocolate mix. For a more caramelised flavour, you can use brown or even dark brown sugar, but caster or white sugar both work well too. Stir until well-combined.
Add your flour and salt to the wet ingredients and stir until well incorporated. You can use gluten-free flour, and if you don’t have any self-raising flour to hand, plain flour will suffice. The cake just won’t puff up as much.
Place mug back in the microwave. Microwave for 1 minute on high. If the cake is not set, you can microwave it again in increments of 30 seconds until the crumb texture resembles a moist cake. Do not cook your mug cake for too long though as it will overcook and become dry quickly. You want some parts of the mix to remain liquid, as this will form the sauce for your pudding.
Let the mug stand for a minute or so before you dig in. You can turn the pudding out into bowls and share it with a friend or family member, or just enjoy it all by yourself straight from the mug!
Dust with icing sugar, and add a scoop of your favourite ice cream to the mug or bowl if desired.
Recipe notes
This recipe is a quick and easy base recipe and is fabulous as is! Feel free to add extra elements or change the base flavour by removing the chocolate and adding peanut butter, Nutella, honey, maple or golden syrup or even a teaspoon or two of instant coffee or espresso coffee to the mix instead (or even with the chocolate). If you don't have chocolate squares, chips or melts, cocoa will work as well.
You can also add chopped nuts or extra unmelted chocolate chunks or chips, mini marshmallows, mini m&m's or even crushed-up biscuit pieces…. A pinch of chilli flakes pairs really well with dark chocolate, or even a teaspoon of nutmeg or cinnamon can also take this fudgy, decadent mug cake in a whole different direction! Really, you can use any flavour combination you feel like or have to hand in your pantry cupboard.
Experiment, or play it safe, but above all, enjoy!
