My favourite mug cake recipe!

Sometimes life just calls for dessert! You know when it’s late, the house is quiet and your sweet tooth decides say we must eat cake now! You don’t want to make a whole cake but you are craving something warm, gooey and just a little indulgent. This is where the mug cake comes in. It only takes about 5 minutes to make and I have a favourite recipe which I want to share!

Mug cakes are the ultimate cheat’s dessert. They are quick, fuss free and best of all require minimal washing up. You mix everything straight in a mug, microwave it for a minute or two and voila you have a personal portion of cake ready to go. No mixers and no multiple bowls. The beauty of mug cakes is that you can stick with a classic chocolate, go for vanilla or get a little adventurous with peanut butter, caramel, berries or even a hint of coffee because it’s a single serving you can experiment without feeling guilty about wasting ingredients.

Here’s my go to recipe. It’s rich, chocolatey and comes together in no time. Perfect for when a sugar craving hits and patience isn’t an option!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons plain flour.

4 tablespoons sugar.

2 tablespoons cocoa powder.

3 tablespoons milk.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Method:

Mix the dry ingredients: the flour, sugar and cocoa powder in a microwave safe mug.

Add the wet ingredients, stir in the milk and oil until smooth. The batter should be thick but pourable. At this stage, if you’re feeling naughty drop in a few chocolate chips or a spoon of peanut butter!

Microwave on high for 70 to 90 seconds. Start with 70 and check. Keep a close eye! Every microwave is different, and you want it moist and soft, not rubbery. The cake will rise above the mug and look like a little chocolate volcano.

Let it cool for a minute, then eat straight from the mug!

Optional extras - Dust with icing sugar, drizzle with chocolate sauce or plop a scoop of ice cream on top.

I’ve tried dozens of mug cake recipes, some disastrous some OK and a few amazing but this one hits the spot. The cocoa powder and sugar ratio is just right, the oil keeps it moist. The best tip I can give you is to use a big mug! If it's too small it will spill over and you don't want to spend the evening cleaning the microwave!

So next time you need a dessert fix and don’t want to bake a whole cake grab your mug, whisk up my favourite chocolate recipe and microwave your way to happiness.

Do you ever make yourself a mug cake?