Chocolate Chip Mug Cake

Nothing beats a slice of cake, but this chocolate chip mug cake is a great alternative when you need a quick fix for your sweet tooth. Mug cakes are some of our favorite mini cake recipes because they come together in less than 15 minutes.

This chocolate chip cake in a mug is the ideal blend between a chocolate chip cookie and a vanilla cake. The chocolate chip mug cake recipe uses simple-to-find ingredients and couldn’t be easier to make. The ingredients are mixed in a coffee mug and cooked for less than three minutes. Once the microwave dings, it’s time to grab your spoon and dig in. Serve the mini mug cake with chocolate chips on its own, or top it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Chocolate Chip Mug Cake Ingredients

• Milk: Milk adds moisture to the mug cake batter. This chocolate chip mug cake recipe uses 2% milk, but you could swap in whole milk.
• Canola oil: Canola oil adds great moisture to this mug cake. You could use vegetable oil if you prefer.
• Egg yolk: You’ll need only the egg yolk for the cake batter. The yolk helps the cake rise while also making for a tender texture. (If you’re wondering what to do with egg whites, plenty of recipes can use the leftovers.)
• Vanilla extract: A small amount of vanilla extract is added to enhance the cake’s flavor.
• Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure for the chocolate chip cake in a mug.
• Brown sugar: Use either light or dark brown sugar to add flavor and balanced sweetness to the cake.
• Baking powder: Baking powder is the important leavening agent that will make this mug cake with chocolate chips rise.
• Salt: Salt helps cut sweetness for a balanced flavor.
• Chocolate chips: No chocolate chip mug cake is complete without pops of chocolate in every bite! This recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you could use milk or dark chocolate chips.

Directions

Step 1: Whisk the wet ingredients

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Spray a 16-ounce microwave-safe coffee mug with cooking spray.

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Combine the milk and oil in the mug. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients

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Add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Then, add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Step 3: Microwave the mug cake

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Place the mug in the microwave.

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Microwave on high until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Serve immediately (the mug will be hot).

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Chocolate Chip Mug Cake Variations

• Swap in another baking chip: Chocolate chips are classic, but you could try other flavored baking chips, such as butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips or mint chocolate chips.
• Add other mix-ins: This mug cake is easily customizable. To change it up, add 1 tablespoon sprinkles or crushed nuts.
• Use other extracts: Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of this chocolate chip mug cake recipe, but you can change the extract depending on the mix-ins used. Try peppermint extract with dark chocolate chips or almond extract with crushed nuts.
• Try different toppings: Treat the top of the mug cake as a blank canvas for toppings. Drizzle chocolate sauce or salted caramel sauce on top, or add fresh fruit.

How to Store Chocolate Chip Mug Cake

A chocolate chip cake in a mug is a quick-cooking dessert that should be eaten immediately for the best texture. If you have leftover mug cake, you can cover the mug with storage wrap or transfer the cake to an airtight container. It will become a little rubbery, but you can store it in the refrigerator for up to two days.

How do you reheat a mug cake?

You can reheat a mug cake by warming it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Add an additional five seconds as needed until it’s warmed through.

Chocolate Chip Mug Cake Tips

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Can you make chocolate chip mug cake without an egg?

Our chocolate chip mug cake recipe includes an egg yolk to make the cake rich and moist, but it’s not required. You can leave it out to make an egg-free mug cake.

How do you keep a mug cake from overbaking?

The key to making the perfect mug cake with chocolate chips is to check for doneness while the cake is in the microwave. To play it safe, cook the mug cake on high for two minutes, and then check to see if a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Add increments of time until it’s completely done.

Can you eat mug cakes cold?

Mug cakes are a shortcut dessert and a great alternative to a regular cake, but they won’t hold their texture as well as an actual cake. Mug cakes should be eaten immediately after they are cooked for the best taste and texture. The texture can become rubbery if a mug cake is placed in the fridge.