January 1, 2017

Nutella Chocolate Mug Cake For One

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I’m so excited to be back sharing the very first recipe for 2017.

And THIS Nutella Chocolate Mug Cake is the perfect way to celebrate a new year! Sometimes life just calls for chocolate cake and now you are just 80 seconds away from a chocolate cake ALL TO YOURSELF. Soft, tender chocolate cake, complete with gooey pockets of Nutella, that is made in the microwave. #bestideaever

I know many people make resolutions to eat healthier when a new year rolls around, but I’m more of a all-things-in-moderation girl. So I’m putting this sweet treat forward as the perfect solution to your chocolate cravings when you don’t want a whole frosted cake sitting in the house. It is the perfect dessert for one.

I made SO MANY mug cakes when I was testing this recipe. I was all mug-caked out but then I finally stumbled on this recipe and it made me jump for joy. I tried butter vs oil, cocoa powder vs real chocolate, chocolate chips, vanilla, eggs vs no eggs and all yielded different results. But to be honest, most of the cakes were either wet and soggy (no thanks) or dry and hard.

Finally, I had it close to where I wanted it to be when I remembered that egg yolks tend to add moisture to cakes, while egg whites can make cakes dry. So I tried it one last time with an egg yolk (rather than 1/2 a whole egg or no egg at all) and bingo! The soft and fluffy cake I wanted.

The last touch to make this mug cake one to remember, is a lovely large tablespoon of Nutella right in the middle. When it bakes, it seeps down and creates little Nutella pockets for extra flavour and moisture. #winning

The baking time for this mug cake will vary slightly according to the power of your microwave. Our apartment only has a 900 W microwave so this cake took approximately 80 seconds to bake but it might be slightly less/more depending on your microwave. I recommend having a quick peek after 60 seconds.

The chocolate cake batter should fill your cup or mug approximately halfway and it will rise as it bakes. It may also sink a little when it comes out straight out of the microwave but that’s ok. It will also be very hot so I recommending waiting a few minutes before you dive right in. Add a little extra Nutella on top – perhaps even a scoop of ice-cream – and then you have the perfect mini dessert.

See that jar of Nutella? (points up) My sister in law bought it for me for Christmas – does she know me well or WHAT? I considered not opening the jar because I loved it and wanted to keep it but obviously that resolution didn’t last long. Instead I felt inspired to kick off the year with a Nutella-themed treat since I had such an awesome supply.

How was your Christmas and New Years? We had a lovely time celebrating with family. It was also so nice to have some time at home to catch up with friends, go to the beach and just relax before the year kicks off again. I’m very excited for what 2017 will bring for Sweetest Menu so I hope you will continue on this sweet journey with me!