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!
Let's Bake
Nutella Chocolate Mug Cake For One
A Nutella Chocolate Mug Cake with gooey pockets of Nutella made in the microwave.
Ingredients
- 35 grams (1/4 cup) plain flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon Nutella, plus extra on top
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder. Stir together. Then add the egg yolk, vegetable oil and milk and stir to combine. Pour the cake batter into a cup or mug (ensuring there is enough room for the cake to rise without overflowing).
- Add the Nutella in the middle. Then microwave your cake for approximately 80 seconds (900W microwave). Leave to cool for a minute or two. Add a little extra Nutella on top and then dive right in.
Azra Gürleyen says
Can i leave the cocoa powder out?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Azra, if you’re looking for a vanilla mug cake, try this recipe.
YUMNA says
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NICEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
★★★★★
Anonymous says
Does it need a vanilla extract? I’m asking because I’m not sure how it’ll test without the vanilla.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
You can leave out the vanilla if you like.
Sim Kaur says
Thank you for brining this recipe into our lives 😂
This was so yummy!! My boyfriend didn’t want chocolate so I used the same recipe and took out the cocoa powder and also replaced the Nutella with Biscoff and he loved it! He was unsure about the texture of his as it was kind of fudgy so I did have to cook his AND mine in the microwave for more seconds (my total time ended up being 2 mins altogether – his longer). And I also added vanilla essence to mine and caramel essence to my boyfriend’s.
It definitely helps to sift all the dry ingredients into the mug to avoid lumps and make sure they’re evenly mixed. Also whisking the wet ingredients in properly.
Had mine with banana, light cream and melted Nutella drizzled on top. Boyfriend had his with banana, light cream, syrup and some cinnamon sprinkled on top.
Will definitely be making this again!!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sim, wow they both sound delicious! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Olivebaker says
This is amazing but instead of Nutella we used melted white chocolate and it was delicious and obviously 😋 is soooooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooooooodddd
Olivebaker says
It was amaz-balls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The white 🍫 was a bit hot though 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Olivebaker says
This has really cheered up my children baking these scrumptious mug cakes thank you for keeping us happy during lockdown. My children want to meet you and bake lots of things with you. But we ran out of Coco powder and we only go to the shops when their dad’s home from working then I can get some but is there a recipe without chocolate, Coco powder or if I’m making Victoria sponge mug cake or even vanilla mug cake if I don’t have the ingredients what recipe can I make with blueberry mug cake?
Please could you put a picture of other mug cakes than chocolate ones on your website so we can discover more baking in mug cakes.
Thank you for seeing my message if you did (take your time reading it)
From Olivebaker xx
PS: My little girl, Madeline and my big boy Oliver want to thank you with this recipe and stay safe!!
And I released this morning that I woke up and Madeline and Oliver said,”Mummy can you write to Jessica and tell her we love her with all our ❤️ hearts!!!
Your the best!!!!!!!
Jessica Holmes says
Aw thank you so much! I also have a choc chip mug cake you might like to try.
Jessica Holmes says
Aw love that!
Lewis says
I need some tips on how to do this because every time i do this mine ends up like really sponge and a little like a taste of scrambled egg , would love someone to tell me what I’m doing wrong as I would love to taste this dessert !
Jessica Holmes says
Hey Lewis, microwave cakes do have a more spongy texture simply because of how they are baked. But if it tastes eggy, you might not have mixed the egg through properly. Next time, make sure you the mixture is mixed well before baking.
Ella Worrall says
I just made this mug cake as it was recommended to me by a friend. It is wonderful, a delicious chocolatey treat!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Ella!
Michelle says
What a delicious, gooey, yummy chocolate nutella cake in a cup! So quick and easy to make too! I’ll be making this again for sure! Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So glad you liked it Michelle!
Kristen says
Just made this—so good and the perfect portion size!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked it Kristen!
Josh says
Love it!
★★★★★
Danielle says
This mug cake is calling my name! I love easy small batch desserts and the fact that it has Nutella is even better 😉
Jessica Holmes says
Thanks Danielle! Nutella makes everything better doesn’t it! 😉
Kristy says
This is totally every Nutella lover’s dream! My sister is a nutella maniac so I’m sending her the link to this now!
Jessica Holmes says
Aww thanks so much for sharing Kristy! I hope your sister loves it!
Karly says
Perfection. This is exactly what I need when those late night cravings hit. And the best part is, there won’t be leftovers to tempt me the next day… so really, I’m still being healthy(ish)? Right?
Jessica Holmes says
Right?! Totally my logic too! 😉