If you ever have that insistent hankering for a sweet “baked” treat but you do not have much time to spare, then mug cakes are the way to go. They are ridiculously simple to throw together, they can be ready within minutes, and there are minimal dishes to clean afterwards! Breakfast, snack, dessert, study sustenance (would definitely recommend), you name it! Keep reading to potentially find your new go-to mug cake recipe that you can always rely on...
The Moistest Chocolate Mug Cake
Total Time: 2 Minutes!
PHOTO BY KAYA LONG
Review
This cake is the bomb.com! It is ultra moist without being weirdly spongy and it has the perfect amount of that indulgent chocolate flavor without being too rich. I was a little worried that it might be dense because it didn’t rise nearly as much as the recipe made me think it would (I used a 8-ounce mug, while the author used a 14-ounce mug.) However, the texture was outstanding, no batter spilled over, and it turned out to be an ideal serving size.
PHOTO BY KAYA LONG
Notes & Suggestions
Cooking Time - The recipe said that the cooking time varied from 70-90 seconds, as all microwaves are different. For me 85 seconds yielded the perfect amount of doneness, so I would suggest checking the cake after 70 seconds and cooking it in 5-10 second intervals to check it after that. Keep in mind that the mug cake does inevitably continue to bake a bit after it comes out of the microwave.
Center Topping - Instead of the suggested mini chocolate chips or hazelnut spread, I just used what I had: dark chocolate covered almonds. This turned out to be an excellent choice! The dark chocolate did not significantly impact the flavor or make it gratuitously sweet and the almonds were just the crunch the cake needed to have that textural diversity.
Oil - Using coconut oil like I did works just fine! I don’t usually bake with vegetable oil, but I would think that it might give the cake a weird flavor and/or after taste. However, I have yet to test this theory and it is what the recipe calls for, so I am sure that it would work out just fine.
Summary
SPOILER ALERT: This recipe is by far my favorite of the three so if you do not have a strong preference for one of these three flavors, I would definitely recommend that you try this one. It checked all the boxes.
Flavor
Texture
Simplicity
Overall I would rate this recipe a 9.5/10!
Try this recipe: https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/the-moistest-chocolate-mug-cake/
Simple Vanilla Mug Cake
Total Time: 5 Minutes!
PHOTO BY KAYA LONG
Review
It’s not bad, but if I am being honest, it is the epitome of one note. When I first tasted it I was very underwhelmed. The cake had a good texture, but it just tasted sweet. I mean it had a good sweetness level, I’ll give it that, but it had absolutely no flavor. I couldn’t even taste the vanilla. However, I also just generally despise bland food, so naturally I am probably not the best candidate to review a vanilla-flavored dessert.
PHOTO BY KAYA LONG
Notes & Suggestions
Cooking Time - Similarly to the previous recipe, the cooking time varied from 70-90 seconds. However, this recipe included the extra step of leaving the mug cake in the microwave for a minute after it is done baking. Therefore, I just microwaved it for 70 seconds and set the timer for 1 minute when it was done cooking, and it came out perfectly cooked.
Butter - Instead of the 2 tbsp of butter, I elected to use a dairy free alternative of coconut oil and it still came out great.
Toppings - Now that I am thinking about it, this cake has the potential to be 10x better if it is served with some sort of delectable topping packed with intense flavor like a strawberry coulis or something along those lines.
Summary
It is a good mug cake, but not if you are looking for flavor. Who knows? Maybe vanilla fans would appreciate this recipe, but I would rate this recipe a 5/10 because it just left me wanting more and I just didn’t feel compelled to take another bite.
Try this recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/vanilla-mug-cake/
Easy Peanut Butter Mug Cake
Total Time: 3 minutes!
PHOTO BY KAYA LONG
Review
Initially the batter had me a little concerned because of how thick it was going into the microwave. However, nonetheless the cake itself turned out pretty decently. The texture was good, and the peanut butter flavor was prominent and desirable. But I got to say that the best part of the process, more so than eating it at the end, was definitely the confronting aroma of Reese’s Pieces lingering just above the uncooked batter.
Since I am personally not a fan of peanut butter-flavored desserts (please don’t come at me), it was only fair that I had my sister taste test this one. She seemed to enjoy it and she said that it is not too sweet and it “Melts in your mouth.”
PHOTO BY KAYA LONG
Notes & Suggestions
Dietary Restrictions - This recipe conveniently includes a gluten-free option by confirming in the ingredient list that you can simply substitute the 2 tbsp of regular all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour of your choice. I used the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, which surprisingly works really well in a lot of recipes meant for regular flour.
Toppings - I did not elect to top the mug cake with the recipe’s suggested chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, as I personally find that combination too rich (and not to mention I didn’t have any of those toppings), but if this is a flavor combination that you enjoy then you should try it out!
Sweetness - The recipe calls for maple syrup, but also says that you can use other modes of sweetness like “granulated sugar, brown sugar, or honey.” I chose granulated sugar for continuity reasons :)
Summary
This is a great treat for all the peanut butter lovers out there. With that said, I would PERSONALLY rate this recipe a 6/10, but as I already prefaced, I am biased on this one.
Try this recipe: https://www.kitchentreaty.com/easy-vegan-peanut-butter-mug-cake/
Note: All these recipes are egg free!
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