Chocolate Nutella {2-Minute} Mug Cake
This chocolate Nutella {2-Minute} mug cake is as easy as throwing ingredients in a mug, but the result is a moist chocolate cake that is sure to satisfy.
All too often, I find myself craving over-the-top desserts like this Double Chocolate Mousse Torte. Or this Unbelievable Chocolate Cake. Or this Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake.
Need I go on?
Of course these cravings occur on days I have no business entertaining even the thought of tackling such a dessert. Especially now when I have a list a mile long of projects-to-do-before-baby-comes. And I’m not talking fluffy hair bow projects. I’m talking, clean the ceiling fan projects that are so desperate to be done, the inches of dust are beckoning to me and haunting my dreams at night.
In fact, if I calculate correctly, I can complete one project every day and still not finish my to-do list before the baby arrives. And that’s counting on her being two weeks late. I’m having a major lazy pity party while in the back of my mind trying not to succumb to the reality that if I had just kept up on some of these leeetle housekeeping things, I wouldn’t be so overwhelmed now.
Ahem. I digress. My point is – sometimes I want something homemade and chocolatey and divine and decadent but I simply can’t justify the time and effort for a crazy wow-worthy dessert.
Enter this little mug cake. My sister, Em, sent the recipe to me. And I was skeptical. I mean, I just generally don’t mix microwave and baking. Things can get really weird. Fast. But this works. Really works!
A handful of simple ingredients are thrown together in a large mug and microwaved for less than 2 minutes. The result is a dense, moist chocolate cake that will satisfy any craving.
We’ve made this dozens of times since my sis sent me the recipe and my kids seriously think it is the coolest thing in the world that we can have cake on the table in less than 3 minutes. Actually, so do I.
And for those who also cringe at “baking” anything in the microwave – I promise, this is really delicious. BUT (there’s always a but), eat it immediately and err on the side of underbaking it a bit. The texture gets a little weird after sitting for a while. In our house, it doesn’t sit around long at all, if you know what I mean, but there you have the disclaimer anyway.
One Year Ago: Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
Two Years Ago: Hawaiian Haystacks: Chicken Sauce Reinvented
Three Years Ago: Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Chocolate Nutella {2-Minute} Mug Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon nutella
- Dash of vanilla and salt
Instructions
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a large cocoa or coffee mug until smooth.
- Microwave the cake on high until puffed, about 2 minutes, watching carefully as microwaves can vary in strength. If desired, drizzle chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce on top.
- Scoop cake onto a plate or in a bowl and serve immediately with a scoop of ice cream, if desired, but which I highly recommend.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: sent to me by my sister, Emily, as given to her by her friend, Suzanne N.
87 Comments on “Chocolate Nutella {2-Minute} Mug Cake”
This was my first mug cake. I’m surprised how easy it was to make. Good texture and very chocolaty. More calories than I should have eaten alone!
Just made this recipe and it is perfection, especially with some ice cream! I needed something sweet and mug cakes have been my go to! Thanks for this recipe!!
Someone may have already suggested this but, just in case, I think I’ll try this substituting Cookie Butter for Nutella. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
I never comment, sorry Mel! My family has enjoyed many of your recipes and this is again, a winner. It was great using regular all-purpose flour and in my household, this makes enough to serve 2. We cook it in the same bowl we mix it in for sheer laziness.
I did want to comment this time so people would know this also works gluten free! I used Erika’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour mix (https://alittleinsanity.com/all-purpose-gluten-free-flour-mix-recipe/), no affiliation, just a GF mix that has worked amazingly for me in many gluten recipes. I kept everything else the same except added 1/8tsp of baking powder since GF recipes sometimes need a little extra lift. My microwave is 1700 watts so this only took 1:20 in mine. It was puffed, so I pulled it out and stuck a toothpick in and it was already clean. Might try 10 seconds less next time, but we had it immediately with ice cream and it was fantastic. Thanks for all the recipes, Mel!
Thanks for the detailed review, Jen!
I have recently re-discovered this recipe, and I can’t help but wonder–“HOW COULD I FORGET THIS???????” It’s so yummy, and so easy!!!!! It literally only takes me about 5 minutes to whip it together, and then I cook it for about 1:45 minutes in the microwave. If I don’t have nutella or creamy peanut butter, I just leave them out, and it’s still amazing! Yum!!!!!
This was great for a dessert ready in three minutes! Of course it’s in a different playing field than The Best Chocolate Cake but it was terrific for a quick sweet fix.
I did notice that my mini wire whisk got overwhelmed quickly with the thick mixture so I switched to a fork and that seemed to navigate easier in the cup & was easier to clean off.
I subbed peanut butter for the Nutella & used peanut butter/milk chocolate chips and then served it with vanilla ice cream–yum! As Mel says, make sure to eat it promptly since it dries out quickly (like within 5-10 minutes) so dig right in, making sure to pair it with ice cream and/or caramel/ganache/chocolate syrup.
Ha, my 9 year old was wondering what I was making and she’s like, “A cake in a mug? Who’s idea was that?” I responded with, “It’s a recipe from Mel.” And she’s like, “Oh, okay. It will be good, then.” Mel’s reputation is so well known in our house!
Haha. Well, clearly I really like your 9-year old. 🙂
Lol!
She saw pictures of your kids on a Friday thoughts post and said, “If we all go to BYU, we can be friends!”
Mel I made it today and I loved it! Thanks!!!
Oh my goodness! I was craving chocolate cake last night and didn’t want to drive 30 minutes to the nearest restaurant to get dessert… so I looked up this recipe. It did not disappoint! It was so rich, it really hit the spot. It was so rich, I couldn’t even finish it. So I covered it and put it in the fridge. I just had it for an after church snack and it was delicious! It became a rich, decadent brownie. Now I’m in trouble because I can make a personal chocolate cake whenever I want!
Would this work gluten-free? This looks AMAZING but I have celiac…
Certainly worth a try!
I am 100% capable of eating an entire one of these mug cakes unassisted. I was feeling semi guilty, and wanted to try for a slimmer version. So tonight I made this using nonfat plain yogurt for the oil and egg substitute for the egg, and the taste is STILL amazing. I think the yogurt made it even creamier, more like a pudding cake. Wow.
Mel… I have made these so many times during my pregnancy. I don’t know whether to bless you or curse you. It doesn’t help that the basic ingredients are (in tablespoons) 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 egg, so I don’t even need to look up the recipe any time I have a hankering for something delicious. Mmmm.
Could I substitute melted unsalted butter or melted shortening for the oil? I don’t have any oil on hand. Would it be less moist or good??
Viktoriya – Definitely worth a try!
Mel, love love all your recipes! Just whipped this one up with six scoops of ice cream, some hot fudge, and six spoons for the family. Smiles across the board. 3 minutes for chocolate cake? That is what I’m talking about girl!!
Don’t forget the egg. . .it doesn’t work! It overflowed in the mug and never set. My second try with the egg was much better. Delicious.
Dessert. Something french, tasty, and not available in the U.S. 🙂
just made this n it has totally satisfied my chocolate dessert craving fr d night! its way past midnight, infact almost dawn! i had a bad night putting my baby to sleep. and this has solved all of my problems!!! m gonna make this more often!
PS: must eat it hot! d cooler it gets, 🙁
Unlike other reviewers, I didn’t like this recipe so much. It tasted more like a chocolate cake, and I could barely taste the nutella. Even for a sugar-lover, 5 tablespoons of sugar were too much.
I made a few adjustments to this recipe but it was still delicious. I subbed applesauce for the oil and an egg white + a bit of water for the egg. I also used only 3 T of sugar, rather than 5 and it was plenty sweet. Great recipe!
Yum! This looks superb and so easy!
Perfect for a movie night in 😉
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! I love Chocolate cake! I immediately made two giant mugs of this when I read your post. It was our dessert after we had a dinner of your sweet and sour chicken (big hit!) It was a huge mug so I let my 2 older kids share it. Big mistake because as soon as they finished it, they were asking for one more. I should have just made separate mugs for them.=) My son is constantly asking when I could make this chocolate cake again. I love how convenient that I’ll have chocolate cake in a matter of minutes without all the fussy preparations. Thank you Melanie! =)
these mug recipes are usually WAY too much cake for me so i decided to halve this recipe with my husband. i was glad i did because neither of us were really able to finish even the half recipe. don’t get me wrong, it was DELICIOUS. but so so rich. i think next time i’ll eliminiate the chocolate chips and use less sugar.
I just made this and it was AMAZING! I didn’t have cocoa, but I did have a packet of pre-melted semi-sweet chocolate I use for baking, and the cake still worked just fine. VERY rich, so I recommend sharing with someone. 🙂
This is great. I didn’t want the extra fat from the oil, so I used 3Tbsp of applesauce instead. It turned out well, definitely worth the substitution.
Eating this divine concoction as I type this review. Couldn’t wait to post. This is the third time this month that I’ve been pretty convinced you live in my head because the recipes you post are EXACTLY what I’m looking for! Couldn’t be easier to put together and the result is lethal. I agree with the previous reviews that one mug is enough for two people…would make an easy date night dessert 🙂
Oh. Wow. My kids and I are already in love with this. I LOVE to bake and I was a little skeptical, too. However, this is fantastic. It tastes awesome!!! I’ve been buying the Betty Crocker Warm Delights. No more! I love that I can make a mug of cake and share it with my kids. It’s instant chocolate satisfaction without the guilt of eating an entire pan of brownies. Ahem… Who does that anway?!! 😉 Awesome recipe. Thank you!!!! Just don’t make five mug cakes in a row; if you know what I mean. 😉
I just made this…oh dear. You have come up with a dangerously easy and delicious recipe! What a great treat after a long day!
i love all of the cakes in mug recipes that are perfect for college!! yumm
We needed a quick chocolate fix this afternoon – this little gem did the trick!! I made mine with peanut butter & my husband’s with nutella intending for us to swap a few bites. Ha! Not happening! We each held onto ours with a death grip while we all but licked our mugs clean.
I have to try this! How great that it’s such a small quantity. I like cake, but one piece and I’m good – for quite awhile, so it tends to sit around getting stale after that first piece. No chance of that happening with this!
Mel – Nutella is actually Italian. There’s a whole Nutella Facebook page in Italian. I don’t understand much but all of their recipes look delicious AS DOES THIS! I cannot wait to try it! Also can’t wait to hear all about your baby girl once she gets here!
Stephanie – nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread with German origins, I believe. Anyway, it is widely available in most any well-stocked grocery store but if you don’t have it, I think the super chunky peanut butter would be just fine and add great texture. This seems to be a pretty adaptable recipe.
I don’t have nutella, in fact I’ve never bought nutella in my life. What is nutella? And, the only peanut butter I have on hand is the super chunky kind. Do you think that would work? I’m dying to try this!!! I think it would be an excellent after school treat for my kiddos.
Ben and I whipped this up last night–delicious!! And I could really go for one right now…darn you! 🙂
I was skeptical of this one– baking in the microwave? But last night when the husband had meetings and the kids and I did an easy supper, I started thinking it might be fun to whip this up with them for dessert. Five minutes later, the three of us all shared it with a scoop of frozen yogurt and it was delicious. I think the chocolate chips make it. It may be a dangerous thing to have chocolate cake this readily available . . .
You just inspired me to not only make this cake, which by the way was delicious and easy peasy, but also to clean my ceiling fan blades. Done! and Done! Why do we torture ourselves staring at the disgusting pile of dust for weeks, months, maybe years when it only takes 10 minutes to clean? I now feel much better. Thanks!
I had this picture in my head of everyone looking at your new recipe pics and making the Homer Simpson drooly noises. 🙂 Great recipe as usual!
I recently bought an attachment for my Bosch mixer – I’ve named “her” Helga – and I think that you need to buy one for yourself . Your unborn child would want you to have one. 🙂 It’s a Bowl Scraper for Universal Plus Bosch and I found the best price ($15.00) on Amazon.
Happy baking!
I can’t wait to try this! My baby cravings say, “Thank you!”
excellent–a little bit of magic contained in a mug. 🙂
I just tried my first mug cake last month- and it wasn’t great. I KNOW your recipes are great so I’m SOOOO looking forward to doing this! Thank you!
We made these last night, 2 in mug and 1 in a bowl. Using the bowl was easier and it didn’t rise too much so it was fine. Very cool idea because I always have nutella around and can always use an easy dessert to quite my villagers!
made these with my acheivement girls tonight. it was a hit! they loved it and it was the perfect easy snack for them. they were so excited to go home and make them for their families. thanks mel!
Oops! I shouldn’t have made this! It was TOO good, now how am I going to stop?
Just made this for my daughter. I substituted peanut butter for the nutella as she is allergic to hazelnuts. So wonderful!!! She has a big history test to study for tonite and this really made her happy. It is so very yummy. Will definitely be making again soon. My hubby and I are sharing the other half. Thank you!
So, I made a mug cake that almost wasn’t this mug cake at all (cooked in a bowl, no less), because I lacked key ingredients. I did use the basic idea, and it was delicious! But they really are much better under baked than even a little over baked. Fun fact: I threw a pulled-apart caramel square on top, and it definitely didn’t do what I expected. It sort of sank to the bottom and make a really delicious chewy base. Mm.
I’m so proud!!! I gave the recipe to your sister…now I know she really did like it!! Yay!! I made your blog!!! (which I LOVE by the way!) This naughty little mug cake has rocked my world! It has become a quick fix for all! I substitute applesauce for the oil and almost cut the calories in half. We love it…you will too! Don’t be afraid!!! Just don’t overcook it!!! 🙂
Congradulations on the baby,
Quick question, ( I didnt see it asked in previous commens but if I missed it I apologize) I dont have a microwave, have you ever done this recipe with a convection oven? It looks tasty
Hi Marijke – I have never used a convection oven for this so I’m afraid I don’t know conversions to the recipe but if you try it with good results, let me know!
Make a nutella frosting!! 🙂
This was definitely tasty. Much better than the mug cake recipe I have been using, which is rather spongy but good enough for an emergency craving. This cake turned out pleasantly cakey! I’m curious about the type of cocoa powder you use. Do you have a preference? The only minor complaint I had was that the flavor of the Nutella didn’t really shine through for me. Any thoughts on that?
Good luck with your to-do list. It has got to be hard with four kids to look after. I’m sure you’re doing better than you think.
Vicky – I usually use Ghirardelli or Hershey’s cocoa. I’m not much of snob about baking cocoa, I have to confess. I think adding a dollop of nutella to the top of the warm mug cake would do wonders to helping the nutella flavor shine!
I have tried a similar mug recipe but I used half nutella and half bischoff spread. You know, the bischoff cookies like the ones they give you on Delta flights? They now have that in a spread that is similar to nutella texture. Absolutely amazing!!!
I just made this (like, I’m still eating it). One recipe goes a LONG way, which is saying a lot for this chocolate cake lover. I would make 1 mug to split between two people. Plus, it’s very rich, ice cream would have been nice to help cut the decadence of the chocolate. I’ll have to get some vanilla ice cream next time.
It was certainly very quick and easy to make, thanks!
I am adding this to my ziplist right now, which keeps gettting longer! I tried microwaving brownies in the microwave one time and they were hard and gross and I said it can’t be done. But this looks possible and yummy and fun. My boys would love it too! And I think I’ll try the subbing applesauce variation since I need chocolate but I don’t need fat!
It’s funny you posted this today, as I just found a couple of recipes for mug cakes that I have been wanting to try. Yours has a few more ingredients than the ones I’ve seen, so now I will have to try them all:)
The mind-meld continues! I just made a mug cake for the first time last week. The recipe I used was a little different but basically the same (no nutella, though). What I wanted to share with you and your readers is that the second time I made it, I halved it and used applesauce in place of the oil. (Can you see I’m trying to justify this treat on a regular basis?! 🙂 It was still delicious so feel free to play around with it. Thanks, as always, for your wonderful recipes and inspiration. Menu planning would be much less fun w/o you!
Dear your sister Emily,
Thank you. This looks AH-MAY-ZING!!!!!!!!! And perfect for my cravings. My taste buds will thank you my waistline will not!
-Mame
First, I could eat Nutella straight from the jar and I love chocolate cake, so this looks so yummy! Second, I hate microwaves, so I’m glad you added the disclaimer. 😉
Third, I found your blog through a link on Bold Turquoise’s blog post about menu planning. You have tons of yummy recipes that I will be trying. Thank you! This is exactly what I have been looking for since I have really been struggling with feeding my family lately. I think I’ve pinned at least ten of your recipes so far on my Pinterest. I’m so excited to try all these.
So excited to try this. I have chocalate cravings all the time and this just might do the trick!
This looks amazing! I’m a new mom so this will be wonderful when I only have a few minutes to make something sweet. Thank you!
Andrea – we’ve made this recipe a million times (ok, not that many but it feels like it) and with all my kids’ hands in the mix, it definitely doesn’t get made the exact same way every time, which basically means it seems to be a very adaptable recipe – so yes, I’d say go ahead and sub in the hot fudge sauce (or use another type of “butter” like soy butter or sun butter) and give it a try! The real key is just not to over”bake” it. Good luck!
What an amazingly fast substitute for your awesome decadent chocolate dishes 😀
Definitely need a recipe like this to whip up!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: Marbled Muffintopcookiecake Hybrid
This looks divine!! Do you think I could substitute hot fudge sauce for the nutella? My daughter is allergic to nuts and so nutella is a no no. I would hate to make this for the rest of us and have her miss out. Thank you.
I’ve always wanted to make a mug cake. I bet this was delicious!
Congrats Mel on your baby girl arriving in April! I’m sorry to admit that I have been living in a haze for the last few months (because I will be having a baby any day now), and didn’t even realize you were expecting. I too am worried I won’t get to a few things that I still have remaining on my list.
I am excited to try this recipe, though it seems a bit dangerous that it’s so easy to make and will give me chocolate cake whenever I crave it!
Thanks again for all the great recipes!
Brilliant!
I really need to try out one of these mug cakes-this one with nutella looks awesome!
I just discovered mug cakes and they are DANGEROUS. Love this recipe!!
My kids are going to LOVE this! I can already picture them taking this recipe with them for their away-at-college arsenal. My oldest is only 13 but I want them to be aware that they’ll have to sustain themselves somehow.
My plan is to teach your 4 meatball recipes to them so they can impress future friends and boyfriends. Teriyaki, pineapple, sweet and sour, and your favorite…with cream sauce.
Wink. Oh and, thanks to your sister Emily!
Yep, it’s a girl! (Or say they say…I’ll believe it when I see it!)
HOW did I not realize you were pregnant?!
and this sounds YUMMY!!!
You are an evil genuis! Can’t wait to try both variations!! 🙂
The BEST present I received when I had my twins was a cleaning service for three months – one month before and two months after birth. It was awesome.
Thats what I was wondering…girl? 🙂
Oh, YES! This looks amazing, Mel. Great recipe and really droolworthy results… Gotta try this!
Number 5? You are a very brave woman! Does talk of hairbows mean it’s a little girl? I just love your website and you gave me the courage to jump off the high dive and start making all the bread needs for our family…of 3. Just this weekend my chinese daughter was rolling out some perfect flour tortillas, and the hubs was suggesting ingredients to add to the focaccia dough. I love the way it has brought all of us in the kitchen together!
What are you waiting for? Call a maid and get started on those fluffy hair bows!
Yeah, the more pregnant I get, the less able I am to get stuff like that done at all. It’s just too hard and too painful to move around.
Of course, the day I gave birth to my third, I cleaned ALL day long, almost without stop. I should have noticed I’d suddenly gone manic and figured out something was up.
This sounds like so much fun. My kids are on winter break this week and I’m thinking this will be a hit if things get really out of control. Anyway, Mel my advice to you on the whole baby to do list is to just hire a maid for a one-time deep cleaning. Being pregnant is not easy in the first place and it’s even harder when you have other children and an awesome food blog to keep up on. Or just enlist the help of your VT. That’s why we have them.
I have a few Nutella-loving friends who will be so happy when I forward this to them. Looks yummy!
Might just have to have dessert after breakfast this morning! Thanks.
You just made me nutella addicition way worse……
Mel- don’t worry about the dust on the fans and all of that other cleaning stuff. I promise you the baby won’t notice it or care one bit if you haven’t gotten to it! I totally understand the need to “nest” before the baby comes, but given the fact that you have four young boys to care for, I think you deserve a pass when it comes to the dust bunnies! 🙂
This chocolate mug cake looks so easy and delicious! I have to confess that I have never baked anything in the microwave. I won’t be afraid to make this, though, because if you love it I know I will love it, too!