Gooey 5-Minute Gluten-Free Chocolate Mug Cake

yields: serving

prep time: 5

cook time: 2

total time: 7

This easy rich gluten-free chocolate mug cake takes just 5 minutes to make and tastes like the best chocolate cake you've ever had. With puddles of melted chocolate, grab a spoon and dig into this gooey deep chocolate dessert made with just a mug and a microwave!

5 from 1 review

Ingredients

3 tablespoons milk, dairy or non-dairy
1 large egg yolk
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2½ tablespoons (21 g) gluten-free oat flour
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon hot water
1-2 tablespoons bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, baking wafers, chopped baking bars, or chocolate chips
Optional for serving: Powdered sugar, whipped cream, and/or ice cream

INSTRUCTIONS

In a 12-ounce or larger mug, whisk together all the wet ingredients except for the hot water: milk, egg yolk, oil, and vanilla extract. For a cleaner appearance, you can whisk together the cake batter in a separate bowl and then pour it into the mug to cook, or for fewer dishes, whisk it directly in the mug.
Add the dry ingredients and whisk until completely smooth. Whisk in the hot water. If you mixed the batter up in a separate bowl, pour it into the mug. Fold in any mix-ins of your choice that you want to be dispersed throughout the batter: sprinkles, nuts, fruit, etc. For add-ins such as chopped chocolate, peanut butter, nutella, or edible cookie dough, dollop these on top without mixing.
Microwave on high. For each cake, start at 1 minute, then add 15 seconds at a time until fully baked. Microwave 1 - 2 minutes (on my microwave, it takes exactly 1 minute 45 seconds). Let cool 2-3 minutes and serve with your favorite toppings, such as whipped cream or ice cream, quick fruit compote, nuts, or fresh fruit!

Notes

Help! My mug cake is dry or chewy/rubbery?

If your mug cake turned out dry, chewy, or rubbery, the culprit is more than likely overcooking. Just 15 seconds can make a drastic difference, depending on the microwave. Start with less time on the clock, checking the cake for doneness, and adding more time in 15-second intervals as needed.

Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Mug Cake

To make this mug cake dairy-free, replace the milk with your favorite non-dairy milk, such as oat milk or almond milk, and use the oil variation!

Vegan Gluten-Free Mug Cake

I think a flax egg should work (sub out the egg for ½ tablespoon flax meal + 1.5 tablespoons water), but I haven't tried it! If you do, please leave a comment below!

Can you bake this mug cake?

I knew you'd ask this, so I tried it. And while technically it works, the texture is not ideal. This recipe is specifically designed to work with a microwave.

For a small oven-baked cake, bake ⅓ of this recipe in a 6-inch round cake pan: Gluten-free chocolate cake

Storing Mug Cakes

Don't do it. Mug cake is meant to satisfy your instant cravings. Due to the nature of microwaving the cake, it has an optimum shelf life of about 30 minutes, after which point, the texture changes drastically. I don't recommend microwaving the cake in advance. Rather, microwave it right when you want it!

If you absolutely can't finish your mug cake, store it at room temperature and reheat it for about 10-15 seconds in the microwave to bring back some life to the texture.