5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake and Delicious Variations

This is one of the most requested recipes on the internet, but the chocolate cake is just the beginning. I have made this cake as a ginger pudding and as a fruit sponge. I have added chocolate chips and peanut butter. There are so many delicious variations. Why stop with just one. There are plenty of ideas here, so please stop in, make a few of the recipe options and vote for your favourite. Will chocolate be the winner or is there another variation that will make the grade?

For those of you with your own creative ideas, please share them below.

And just in case you are worried about all the calories, there is a list of some of the surprising benefits of this recipe.

Enjoy

There are several variations but this is my favourite

Ingredients

4 Tbsp flour

2Tbsp cocoa (I like it very chocolatey so sometimes use more)

2Tbsp sugar

1 egg

3 Tbsp oil

3 Tbsp milk or water

1 tsp vanilla essence

a large mug

Add the ingredients to the mug in order, mixing well as you go and then cook for 3 minutes on high. (For 1000 watt oven)

Add a handful of chocolate chips if you have them. :-) Isn't that easy??

• Chocolate Chip - Add chocolate chips of course. Simple but delicious
• Vanilla - Replace the cocoa powder with custard powder. Check the timing and don't cook too long.
• Fruit Sponge - Place fruit in the bottom of the mug and mix in another container. Pour half the mixture over the fruit before cooking as usual. One recipe will make two mugs this way. To make it a vanilla fruit pudding leave out the cocoa and add custard powder. When cooking half the mixture this way, half the timing too. e.g. 1.5 minutes in 100W microwave.
• Very Lemon - Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Leave out the cocoa and vanilla and add extra flour. Check timing for your oven.
• Poppy Seed and Almond - Add almond essence and a teaspoon of poppy seeds. Leave out the cocoa and add a little extra flour. Watch the timing as it might need a little less time than the chocolate.
• Ginger Pudding - Add ground ginger and crystalised ginger chopped finely. Leave out the cocoa and add a little extra flour.
• Chocolate Cherry - Simply add chopped glace cherries, or add cherries and coconut
• Chocolate Peanut Butter - Add some small blobs of peanut butter before cooking. Or put a larger lump in the middle. Chunky peanut butter works best for this
• Surprise Cake - Add a small lump of something interesting to the centre before cooking. Try cream cheese, marmalade or jam. (This will be hotter than the cake so take care)

The five minute chocolate cake is delicious, easy and quick. The first time I saw the recipe, it came with all sorts of warnings about how addictive the cake can be, and how quickly we can add more calories to our day. While this is true, I find there are lots of benefits too;

1) It is a nice way to satisfy an urge that might otherwise be satisfied with a chocolate bar or a chocolate biscuit.

2) It can be made in less time than it takes to take a trip to the shops. (Saving petrol is good)

3) It is ideal for singles or families that eat at different times.

4) There are no leftovers and that reduces the possibility of continued eating. (Leftover cake just begs to be eaten)

5) It has no colorings, flavorings or preservatives unless you add them.

6) Because it is a microwave recipe it uses very little power.

If you are looking for a small gesture of thanks, a quick pick-me-up for a friend or a fun gift just to say "I am thinking of you", you might consider a gift in a mug.

For an instant Mug Cake, mix the dry ingredients and put in a zip lock bag. Add an egg with some padding to keep it safe and put both into a pretty mug. Add a label or tag explaining how much water and oil to add, the cooking instructions and your own message.

Cover with cellophane and tie with some colorful curling ribbon and you will have a winner.

You can make your chocolate cake special with cherries or chocolate chips or try one of the other delicious variations. you might even try a different food entirely. Many other foods make good mug gifts. As well as ready made sweets or treats, you could fill the mug with sachets of hot chocolate or their favorite drink.

For a sick friend you might send a soup in a cup gift. Don't limit yourself to the store bought kind. The Mug 'Ems series below has recipes for everything from soups, to breads, to meals and desserts and many of these recipes will also make great gifts.

Mug gifts are as fun to make as they are to receive.

This series of surprising books has recipes for everything from meals to soups to sweet desserts that can be made in minutes in a mug. There is even a book with Holiday recipes. Buy one or buy all four, for some fun and easy variations on easy microwave cooking in a cup. I bet you have friends who would love these recipes too. Why not buy another set as gifts? They would be prefect for singles, busy mums or teenagers looking for easy ways to make snacks.

If you have time watch the 5 minute ice cream recipe made by the same people. Cake and ice cream. How much better can it get? Yum