If you’re in the mood for a quick treat, this flourless chocolate mug cake should do the trick. You only need 4 ingredients to make it, and it’s ready to eat in less than 10 minutes! This single-serving microwave cake is rich and decadent like a classic flourless chocolate cake.
After taking a month’s hiatus from baking desserts, this weekend I went a little crazy. I baked dozens of cookies, fried beignets, and microwaved half a dozen versions of flourless chocolate mug cakes.
It was fun to have the house smelling like chocolate again, but now I have way too many sweets lying around, making it far too easy to grab a cookie whenever I pass by the kitchen. I really need better self-control.
Flourless Chocolate Cake in the Microwave
Even though I’ve written a mug cakes cookbook, I still have lots of ideas for easy mug cakes. I love flourless chocolate cake, but I don’t always want to make a whole one. That’s where this microwave chocolate mug cake comes in – it’s so fast and easy. Plus, it has the best texture just like a flourless cake.
Ingredients
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Heavy cream
- Dutch-process cocoa powder
- Large egg
How to Make It
How to Make ItYou will need a large microwave-safe mug for this recipe. I recommend using a 12-ounce one.
Place the chocolate chips and cream in the mug and warm them in the microwave for about 40 seconds. Whisk until the chocolate is melted.
Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk really well to incorporate the egg fully. Once the batter is well combined and smooth, microwave the cake for about 1 minute.
While the mug cake cooks, it will rise very high – possibly taller than the mug. As long as you use a large mug, it will be fine.
Once it’s done, it will sink back down. You know when it’s done cooking when the cake is set but still moist around the edges. Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes before eating it.
You can enjoy it straight from the mug or transfer it to a plate or small bowl for serving.
Toppings and Garnishes
This cake is not overly sweet, so you might want to add a topping if you prefer a sweeter cake.
- A drizzle of chocolate syrup or salted caramel sauce.
- A small scoop of ice cream.
- A spoonful of whipped cream.
- Dust the top with powdered sugar.
- Fresh fruit – I love this cake with fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries.
- You can also decorate this mug cake with frosting or ganache.
Tips for the Best Flourless Chocolate Mug Cake
Microwave: I use a 1000-watt microwave, so if your microwave is different you will need to adjust the cooking time.
Mug size: Be sure to use a large mug. For the photos in this post, I cooked the cake in a large mug and then cut it in half and placed them in small mugs. If you don’t use a large mug, the cake will spill over the edges and make a mess in your microwave.
Mixing: A small whisk works best to mix the batter instead of using a spoon to stir. You need to whisk vigorously to ensure the egg is fully mixed in. If it’s not, the texture of your cake will be rubbery instead of fudgy.
Cooling time: It’s tempting to eat this cake warm, but it really does taste better once it’s cooled. If you eat it hot, it will have an eggy flavor. Allowing it to cool gives time for the chocolate flavor to develop and it will also have a better texture.
Chocolate: I like less sweet desserts with a rich chocolate flavor. You can sweeten this cake more by using milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet ones. Or, add a sweet topping.
Doubling the recipe: If you want to make more than one mug cake, make them separately and cook them separately. If you cook more than one at a time, the cakes will take longer and will not cook evenly.
This flourless chocolate mug cake is the perfect little treat to make if you don’t have the energy or time to bake a whole cake.
Here is a video I made for a related mug cake, 3 Ingredient Flourless Nutella Mug Cake!
More Chocolate Mug Cake Recipes
- Keto Chocolate Mug Cake
- Eggless Chocolate Mug Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Mug Cake
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Mug Cake with Peanut Butter
- Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake
4 Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tbsp dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe mug (at least 12 oz), add chocolate chips and heavy cream. Heat for about 40 seconds in the microwave and then whisk until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add in remaining ingredients and whisk vigorously so that you do break down the egg. Whisk until the egg is fully incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- Microwave cake for about 1 minute. Cake will rise extremely high while in the microwave, probably passing the top of the mug, and will the sink back down once the cooking has stopped. Cake should be solid and completely cooked but slightly wet around the edges. Rest the cake for about 20 minutes so that the flavors fully develop.
- You can remove cake and place it into a smaller cup or bowl as the cake will continue to shrink and condense as it cools. Top with powdered sugar and fresh fruit before serving.
Notes
- This cake cannot be cooked in a small mug even though the final result will be smaller than a regular sized mug. When it cooks it will rise extremely high so you must make it in an oversized mug otherwise it will spill and make a mess in your microwave. Once it's cooked the cake will shrink. For a pretty presentation, you can transfer the cake to a smaller mug or bowl. For the photos in the post, I actually cut them in half and stuffed each half into small cups.
- Make sure you give the cake some time to rest so the flavors fully develop. After it cooks the chocolate flavor will not yet be as rich, and it might taste slightly eggy, but that goes away after you give it some time to cool.
- I prefer my chocolate desserts less sweet and with a deep chocolate flavor. If you like sweeter desserts, you can always add a little sugar to the batter or top the cake with frosting or a glaze before serving.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Hi. I just made this and it was really yummy. However, mine didn’t rise like you said it would. I was unsure how the rising might happen due to the fact that there is no baking soda or power in it. Mine barely Rose bigger than the actual Rob mixture. I did everything exactly as The recipe dictated. What might have happened?
the cake is able to rise with the egg. When you say the cake didn’t rise, did you watch it as it cooked in the microwave? The rise happens during cooking. By the time it is finished cooking, it will have sunk back down again so you would not see it rise if you were not watching it while it cooked. If your cake didn’t rise while cooking then it may be that you didn’t cook long enough
I have no idea what I did wrong but mine came out as this strange gelatinous dense mass that was almost like thick chocolate jello :/
It sounds like you may not have mixed all the ingredients completely. The egg needs to be fully mixed and beaten in with the other ingredients for the recipe to work.
Hey!
I‘d love to try this recipe, but I have a question: How much electric power (watts) do you use baking the cake in the microwave?
Thanks a lot for your answer! 🙂
I use a 1000 watt microwave
Hi. I tried this recipe at home and followed all the instructions EXACTLY… But when I ate it it was extremely heavy and thick and you could see the thickness when you looked at it. Why did it not work???
I’m not sure exactly what you mean by heavy and thick. It is a flourless cake so it is supposed to be dense like a typical flourless chocolate cake. One other thing, did you make sure to use heavy cream? It cannot be substituted with regular milk or lighter half & half.
Aloha. I do not have chocolate chips but I do have semi-sweet baking chocolate. Is there any way to substitute with that….and if so what is the gram weight (I do have scales for this) of the chocolate bar to equal 1/4 cup of chips. I could get addicted to these. I also have some white chocolate bars semi sweet that may be a substitute if necessary. Thank you Anne
Yes you can substitute with a chocolate bar but I do not have the gram weight. I’m sure if you look it up on the internet, there should be some baking conversion site that might provide you with the information. I don’t recommend white chocolate as it does not work the same.
Can you split the recipe into two mugs? Can you microwave two at a time?
this cake is already quite small so I’m not sure you want to split it. But if you do, please microwave separately. When you microwave more than one at a time, they do not cook evenly
Sorry for silly question, but could we bake the mug cakes in a convection microwave?
sorry, I haven’t tried
Hi, could I substitute dessert cream for heavy cream? Thanks for your delicious easy recipes.
I’m not familiar with dessert cream, so unfortunately I don’t know the answer to that. Heavy cream has between 36-40% milk fat, so if dessert cream is similar, then it should work.
Ok, so I almost never leave reviews for recipes but this is one of the best tasting things I have EVER made in a microwave. I made this with my 7yo, that’s how easy it was to mix up. We followed the directions and didn’t substitute anything and this recipe is GREAT as is. While it was microwaving I was a little worried because it didn’t poof up the way the recipe described it would and the top was glossy when it came out. I poked it to test for done ness and it was firm so I set the timer for 15 minutes to cool down until we could eat them. They are still slightly warm and go amazingly well with a glass of cold milk. I will use this recipe again and again.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. Your comment made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed it =) =) =)
It tastes like a scrambled egg????
It was so bad I was gagging
I really love egg but this was the worst thing I have ever tasted
It’s not a mug cake it is scrambled eggs ????
it sounds like you didn’t completely mix the ingredients. You have to mix to the point where the egg is fully incorporated, just like any other cake batter.
Just made this exactly as recipe reads except we decided to put marshmallows on top instead of powdered sugar. LOVE it! Super simple and super delicious! Thank you.
yay!! so glad you love it! thanks for taking the time to leave a comment =) =)
Oh my! so sorry I didn’t see the last comment on coconut milk until now :S. sorry!
Hi there! Would coconut milk work as a substitute for the heavy cream?
Omg, this looks delicious! I know you’ve suggested vegetable oil as a dairy substitute, but do you think coconut milk (full fat) could possibly work as well? I ask because, well, the only oil I have is chipotle avocado oil but I do have lots of cans of coconut milk!
I haven’t tried, but I’m thinking the coconut milk won’t work the same. I’ve made mug cakes with coconut milk before and it’s always tricky working with it because it seems to throw of the texture of my cakes.
I used cold coconut milk from the Can and it worked just fine. My son loved it. I did add two teaspoons of coconut sugar.
Hi Kirbie,
Is there anyway to alter the ‘baking’ process such that I don’t use a microwave? 🙂
Thanks a lot!
unfortunately no. you can try one of my full size cakes meant for the oven
This turned out great. I did not use a mug, but something called Stonewave I found at the dollarstore. I is wider and lower than a mug more like a ramekin and has a lid.
i’m glad you enjoyed it!
it’s almost like a chocolate soufflé. Missing a little something something.
ice cream?
I wonder s could also be baked in the oven. sure it could but has anyone tried it?
hey ! i made it , i mean the cake and it was great , it was moist ,dense ,sweet
and i served it with cream and chocolate frosting it was tasty
yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Your recipes are really great .I am now following you on Pintrest
thank you!
hey i wanted to ask that if i am run short on chocolate chips or maybe chocolate too
What should I do? pls tell
sorry, it’s hard to substitute chocolate for a chocolate cake!
can it hold a candle on top of it??
hmmm u can try =)
Sorry if I sound rude in the above question/comment-that wasn’t the intention.
I was thinking of packing this for lunch. Will it be okay in a normal box or an airtight one? It’ll be a 4 hour gap, but since it needs to rest I thought I’d give it a shot. I was looking for a recipe that doesn’t have to be eaten immediately and I don’t have nutella.
In case it wasn’t obvious, I found that one(flourless nutella) first and searched around a bit to find another which didn’t require immediate consumption.
I think it should be fine packing it in a box
YUM! These look amazing. I find most mug cakes to have an off texture, I’m thinking flour less is the way to go for me!
flourless cakes are so yummy =) Though if you’re looking for a good mug cake with flour, I recommend trying out my 4 Ingredient Nutella one. It’s one of my favorites and I don’t think the texture is off at all
Ooooh, this looks divine! I love ooey gooey chocolate cake!
haha, they are the best aren’t they?
Haha, that’s awesome, he looked for pretty eggs instead! I feel like Jake might do that… 🙂 I love that the chocolate cake is a little heart shaped. So cute!
hehe, boys are so funny. Ooh you’re right, it is a little heart shaped!
YUM! I made one of the chocolate mug cakes from your book, so I can personally vouch for the tastiness 🙂
aw, thanks Brandon!
I’ll be waiting for it 🙂 haha I was looking through the book trying to find a Biscoff recipe
thanks for buying my book! I will try to get the Biscoff one up on the blog soon. I’m sad it got cut, but I guess a lot of people still don’t know what Biscoff is.
Is there anything non-dairy that would be a workable substitute for heavy cream? Most of me hopes you say yes. (A tiny part says no, and that’s the part that buys the pants. I am not listening to it, because this looks like the perfect winter dessert.)
Hi, please see my response to the comment right above yours =)
So, we’re having yet ANOTHER snow event here in Ohio and I’m trying to decide how guilty I’d feel if I ask my husband to stop at the store on the way home and buy some heavy cream . . .
I’ve also made it successfully with substituting 1 tbsp of veg oil instead of heavy cream. I prefer the heavy cream in terms of flavor and it also poofs out more so it looks prettier, but the oil version is a good alternative if you are getting some serious snow and really want to make this cake =)
I will certainly try this non-dairy substitute. Thanks.
Does it really have to rest for 20 minutes? Or is that a typo?
it is not a typo… There’s a whole section of notes that explains why.
Mmmmm. It looks so good. I love the pairing with the strawberries, perfect for Valentine’s. Honestly, when I first saw the picture I thought that it was souffle.
it does look a bit like a souffle!
Will there ever be an improved Biscoff mug cake recipe? 😉
actually there is one, I haven’t yet shared! It was written for the book, but was cut at the end because the book length was too long. I’ll share it at some point =)
Yummy!
thanks!