This chocolate mug cake is just 3 ingredients and takes less than 1 minute to cook. It also doesn’t contain any flour, butter, oil or refined sugar. It is so easy to whip up and you can have a warm, gooey chocolate cake ready in about five minutes.
This is essentially a simplified version of a flourless chocolate cake. It is meant to be cooked in the microwave but you can bake it too. I love that it’s made with three easy ingredients so it takes just a few minutes to prepare. You can enjoy it plain, drizzle with chocolate sauce or top it with ice cream.
Ingredients
- Cocoa powder
- Egg
- Maple Syrup
Looking at the ingredient list, you may think that this just looks like a recipe for a sweet chocolate omelet but that isn’t the case. If you’ve ever enjoyed a molten lava cake at a restaurant, it is basically made from eggs, cocoa powder and sweetener (plus heavy cream to create the molten center). So this cake is a simplified version of a chocolate lava cake without the molten center.
Unsweetened cocoa powder
You can use either dutch process cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder. I prefer dutch process because it has a richer color and flavor and is less acidic. Especially with recipes with minimal ingredients, I feel like it makes a noticeable difference to use a good quality cocoa powder. Dutch process cocoa powder is a little more difficult to find at your local grocery store but it is easily available on Amazon. I’ve also purchased it from Costco and Whole Foods.
Egg
This recipe uses one large egg which gives the cake structure. Unfortunately, I do not have a substitute for egg for this recipe.
Maple Syrup
Pure maple syrup is used to sweeten the cake. You can substitute with other syrups. I have tested the recipe with honey. I didn’t really like the result mainly because honey has such a strong flavor that you still taste it in the cake, whereas the maple syrup flavor isn’t as prominent.
Microwave
This cake was designed to be cooked in the microwave. It will cook in about 40 seconds in the microwave. Microwaves can vary a lot in wattage so your cooking time may vary. The thickness and type of material your mug is made out of can also affect cooking time. My microwave is 1100 watts. If your microwave is close to that, you likely won’t need to change cooking time. If your microwave wattage is significantly lower or higher than 1100 watts, you will need to adjust cooking time. You do want to be careful not to overcook the cake, otherwise it will be dry.
Oven
If you bake this cake, it will take longer. It takes about 20 minutes to bake. The cake will initially rise quite high, almost like a souffle, but it will sink back down as it cools. (It would require a lot more egg beating to create a cake structure that will not sink back down but I wanted to keep this cake super simple.) It’s not the prettiest, especially after it sinks, but it will still taste good and if you cover it will syrup or ice cream, no one will even notice!
Topping Ideas
I covered my cake in a very easy chocolate sauce which I made with just maple syrup and cocoa powder. The recipe for it is included in the recipe box. Other topping ideas are:
- chocolate syrup
- whipped cream
- ice cream
More 3 Ingredient Mug Cakes
- Cake Mix Mug Cake
- Keto Chocolate Mug Cake
- Flourless Cashew Butter Mug Cake
- Flourless Nutella Mug Cake
If you enjoy making mug cakes, I have a huge collection of mug cake recipes.
3 Ingredient Chocolate Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 large egg beaten (see note)
- 1 ½ tbsp (11 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (1 oz) maple syrup
Chocolate Sauce (optional)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a microwave-safe mug. Mix with a whisk until everything is well mixed and no egg white streaks remain. It may be difficult to see the egg streaks because the batter is so dark. Lift the batter up a few times with your whisk to check for any unmixed egg streaks.
- Cook cake in the microwave at full power for about 40 seconds (my microwave is 1100 watts, you may need to reduce or increase cooking time if your microwave wattage is significantly higher or lower than that). When your cake is finished, it should still look slightly gooey on top. Use a spoon to lift up the entire cake and check the bottom as well. The bottom of the cake should also be still slightly gooey but there should not be a pool of uncooked batter at the bottom of your mug. The cake will initially rise quite high while cooking and it will sink down as it cools. This is normal. The cake is also supposed to be small because it is very rich.
- Let cake cool for 10-15 minutes before serving and enjoying. Top with chocolate sauce, whipped cream or your favorite ice cream.
- If making the optional chocolate sauce, add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add more syrup if desired for a sweeter sauce.
Notes
- This cake has a semisweet dark chocolate level of sweetness. If you prefer sweeter, you can add 1/2 more tbsp of syrup (I don't recommend more than that because your batter will have too much liquid and won't cook properly). Other ways to sweeten the cake more are to add chocolate chips to the batter or add a sweeter frosting on top.
- If you have a question regarding one of the ingredients, please review the beginning of the post where I discuss ingredients and potential substitutions.
- You should beat the egg before adding in the other ingredients. This makes it easier to mix the egg completely into the batter. Once you add the cocoa powder, it is very difficult to see the egg to see if it is completely incorporated. Not completely mixing in the egg will cause your cake to taste eggy. So, make sure to beat the egg first and also lift your whisk up a few times after you're done mixing your batter to check to make sure you don't have any unmixed egg remaining.
- Do not cook your cake until the surface is completely dry. It should have a thin layer or spots of slightly wet batter.
- My cake completely filled an 8 oz mug while it cooked. After it cools it will sink down to about half the size.
- If you want to bake the cake, preheat your oven to 350F. Grease the inside of a microwave-safe mug or ramekin that can hold at least 8 oz of liquid. Pour batter in and bake for about 20 minutes. When cake is done it should rise quite high and when your press down on the surface it will be firm and bounce back rather than sink in. As the cake cools, it will sink down to about half the initial size.
- Estimated nutrition is for the cake only and does not include chocolate sauce.
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.
AMAZINGGG THIS SAVED ME
So glad you liked it!
This recipe is the worst the taste like rubber the frosting only was the good thing
Sounds like you overcooked it.
My previous comment was an accident, I’m not trying to be rude but, this was absolutely disgusting, like it looks horrible and tastes horrible
We’re sorry to hear that – are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?
k
I might have cooked a little too long, but u decided to because there was still a small puddle at the bottom. It was a little spongey but it was pretty good. Especially with the chocolate sauce!
If it was rubbery/spongy, it was probably cooked too long. We’re glad you enjoyed it, though!
Yum! Perfect with the chocolate sauce
We’re glad you enjoyed it!
It was super soggy and super eggy
What kind of syrup did you use and how much did you add?
I used hot Coca mix, but followed the rest;it looked do unappetizing but was surprisingly good!! 10/10!
We haven’t tried it with hot cocoa mix – we’re glad you liked it!
Tried this recipe, didn’t have eggs left so I used unsweetened applesauce as a substitue..substitute… it tastes good, but it’s exceedingly liquid. It didn’t become a cake at all. What could have caused this?
it’s because you used applesauce. This recipe needs the egg for it to work.
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s exactly what I was looking for. I added some chocolate chips and it made it that much more “melty”. I can’t wait to try it again.
So glad you liked it!
I have to let it cool cool for 10-15 minutes before I can eat it?!
For the best mug cake, it’s best to let it cool so the flavors develop.
Talking about flavours, I’ve made your choc mug cakes with orange zest or a dash of mint essence or coffee (white choc and coffee makes a yum Tiramisu cake) and also with sauces from various fruits and alcohols for special.
I sometimes use sugar free maple syrup as sweetener and that works perfectly for diabetics.
This site is a real blessing for people who have and to cut out or cut down. Thank you Kirbie & Team 🙂
We’re glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
I made this recipe with keto maple syrup and added some Lillys chocolate chips. It was delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it!
can you substitute stevia for the sweetner?
Sorry, but we haven’t tried it with stevia.
Will 1.5 teaspoon of raw honey as well as ommiting the sauce make it keto friendly
You should try our 3 Ingredient Keto Chocolate Mug Cake.
Very nice cake and professionally explained, could you please tell me if is possible to make it, not in the oven, worse in the microwave. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Not sure about your question but the instructions for the oven are listed in the notes section of the recipe card. Or, you can cook it in the microwave as described in the main part of the recipe. Hope that helps!
I absolutely loved this recipe. Chocolate sauce and all. Thanks for sharing this!
We’re so happy you loved it!
didn’t work for me, maybe i didn’t see that i was supposed to let it sit until after i ate it. was not super eggy flavored but the texture was not there and the bottom was kind of wet
As shared in the post, the bottom of the cake will be a little gooey but it should be cooked. If you had raw batter, the cake may need a little longer cook time. Letting the cake rest and cool also helps with the flavor and texture, so that’s an important step.
Could I replace the maple syrup with honey, not a fan of maple syrup.
You can substitute with other syrups. We have tested the recipe with honey, but didn’t really like the result mainly because honey has such a strong flavor that you still taste it in the cake, whereas the maple syrup flavor isn’t as prominent.
Absolutely love this !!!!!
That’s so great! Glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoyed it. I subbed hersey coca and syrup because that’s what’s in my pantry, lol.
I’m glad it worked out for you!
Do you use pure maple syrup or just the regular store version?
Yes I used pure maple syrup but it will still work with maple flavored syrup
I tried it, an it’s very good. I think if you use sugar free syrup it would be more low carb.
I’m glad you enjoyed! Yes it does work well with sugar free syrup too
Loved it. I made only one just in case we didn’t like it. What a mistake. I got one bite & hubby ate the rest. Next time, I’ll make one for each of us.
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it so much!
Off da chain
I’m glad you liked it!
Oh I rescind my comment about the heavy cream. You were referring to restaurant made lava cakes. My mistake! Trying it tonight.
Hope you enjoy!
You mention heavy cream to achieve the molten center yet nowhere in the cooking instructions or ingredient list is it mentioned again?
I am a post-op bariatric patient. I subbed sugar free syrup and it worked great! So good. thanks! Nice to have a dessert like a “normal” person. Looking forward to the next one.
I’m so glad it worked out well for you!
For everyone concerned about the carb count, I was able to make this recipe with one egg, 5 grams cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. I omitted the maple syrup because it would’ve added too much liquid. In place of the chocolate sauce, I used Walden Farms Calorie Free Chocolate Sauce. The cake texture is crazy good for a flourless cake and I don’t feel guilty having this as a quick treat.
Thank you for sharing!
How much salt and baking powder did your use?
Thank you so much for this recipe. Super quick, easy and Delicious! Instructions are so easy to follow, and precise. I am NOT experienced in the kitchen and I followed right along. I felt like a real Chief when everyone tasted my creation.
Thanks Again!
I’m so happy it worked out well for you!
Thank you for flourless, sugar free and oil free recipes. I am with Weigh-Less and thosebingredientsbis a big no-no.
Warm regards
Yolinda
you’re welcome!
28g net catbs??? If not a misprint, not very keto friendly.
this is not a keto recipe. it doesn’t say it is keto anywhere in the title or post
I am going to try using sugar free maple syrup. I also have some choc zero chocolate syrup to use on top. We made the 3 ingredient peanut butter mug cake tonight. Yum
I’ve made it with lakanto maple flavored syrup with good results
I was thinking the same exact thing. Where do all the carbs come from using only 3 ingredients?
Maple syrup and cocoa powder have carbs and, as mentioned, this was not intended to be a low-carb or keto recipe. We have a 3 Ingredient Keto Chocolate Mug Cake you might like better.
Haven’t tried yet but I’m sure interested.
i hope you try it!
Can’t wait to make it.
I hope you enjoy!
Thank you for your flourless recipes!
You’re welcome!
Really yummy! Thank you ?
I’m so glad you liked it!
Good for a quick & easy cake in a mug.
Yes it’s super quick and easy! So glad you liked it!