A single-serve chocolate mug cake that goes from bowl to spoon in about five minutes, most of it in the microwave.
Plant based, gluten free, and it exists so you do not have to bake a whole tray to satisfy one craving.
Key points
- Five minutes. Single serve, one mug.
- Vegan and gluten free. As written.
- 90 seconds in the microwave. Up to two, depending on yours.
- Do not overcook it. The difference between cake and rubber.
- Any plant protein works. Swap the flavour freely.
Ingredients
- 2.5 tbsp plain gluten-free flour
- 1.5 tbsp salted caramel plant protein powder
- 1/2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup oat milk, or your preferred non-dairy option
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (or 1 tbsp nut butter for an oil-free version)
- A sprinkle of vegan choc chips (optional)
Method
- Add the flour, protein powder, cacao and baking powder to a bowl, or straight into your mug if it is big enough. Mix well.
- Add the milk, maple syrup and oil, and mix until smooth.
- Transfer to a mug and top with chocolate chips.
- Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, until risen and cooked through. Cooking time varies between 1 and 2 minutes depending on your microwave.
- Allow to cool slightly before eating.
Macros will vary depending on the protein powder you use, so log the recipe with your own ingredients for an accurate figure.
Why did my mug cake turn out rubbery?
Thirty seconds too long in the microwave. This is the entire problem with mug cakes, and protein powder makes the window narrower still.
Protein sets fast and keeps tightening with heat. A mug cake that is perfect at 90 seconds is dense at two minutes and inedible at two and a half. Microwaves vary enormously in power, so the first time you make it, check at 75 seconds and add 15 seconds at a time.
It should still look very slightly wet on top when you stop. It continues cooking in the hot mug for another 30 seconds after the microwave stops, which is where it finishes.
Why did it overflow?
The mug was too small. Baking powder makes this rise substantially, and it climbs before it sets.
Use a mug that is no more than half full with the raw batter. If your mug is borderline, put a small plate underneath rather than hoping.
Can I bake it in the oven instead?
Yes, in an oven-safe ramekin at 180C for 12 to 15 minutes.
The result is better: more evenly cooked, with an actual crust rather than the uniform sponginess a microwave gives. It also entirely defeats the purpose of a five-minute mug cake, which is the point of the recipe.
Can I make it without protein powder?
Yes. Replace the 1.5 tablespoons of protein powder with the same amount of flour and add a little extra maple syrup, since protein powders are usually sweetened.
You lose the protein, which in a single-serve dessert is a modest amount anyway. What you gain is a slightly more forgiving texture, because flour does not tighten the way protein does.
Which protein powder should I use?
Any plant protein works, and the flavour is yours to choose. Salted caramel as written, chocolate, vanilla and mocha all suit a cacao base. Fruit flavours do not.
Plant proteins absorb more liquid than whey, so if you swap to whey you may need slightly less milk. Start with a tablespoon less and add if needed.
100% Vegan Protein is our house-brand plant option, and the plant protein range has the alternatives.
Can I make it oil free?
Yes, and the recipe already tells you how: swap the coconut oil for a tablespoon of nut butter.
It changes the flavour, adding a nutty note, and makes the cake slightly denser and moister. Peanut butter is the most noticeable, almond butter the most neutral.
Do not simply leave the fat out. It is what keeps the cake tender, and without it you get something dry and bready.
How do I make it more indulgent?
- Push two squares of chocolate into the centre before microwaving, for a molten middle.
- A spoonful of nut butter in the centre, same idea, less sweet.
- A pinch of instant coffee in the dry mix. It deepens the cacao considerably and makes it genuinely mocha.
- A pinch of salt. Small change, noticeable difference.
- Ice cream on top, if the hot-and-cold thing appeals.
Storage
There is none. Eat it now, while it is warm.
A mug cake left to cool goes dense and dry, and reheating makes it worse. That is the trade-off for a dessert you can make in five minutes, and it is a fair one.
For more like this, browse the full recipe collection.
