It seems our typical British summer has returned with its glorious unpredictability.  Dressing in the mornings is not easy, with an ‘Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo’ approach having a better success rate than actual planning and hanging out washing is like playing Russian roulette.

The rain is welcome for the garden but when the temperature is still in the mid twenties, it’s really not that pleasant. And there is the additional problem that I am reluctant to turn the oven on as much and add to the general muggy feeling.  But a girl (and her family!) still demands wants cake. 

And on a gloomy day when mood is matching weather, well, then only chocolate cake will do.  Chocolate cake in a mug to be precise! No oven needed, just a mug and microwave and in 5 minutes you can be tucking into your very own personal chocolate cake fix. Well, I’d wait for it to cool first; these things are hot when they come out.

I have to admit that I had never made a cake in a mug before. I’d heard of them but had never been tempted to try it until I spotted one on Pinterest (one of my current obsessions and another place where I can lose hours).

Interest piqued, I went on a little Google tour of the world of mug cakes. Mostly I found a lot of complaints about rubbery, overdone masses. But I also found solutions and ‘posher’ versions made with melted chocolate.  I ended up adapting ones I found on the BBC Good Food website.

Now, these are really not going to win any prizes but they fill a need. And are surprisingly nice for what they are (did that just make me sound like a cake snob? I think it did).

I made two versions (Like I said, sometimes the urge for cake is intense!), one with cocoa and one with melted chocolate.  Most of the recipes I had seen called for plain flour but I read a couple of people found that self raising flour stopped the rubberiness.

The possibility for variety here is huge. You could add chocolate chips, fudge or honeycomb pieces, flavourings, a spoon of peanut butter in the middle, dust them with icing sugar, serve with cream, ice cream, custard, fruit….

Or just grab a spoon and dig in.

Chocolate cake in a mug

4 tbsp of self-raising flour

4 tbsp of sugar (I used light brown)

2 tbsp cocoa

1 egg

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp oil

Anything you want to add!

Place all in the dry ingredients in a mug (or a jug and then pour it into the mug once you’re ready to cook it) and mix to combine. Add the wet ingredients and mix well, making sure there are no little pockets of flour.

Microwave for 2.5 to 3 minutes* until it has risen and springs back to the touch**

Posh Chocolate cake in a mug

50g dark chocolate

3 tbsp butter

4 tbsp self-raising flour

3 tbsp sugar (again, I used light brown)

1 egg

3 tbsp milk

Melt the chocolate and butter together (you might as well use the microwave) and stir to combine. Mix all of the ingredients together (mug or jug, it’s up to you) and cook in the microwave for 2.5 to 3 minutes***.

* Bear in mind that microwaves vary so this is just a guide. Most of the recipes state 3 minutes but 2.5 was fine in mine. Plus…

** …they will carry on cooking in the mug so don’t cook them for too long. Also, beware, these things are hot. I burnt my tongue on the cake (more than once but I have zero patience when it comes to chocolate cake) so watch any little people that might be joining you.

*** Again watch the time. I zapped mine for 2.5 minutes and found a lovely pool of liquid chocolaty cake mix at the bottom. I love it but I know it’s not to everyone’s taste.