Chocolate Mug Cake

This simple chocolate mug cake uses a coffee or tea mug as the measuring cup, so no kitchen scale is needed. Despite its name, it is a full-size cake baked in a loaf pan rather than a single-serving microwave cake.

Ground hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, or mixed nuts all work well. The finished cake can be served plain or covered with chocolate icing.

Recipe at a Glance

• Preparation: 15 minutes
• Baking: 45–55 minutes
• Total time: About 1 hour
• Pan: Approximately 29 cm loaf pan
• Measure: One 180 ml coffee or tea mug

Ingredients

• 5 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 3 mugs ground nuts, such as hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, or mixed nuts
• 1 mug soluble sweetened cocoa drink powder
• 2 mugs all-purpose flour
• 1 mug neutral vegetable oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed oil
• 1 mug sugar
• 1 mug whole milk
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 1 packet baking powder
• Chocolate icing, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C using conventional top and bottom heat. Grease the loaf pan and dust it lightly with flour.
2. Beat the oil, sugar, and vanilla sugar together until light and well combined.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each addition. This helps produce an airy batter.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and soluble cocoa powder.
5. Add the dry mixture and milk to the egg mixture, then mix until evenly combined.
6. Stir in the ground nuts.
7. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake on the second rack from the bottom for approximately 45–55 minutes.
8. Begin testing after 45 minutes by inserting a wooden skewer into the center. Baking time can vary with the type of nuts used.
9. Let the cake cool before adding chocolate icing, if desired.

Variations and Serving Ideas

The batter can also be baked in another suitably sized cake pan, such as a 26 cm ring mold. For a children’s birthday cake, cover the cooled cake with chocolate icing and decorate it with sweets or fruit gummies.

Because regular unsweetened baking cocoa is considerably more intense, the original recipe specifically calls for soluble cocoa drink powder.