Hot Cocoa Mug Cake

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Hot Cocoa Mug Cake is one of the most delicious and luscious desserts you will ever get to have during the holiday season.

This mug cake recipe takes your favorite simple hot chocolate beverage one step further by changing it into a delightful and decadent cake, complete with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top.

Your chilly winter will be more interesting with the sweet, chocolatey flavor along with the rich flavor of hot cocoa of this dish. The texture of this mug cake is something that will make you want for more; creamy, thick, rich, and absolutely yummy. It will be like tasting all the holiday treats in one.

You may serve this Hot Cocoa Mug Cake at home for holiday seasons to warm up your cold winter nights. It is an ideal food to share with family during such an important occasion per year. However, it does not mean that this mug cake is only exclusive for winter! You can easily make and serve this dessert any time of the year when the craving for such hits you. You may have it in the morning for breakfast; there is nothing better than starting your day with chocolatey goodness. A mug of this cake is also an enjoyable snack in the afternoon!

The Origin of Mug Cake

It is impossible to determine exactly when the mug cake was invented; nevertheless, one of the earliest video tutorials on the subject was posted on YouTube in 2009. The woman in the video received an email with the subject line "The most deadly cake in the world" from a neighbor who lived next door.

She films the process of mixing the ingredients (she is skeptical of the whole mug concept at first, so she uses another bowl to mix everything before pouring the batter into the mug itself). In the end, she conducts a taste test with her son, after which she concludes that this cake recipe is true as "dangerous" as the email warned — dangerous because, no matter what time of day or night it is, a moist cake could be ready in less than five minutes.

Suddenly, mug cakes — those single-serving cakes that are prepared and baked in a mug — have taken over the culinary world. Duncan Hines introduced 18 new flavors of mug cake mixes in the spring of 2017.

Starbucks began offering mug cake mixes in May 2018, in addition to its coffee mugs and other merchandise. A chocolate mug cake mix with salted caramels was introduced by Trader Joe's in September, while Betty Crocker achieved a world record for the largest mosaic ever created with mug cakes by creating the largest mosaic ever constructed with mug cakes.

Why Does This Hot Cocoa Mug Cake Recipe Works?

You should try making this recipe at home for the following reasons that will never disappoint you:

This mug cake is a quick and easy recipe. You don't have to make a mess in the kitchen to achieve the ever delicious taste of this dish.
A perfect holiday treat!
The ingredients are budget-friendly.
It is vegan-friendly!
Hot Cocoa Mug Cake is a creamy and chocolatey dessert you will definitely enjoy.

What's in This Hot Cocoa Mug Cake Recipe?

All-purpose Flour. This recipe works best with all-purpose flour, but if you don't have any on hand, you may substitute a gluten-free flour mix or cake flour instead. All-purpose flour will allow your mug cake mixture to be tender but rich in texture.

Granulated Sugar. Granulated sugar will easily melt in the mixture, hence it is a good sweetener choice.

Hot Cocoa Mix. Use your favorite hot cocoa mix in this recipe. The creamy, milky, chocolatey rich taste of the hot cocoa mix will be the base flavor of your mug cake.

Chocolate Chips. We all love an extra chocolate relish for desserts, don't we? Well, consider adding more chocolate flavor into this already chocolatey mug cake by including the irresistible chocolate chips into the mixture.

Milk. Make this dish creamier by adding milk. Mug cake will only complete its luscious taste once the milk is added to the recipe.

Butter. Butter helps in texturing your mug cake to be richer and thicker.

Whipped Cream. Creamy white foam on top of dark luscious treat, whipped cream is a necessary topping indeed.

Chocolate Sauce. Drizzle your finished mug cake with more chocolate goodness with chocolate sauce!

How To Make Hot Cocoa Mug Cake?

In a large mug, mix together hot cocoa mix, flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and chocolate chips until combined.
In another mug, mix together milk and melted butter.
Now, add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix until they are combined. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter.
Put the mug in the microwave for 1 minute and 40 seconds, or until the batter is no longer runny ( If it's not done, cook for 30-second more).
Remove the mug from the microwave and allow it to cool for two minutes.
Then, top with any toppings you like; I used whipped cream and drizzled some chocolate sauce on top.

Top Tips!

Be mindful of the flour's measurement. Too much flour will make your mug cake dry instead of the luscious and moist texture you are trying to achieve.
If the instructed time for cooking the mug cake isn't quite enough, cook for 30-50 seconds more. Do not overcook, or the cake will turn dry.
Use a metal-free mug since it will be alright to put in the microwave.
Swiss Miss is the choice for your hot cocoa mix and is the most commonly being used.
Use whole milk for a creamier outcome.

Some Variations

You may use vegetable oil in place of melted butter. Sunflower oil is also a good substitute as it only helps in texturing the mixture instead of adding another flavor to the recipe.
Top this delicious treat, with crushed chocolate chip cookies as topping If you like.
You can also top your mug cake with mini marshmallows instead of whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
You may use dark and white chocolate chips for better and improved chocolate flavoring.

Serving Suggestions

Caramel latte is the best beverage to pair with this equally chocolatey mug cake. Oreo cheesecake bites also complete the whole holiday season vibe when you serve it with this Hot Cocoa Mug Cake.

Recipe FAQs

How do you determine when a mug cake is cooked?

Check to see whether it's done by gently pressing a couple of fingers against the top: if they stick slightly, it's done. And if it's still completely wet, microwave it in 5- to 10-second increments until it gets the right, slightly sticky consistency.

Is this mug cake caffeinated?

Unfortunately, most cocoa product contains caffeine. If you are to use Swiss Miss for your hot cocoa mix, expect that at least five milligrams of caffeine are present in your mug cake.