At this harrowing time in our lives I think it's safe to say that there has never been a greater need for Cake in a Cup.
Like most people, I can tell you exactly where I was during certain momentous world events. When I found out John F. Kennedy Jr. died I was talking on the phone to my friend Renee. For the O.J. Simpson verdict I was in the lobby of CBC television studios. And for Cake in a Cup, I was browsing Stumble Upon.
Remember Stumble Upon?
After seeing the recipe for Cake in a Cup I jumped out of my computer chair and bounced, Tigger-style towards the cupboard. Everything I needed to make an actual chocolate cake inside of a coffee cup in 3 minutes FLAT, had been inside my cupboard my whole life and I had NO idea.
Cake in a Cup Recipe (s)
This good old cake in a cup takes basic cupboard ingredients like flour, sugar and cocoa to make what is essentially an INSTANT cake that you cook in the microwave.
Perfect for a midnight snack, easy dessert or binge watching buddy while you're living the life of a shut in. The perfect companion to Netflix is mug cake. Everyone says so.
What's in it? Basic ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder salt, milk, vegetable oil. An egg and chocolate chips are optional.
The one thing this cake doesn't require is love. THIS IS NOT A CAKE MADE WITH LOVE, it is a cake made out of insanity and necessity.
How do you make it? Just like a tiny cake. Mix your dry ingredients like the sugar, cocoa, baking powder and flour together in a microwave safe mug.
Stir them up well.
Add in your wet ingredients.
Stir those up.
And then cook it as all the world's best desserts are cooked - in the microwave on high.
This is O.K. on it's own, but really like my sour cream, cilantro, cheese topped homemade chili, it's all about the toppings. Add frozen berries, powdered sugar, whipped cream or chocolate shavings to elevate this chocolate mug cake. Or, ORRRRR top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
That's how you turn this into something - well, something a little more impressive than what it is - an emergency dessert to be used in dire circumstances. Like right now.
I made this recipe on one of the bazillion television shows that I hosted.
This cake in a cup recipe is to be used in a chocolate craving emergency! It's kind of like jello ... you might not want to serve it at a dinner party, but sitting all by your lone self in a bathrobe on the sofa it's perfectly acceptable.
Now, let's be honest here for a second, shall we? I know this is the Internet and that sort of thing is often frowned upon, but just for kicks ... let's be honest.
CAKE IN A CUP IS GENIUS! It may be the greatest invention ever, second only to potato chip flavoured toothpaste (fingers crossed someone has this one in the works).
Is it the most delicious cake you've ever had in your life? Well, that depends on how drunk you are.
It'll certainly be the most fun and fastest cake you've ever made in your life.
I expect you'll be adding this to your very own list of "remember where you were" momentous occasions.
Cake in a Cup.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsps flour all purpose or cake
- 4 Tbsps sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 Tbsps cocoa
- 2 Tbsps vegetable oil
- 5 Tbsps milk
- 1 tablespoon Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Add dry ingredients to a microwaveable mug. Stir to combine.
- Add oil and milk.
- Mix well, making sure to incorporate all the dry ingredients hiding at the bottom of the cup.
- Top with a couple of tablespoons of chocolate chips. These will sink down into the middle of the cake when you cook it.
- Microwave on high for 1.5 minutes.*
Video
Notes
- Cut the sugar back to 3 tablespoons and omit the chocolate chips to save over 100 calories.
Nutrition
For those of you who don't know (my mother) Stumble Upon was an Internet network from the olden days (before Pinterest) with some of the best information on the Internet. Quick hits of brilliance. And a few toads. It still exists by the way, under the name of Mix.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
This is the fastest and best way to curve that chocolate craving by far. Here I was about to make brownies and I remembered I made your recipe. This time though, I really wanted chocolate; like I’ve never had it before type craving! I decided to use a smaller coffee cup rather than the tall one like last time and OMG! I sat here and devoured every crumb. I just love how it rolls over the cup not a lot just enough to show you, you’re about to have a awesome dessert! My God the chocolate heavens shook the house tonight! Thank You so much for sharing such a wonderful and very yummy delicious recipe that should serve anyone craving chocolate. I’m hooked!!!
Hmm. I haven't had one of these in a long time. Thanks for bringing it back to the forefront of my brain. ~ karen!
FUN today. I loved the puzzle and the photography was AMAZING. and the cake IS good. I used egg and raspberries for the 2 I made myself. YUM Wish raspberries would grow well in FL.
I made it as an emergency coffee match for my sweet-toothed hubby yesterday. We have an ancient microwave so the 1.5 was perfect. We also lacked the ingredients to "soup it up" i.e. ice cream or whipped cream but gosh darn it was pretty yummy just naked!
Best ever birthday cake for a couple to share and not having leftovers around.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for letting me know Jan! Every time someone comments on this post I get a HUGE craving for one of them, lol. ~ karen!
Bouncing Tigger-style--can't quit laughing! And YUM!!
Ridiculously easy & delicious.....just scrumptious. I have no other words, besides.....wow & thank you. I love your blog :)
Thanks for the review Laci! I'm glad you liked it. ~ karen
Hi Karen
Have you tried it with gluten free flour?
I have not. :/ ~ karen!
Today I created a video for my Sped class using this recipe. I know the student's families are searching for things to do and this easy recipe is the perfect activity. It teaches measuring, counting and following directions. The bonus is that they have a tasty warm cake at the end. And of course I referred them to your site for the recipe!
Thanks Dana! ~ karen
I just had a revelation.
Cake in a Cup = Cupcake
In the 6th paragraph, you list baking powder as an ingredient. But I don't see it listed in the actual recipe? Do we need it?
Cake in a cup sounds like a great solution for so many of life’s problems. World peace would probably breakout if everyone had a microwave (great potential for a new government program) and every one baked themselves a cake in a cup each day. I am appalled however that it has 666 kilocalories. Are 666 kcals a sign it is actually evil?
This is very similar to ours 3 2 1 cakes.
It is considered mandatory packing to tale a Mason jar of 3 2 1 mix to college. Friends of the student with the jar of 3 2 1 mix are frequently gifted with same mix for Christmas and birthdays. If you are really special, you may also receive a jar of homemade sweetened condensed milk to do with it! (When living with a person of Newfoundland heritage, one learns that "Newfoundland cream" can be added to most desserts ).
Seriously, how do you not have your own amazingly successful YouTube channel by now? All that sleeping I bet.
Made it without the b. powder last night. Turned out just fine! will adjust recipe next time and see if it's any different. I didn't have any chocolate chips, so cut a Bailey's chocolate in half and put them both in, YUM!!!!
Why in hell would you tell me how to reduce the calories?!? I was just thinking of substituting half and half for the milk! These are times that try women’s souls. And waistlines.
LOL I was all excited to try this until I saw the calorie count. I can't eat that many calories for a midnight snack because I don't want to cut down on my wine calories.
LOL I was all excited to try this until I saw the calorie count. I can't eat that many calories for a midnight snack because I don't want to cut down on my wine calories.
The question burning in my mind is that oh-so-picturesque board. It's so rough, I would have to take that board outside to my # 3 washtub and scrub all the flour and sugar out after I made the cake. That's how I talk myself out of cooking and just eat all the chocolate chips while I read this.