The Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake takes only two minutes to prepare. Because it is entirely customizable, it serves as a mood booster while also fulfilling your dessert cravings.
It balances creamy, peanutty, and salty flavors, along with sweet depth and rich chocolate, as well. It is comfort food to the fullest.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweet/unsweetened)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons purpose flour
- 2 tble. vegetable oil or melted butter
- 2 tble. peanut butter
- 3 tble. milk (any kind)
- 1 tble. (optional) chocolate chips
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
Getting Your Mug Ready
To prevent spillage during cooking, choose a microwave-safe mug that is no less than 12 oz.
Lightly coat with cooking oil or rub with a tad of butter to make the cake easier to remove, though this is not needed if you plan to eat it straight from the mug.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
Combine all the dry ingredients directly into the mug: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Use a small whisk or a fork, mix in each ingredient one by one.
It is important in this step to remove any lumps in the cocoa powder, and to evenly incorporate everything, to avoid any clumps of flour or cocoa in the final product.
Incorporate the Wet Ingredients
After mixing in all the dry ingredients, add the milk, oil, and vanilla and stir quickly with your fork.
Make sure to incorporate all the flour from the bottom and the sides.
It should take around 30 seconds of mixing or so, and the batter is going to be the perfect consistency if it looks like a glossy batter, similar to the consistency of pancake batter.
Adding Peanut Butter
Spoon the peanut butter and put it on the chocolate batter.
Take a knife or the handle from the spoon and gently fold the peanut butter into the batter.
While doing this, make sure you are going for quick motions to prevent full incorporation since you want to see the peanut butter beautifully ribboned in.
If you want to add in chocolate chips, do it now.
Cooking the Cake
After all the ingredients are added, put it into the microwave and place it in the center.
Depending on how many watts it has, put it on high for a minute to a minute and a half.
Always check after a minute first because you do not want to burn the cake.
Once the cake rises and has a somewhat nice shape to it, you can remove it from the microwave.
While it may look a little underdone in the middle, do not worry. It will continue to cook once it is out.
Cool and Enjoy
Before indulging, allow the cake in the mug to cool down for one to two minutes, as the cake, along with the mug, will be quite hot.
The cake will become better as it cools for a couple of minutes.
Enjoy it with a spoon straight from the mug, or if you like, you can flip it onto a plate.
You can also add whipped cream, ice cream, or more peanut butter on top.
Recipe Notes
Microwave Timing
Every microwave has a different wattage, and because of that, the microwave will heat the mug cake for a different time.
The microwave with 1000 watts will need 70 seconds, while it will take the microwave with 700 watts will take 90 seconds.
You should start with 60 seconds, and then if the cake is not done, you can add 10 seconds to the time you have.
The top of the mug cake will be done if it springs back gently when touched.
Peanut butter Consistency
Natural peanut butter is okay to use, but it can make the cake denser and less fluffy.
Creamy smooth peanut butter that you can find at the store, like Jif or Skippy, is more ideal because it melts more easily and makes better swirls when cooking.
If the peanut butter seems too thick, go ahead and microwave it for 10 seconds.
Don’t Overmix
After the peanut butter is added, there is no need to stir it too much.
If done right, there will be enough of the peanut butter to make the mug cake rich and chocolatey.
The microwaved mug cake will require a larger mug.
Using a small mug can cause an overflow mess in the microwave when the batter rises.
In the case where smaller mugs are the only option, a third of the recipe must be removed.
A 12-ounce mug is the most appropriate option and will help prevent overflow messes.
If you want a more traditional cake texture, you will want the top of the cake to fully set and lose its shiny appearance.
If you want a more fudgy brownie texture, you can always undercook it by 5 to 10 seconds, and it will provide the texture you want.
For a gluten-free recipe, substitute the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
Do not use almond flour, as it will make the recipe very grainy and dense.
If you want a more caramelized, deeper sweetness to the cake, use brown sugar.
Coconut sugar can also be used.
If you want that texture of sugar to be removed, you can use a granulated sweetener.
If you want a more simultaneously chocolatey and acidic flavor, you will use natural cocoa powder.
Feel free to use any kind of milk, including almond, oat, and soy milk.
Whichever fat content is on hand can be adaptable, as it will not significantly change the result.
Oil
For extra richness and buttery notes, use melted butter.
A dairy-free alternative is melted coconut oil.
In my experience, vegetable, canola, or even light olive oil all render comparable outcomes.
Peanut butter
A few nut-free substitutes are almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter.
Nutella and cookie butter offer a fun twist that is equally good.
Storage Suggestions
- Immediate Consumption: The best way to eat this cake is when it is gooey and warm (ideally in a span of 5-10 mins). After it cools, the texture gets denser, so I wouldn’t recommend letting it cool for too long.
- Refrigerate: Cover the mug with Saran Wrap (make sure it is tight), and it’ll stay good for about 2 days in the fridge. It’ll taste good, but the texture will be different than if it were fresh. Before eating it, microwave it for about 15-20 seconds.
- Make Dry Mix Ahead of Time: For quick future preparation, prepack the instant dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into jars or bags. They will stay good for 3 months, so long as you don’t combine them with the wet ingredients.
- Not Freezer Bag Friendly: Mug cakes do not do well when frozen and thawed. Luckily, this recipe takes just two minutes, so it is best made when the craving hits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my mug cake rubbery?
The most common cause for rubbery mug cakes is overcooking.
Microwaves continue to cook the mug cake even after it is removed, so make sure you take it out before the cake is fully set.
Also, overmixing the batter can create too much gluten and ultimately too much chew for the crumb to be tender.
Can I make this without a microwave?
Yes! Although it is not a mug cake without a microwave.
However, you can preheat the oven to 350°F, and put the batter in an oven-safe ramekin.
Prepare for a bake time of 12-15 minutes, or until the top is set.
It will have a slightly different texture, but still be delicious.
Why did my cake overflow while cooking in the microwave?
The batter will always rise when it cooks, and a mug that’s too small will let the batter rise too high.
Be sure to use a mug that can hold at least 12 ounces, and make sure to fill it just a little less than halfway.
Less batter will help it rise to the right amount, and be sure the baking powder is not expired.
Baking powder that is old can make a rise that is irregular.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
The Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake takes only two minutes to prepare. Because it is entirely customizable, it serves as a mood booster while also fulfilling your dessert cravings.
It balances creamy, peanutty, and salty flavors, along with sweet depth and rich chocolate, as well. It is comfort food to the fullest.
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweet/unsweetened)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons purpose flour
- 2 tble. vegetable oil or melted butter
- 2 tble. peanut butter
- 3 tble. milk (any kind)
- 1 tble. (optional) chocolate chips
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
Instructions
Getting Your Mug Ready
To prevent spillage during cooking, choose a microwave-safe mug that is no less than 12 oz.
Lightly coat with cooking oil or rub with a tad of butter to make the cake easier to remove, though this is not needed if you plan to eat it straight from the mug.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
Combine all the dry ingredients directly into the mug: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Use a small whisk or a fork, mix in each ingredient one by one.
It is important in this step to remove any lumps in the cocoa powder, and to evenly incorporate everything, to avoid any clumps of flour or cocoa in the final product.
Incorporate the Wet Ingredients
After mixing in all the dry ingredients, add the milk, oil, and vanilla and stir quickly with your fork.
Make sure to incorporate all the flour from the bottom and the sides.
It should take around 30 seconds of mixing or so, and the batter is going to be the perfect consistency if it looks like a glossy batter, similar to the consistency of pancake batter.
Adding Peanut Butter
Spoon the peanut butter and put it on the chocolate batter.
Take a knife or the handle from the spoon and gently fold the peanut butter into the batter.
While doing this, make sure you are going for quick motions to prevent full incorporation since you want to see the peanut butter beautifully ribboned in.
If you want to add in chocolate chips, do it now.
Cooking the Cake
After all the ingredients are added, put it into the microwave and place it in the center.
Depending on how many watts it has, put it on high for a minute to a minute and a half.
Always check after a minute first because you do not want to burn the cake.
Once the cake rises and has a somewhat nice shape to it, you can remove it from the microwave.
While it may look a little underdone in the middle, do not worry. It will continue to cook once it is out.
Cool and Enjoy
Before indulging, allow the cake in the mug to cool down for one to two minutes, as the cake, along with the mug, will be quite hot.
The cake will become better as it cools for a couple of minutes.
Enjoy it with a spoon straight from the mug, or if you like, you can flip it onto a plate.
You can also add whipped cream, ice cream, or more peanut butter on top.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Microwave Timing
Every microwave has a different wattage, and because of that, the microwave will heat the mug cake for a different time.
The microwave with 1000 watts will need 70 seconds, while it will take the microwave with 700 watts will take 90 seconds.
You should start with 60 seconds, and then if the cake is not done, you can add 10 seconds to the time you have.
The top of the mug cake will be done if it springs back gently when touched.
Peanut butter Consistency
Natural peanut butter is okay to use, but it can make the cake denser and less fluffy.
Creamy smooth peanut butter that you can find at the store, like Jif or Skippy, is more ideal because it melts more easily and makes better swirls when cooking.
If the peanut butter seems too thick, go ahead and microwave it for 10 seconds.
Don't Overmix
After the peanut butter is added, there is no need to stir it too much.
If done right, there will be enough of the peanut butter to make the mug cake rich and chocolatey.
The microwaved mug cake will require a larger mug.
Using a small mug can cause an overflow mess in the microwave when the batter rises.
In the case where smaller mugs are the only option, a third of the recipe must be removed.
A 12-ounce mug is the most appropriate option and will help prevent overflow messes.
If you want a more traditional cake texture, you will want the top of the cake to fully set and lose its shiny appearance.
If you want a more fudgy brownie texture, you can always undercook it by 5 to 10 seconds, and it will provide the texture you want.
For a gluten-free recipe, substitute the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
Do not use almond flour, as it will make the recipe very grainy and dense.
If you want a more caramelized, deeper sweetness to the cake, use brown sugar.
Coconut sugar can also be used.
If you want that texture of sugar to be removed, you can use a granulated sweetener.
If you want a more simultaneously chocolatey and acidic flavor, you will use natural cocoa powder.
Feel free to use any kind of milk, including almond, oat, and soy milk.
Whichever fat content is on hand can be adaptable, as it will not significantly change the result.
Oil
For extra richness and buttery notes, use melted butter.
A dairy-free alternative is melted coconut oil.
In my experience, vegetable, canola, or even light olive oil all render comparable outcomes.
Peanut butter
A few nut-free substitutes are almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter.
Nutella and cookie butter offer a fun twist that is equally good.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 mug cakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 520gTotal Fat: 28ggCholesterol: 5mgmgSodium: 220mgmgCarbohydrates: 62ggFiber: 4ggSugar: 40ggProtein: 10gg