There are times in life when we need a super-quick treat, a chocolate-filled pick-me-up, a cup full of semi-molten chocolate cake with a salted caramel sauce. This easy molten chocolate mug cake with a salted caramel sauce takes just a few minutes to make, and gives you an absolutely delicious treat. With just a few basic ingredients and the help of a microwave oven, you can be enjoying this decadent and lovely indulgence in no time.
I adapted this recipe from a fun book called “Making Winter: A Hygge-Inspired Guide for Surviving the Winter Months“ by Emma Mitchell. This book is full of inspired ideas to embrace this long, cold, and yes–beautiful–season. I doubled the cake recipe to serve four and used 2% milk instead of cream, but otherwise stuck pretty close to the original recipe. These little mug cakes were so much fun to make and eat! I do not use my microwave oven a lot, but in a pinch, it can be very convenient! Sometimes the craving for a chocolate treat is urgent, and this recipe is perfect for those times.
Honestly, that salted caramel sauce is incredible, and so very easy to make. Just some brown sugar, butter, salt, and milk. Combined with the gooey, warm chocolate cake, it is like a dream come true for a chocolate-lover. Even though they take only a few minutes to prepare, these little cakes taste like they took much longer, and if you are looking to impress someone, this is a great way to go. Because sometimes time is short, energy is short, and the need for a treat is great!
It has been a couple weeks since I posted last, and lots has been happening here, more than I can possibly write about. But some highlights are, we went up north for a quick weekend last week, and before that, my husband and I marked our twenty-second wedding anniversary! It has been very cold, then very warm, and now cold again. We shoveled off an ice skating rink on our lake a couple weeks ago and enjoyed it for a few days, but that ice is long gone now. Events in the news continue to be troubling, and I find myself wanting to join in with many others to voice my opinion about gun violence in our country. I, like so many others, want my kids to be safe in their schools, and I believe we need tighter gun control laws, and we need to get them tightened soon. It is a difficult problem and there are a lot of complications to this issue, more than I can cover on this blog. My heart goes out to all of those impacted by the latest tragedy in Florida.
It is Winterfest weekend at my kids’ school, and there are a lot of festivities going on, including a fancy dress for my daughter, in addition to two indoor soccer games for my son. We will be going a lot of different directions. I hope we can all enjoy this delicious treat together at some point this weekend, and catch up with each other on all the happenings. I also hope you all have a great weekend as well, and stay safe and warm! If you need a quick pick-me-up to beat the winter blahs or an easy yet festive dessert to serve guests, keep this great recipe in mind!
Molten Chocolate Mug Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 4 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt
- 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup of milk
For the salted caramel sauce:
- 1/3 cup of light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons of 2% milk (you can also use heavy cream, if desired)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Directions:
First, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk, butter, and salt. Heat over low heat and stir until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Let it bubble gently for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce thickens a bit. Turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
For the cake, if you can, use a bowl with a pouring spout. Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the oil gradually, while whisking it into the dry ingredients. Then add the milk the same way. Continue to whisk until everything is combined and dissolved and the batter is glossy.
Pour the batter into four microwave-safe mugs, dividing it equally. Spoon two tablespoons of the salted caramel sauce into the center of the cake batter in each mug. Microwave each mug separately, on full power, for about 55 seconds. (If you want a more liquid-y cake, do it for 40 seconds). Let the cakes cool a bit, and then serve them warm. If you want, top them with whipped cream. Enjoy!
This recipe is adapted from the book “Making Winter” by Emma Mitchell
What a beautiful recipe and beautiful photos. I love lava cakes and I think I could even veganize this. This cookbook looks great, I’ve been meaning to get it. Happy anniversary!! So many lovely winter events. I love the ice rink you made. I did something very similar in upstate ny. So fun. And I echo your sentiments re gun control. So incomprehensibly tragic and scary. And it keeps happening. It makes you want to cling to loved ones and comfort foods until we can affectuate change. I’m glad you’re keeping busy and staying safe. Xo
Thanks, Amanda! I definitely think you could veganize this. Yes I definitely want to hold loved ones close at this time! So much going on. Thanks for your thoughtful comments, I always enjoy hearing from you. Hope you are well! xoxo
Wow, that sauce! I love this recipe!
Thank you, Antonia!
Have never had cake in a mug. Definitely need to try this!
Thanks for stopping by Jason, I hope you like it if you try it! It’s very quick and easy.