5 Minute Chocolate Cake for 1

This is the recipe that makes chocolate cake dangerously easy, no oven, no bowl, no waiting. Everything mixes right in a coffee mug and microwaves in three minutes, so a warm cake is never more than five minutes away.

The method couldn’t be simpler: stir the dry ingredients together with a fork, beat in the egg, then the milk and oil, and finish with optional chocolate chips and vanilla. Mixing in stages, dry first, then wet, keeps the batter smooth and lump-free in the tight space of a mug.

The cocoa gives it a deep chocolate flavor, and it puffs dramatically over the rim as it cooks, so reach for a large mug and don’t panic when it rises. The chocolate chips melt into gooey pockets through the soft, steamy crumb.

Single-serving by design, though it’ll stretch to two, it’s the answer to a late-night chocolate craving without committing to a whole cake. Eat it warm, straight from the mug.

Pro Tips

• Use a large mug; the cake rises high and can overflow a small one.
• Don’t overcook; pull it at 3 minutes or the cake turns rubbery and dry.
• Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly before adding the wet so there are no flour pockets.
• Microwave wattages vary, so check at the end and add a few seconds only if needed.

Variations

• Drop a spoonful of peanut butter or chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center before microwaving.
• Top with ice cream, whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Stir in a pinch of espresso powder or cinnamon to deepen the chocolate.