Mug cakes to “bake” you smile
Ranking the good, the bad, and the biohazards of mug cakes
By Torin Hough, ‘24
In a world where recipes can span back thousands of years, the mug cake is a very recent invention. Mug cakes are, as the name suggests, miniature cakes constructed, cooked, and eaten from mugs. They first rose to prominence in 2009 in a popular YouTube video, although a recipe in a cooking magazine was already circulating in 2008.
Mug cakes are famous for their ease of creation, typically taking under five minutes to make with pantry staples for ingredients and a brief stint in a microwave instead of in a larger oven. While mug cakes will not win a “best cake” competition, a good recipe can satisfy an evening craving for a chocolate cake in minutes.
For this article, a panel of five people reviewed six different mug cake recipes to determine which was the best. They considered flavor elements, texture, portion size, and ease of preparation, including if the necessary ingredients could be considered pantry staples.
The New York Times’ “Chocolate Mug Cake”
Image by Johnny Miller for The New York Times
Image by Torin Hough
The New York Times’s “Chocolate Mug Cake” was the most complicated mug cake tested. Unlike the other recipes, this one used an additional bowl, which can be irritating when one is hoping for a quick, easy dessert with minimal cleanup.
The panel appreciated that this mug cake was the only gluten-free option tested, and the recipe provided accurate cooking instructions, leaving the mug cake fully cooked. Unfortunately, upon being pulled out of the microwave, the cake was disappointingly small. This recipe may very well not produce a sufficient quantity of mug cake to satisfy a craving. One could try doubling the recipe, but that would impact cooking times and require additional adjustments.
The panelists found the cake to be subpar. The flavor was single-note, tasting mostly of raw, bitter cocoa powder. On the other hand, the cake was wonderfully moist and achieved a good texture unusual for a mug cake.
Ease - ★★☆☆☆
Flavor - ★★☆☆☆
Texture - ★★★★★
Allrecipes’ “Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake”
Image from embedded video by safinabakes1231
Image by Torin Hough
The Allrecipes “Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake” was relatively simple to make. Although it used nine ingredients, the most of any of the included recipes, it came together quickly. One panelist noted that the batter looked very smooth.
While the cooking instructions were accurate and the cake mostly cooked through, batter overflowed in the microwave. To prevent a mess, a plate may be placed underneath the cup while cooking, but this results in more dishes to wash.
The recipe made a nicely portioned cake, or at least it did, until the cake collapsed in on itself upon being cut into. Nevertheless, the body of the mug cake was pleasant. It had a warmer, less bitter flavor than that of the New York Times, though the taste still lacked depth and was a little lackluster. The texture was smooth and not too dry without being oily.
Ease - ★★★★☆
Flavor - ★★★☆☆
Texture - ★★★★☆
Joy Bauer’s “Chocolate Mug Cake”
Image by JoyBauer.com
The next mug cake the panelists attempted to bake was Joy Bauer’s “Chocolate Mug Cake.” The cake required an ingredient that the panelists were not in possession of - box chocolate cake mix - and so they were unable to cook it. The cake failed one of the first rules of mug cakes in using non-pantry staple ingredients, but it is included here for posterity. If one’s kitchen does stock box chocolate cake mix, feel free to give this recipe a shot.
Ease - ★☆☆☆☆
Flavor - ?
Texture - ?
My Recipes’ “1 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe in Lock-down”
Image from YouTube video by My Recipes
Image by Torin Hough
My Recipes’ “1 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe in Lock-down” was peculiar from the start. Though the ingredients were simple, they were in very odd proportions to each other. For more than four tablespoons of oil and milk, there were only about five tablespoons of dry ingredients, and so the pre-cooked batter was ill-combined and abnormally liquidy.
The mug cake did not improve after being microwaved for the recommended amount of time. It had boiled down to a tiny portion, and, more concerningly, was not anywhere near cooked enough. Three of the five panelists were not able to stomach trying it. The two panelists that did venture to taste the dubiously-edible cake described it as strongly flavored of raw flour with the texture of “Nickelodeon slime.” One panelist noted that it would make a decent English pudding, and, if one can overlook the uncooked-flour taste, had a pretty good flavor overall.
Of all the recipes collected here, My Recipes is the one that the panelists least recommended trying. “It’s probably a biohazard,” one panelist concluded.
Ease - ★★★★☆
Flavor - ★★★★☆
Texture - ☆☆☆☆☆ (Pudding texture - ★★★★☆)
Hello Lana’s “2 Minute Microwave Brownies in a Mug!”
Image from YouTube video by Hello Lana
Image by Torin Hough
The “2 Minute Microwave Brownies in a Mug!” recipe from Hello Lana was easy, accurate, and appetizing. The basic ingredients came together well in little time, creating a batter of a good consistency. The cooking time included in the recipe cooked the cake through without leaving it tough or dry. The mug cake did rise slightly above the rim of the cup, it did not overflow like the Allrecipes cake.
The panelists thought that this mug cake had a great texture, though it was a bit dry. One panelist’s cake section had a lump of unincorporated flour, although this may have been human error rather than a problem with the recipe. The overall taste was pretty good, if a little weak.
“[It’s] the La Croix of cake,” one panelist said, “it was once in a room with flavor.”
Ease - ★★★★☆
Flavor - ★★★★☆
Texture - ★★★☆☆
Spice Bangla’s “1 Minute Perfect Chocolate Mug Cake in Microwave”
Image from YouTube video by Spice Bangla
Image by Torin Hough
The final mug cake recipe that the panelists tested was Spice Bangla’s “1 Minute Perfect Chocolate Mug Cake in Microwave.” This recipe used similar ingredients to the other mug cakes, with one difference: the (optional) addition of milk chocolate chips. While milk chocolate chips may not be considered a pantry staple, the kitchen that the panelists were using fortunately had them.
The microwaving times included in the instructions left the cake completely cooked, although the melted chocolate made it difficult to tell. If anything, the mug cake may have been slightly overcooked. Panelists reported that the texture was just a little bit dry, leaving the cake to coat the insides of one’s mouth. The chocolate flavor, however, was far and above the best of the recipes tested, perhaps thanks to the addition of chocolate chips. The panelists also thought that the Spice Bangla recipe produced the best overall quantity of mug cake.
Ease - ★★★☆☆
Flavor - ★★★★★
Texture - ★★★★☆
“Home-brew” Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake
Image by Torin Hough
After cooking five mug cakes based off of various internet recipes, the panelists attempted to invent their own mug cake recipe. They upped the amount of flavor-boosting ingredients while trying to maintain the ratios that produced the best textures.
“Home-brew” Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe:
Mix a large pinch of salt, two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, a splash of vanilla extract, one and a half tablespoons of milk, two tablespoons of canola oil, a third of a teaspoon of instant espresso powder, two tablespoons of sugar, and milk chocolate chips in a large mug.
Microwave for one minute and 15 seconds (75 seconds).
Surprisingly, the homemade mug cake recipe produced the best cake out of all recipes tested. The panelists thought that this mug cake was clearly the best one, thanks to the outstanding flavor and richness of the cake. The texture did not compare with some of the other mug cakes. It was “like eating oily sand,” as one panelist said, being both too oily and too grainy. Still, that did not detract from the much-improved flavor.
Ease - ★★★☆☆
Flavor - ★★★★★(★)
Texture - ★★☆☆☆
Alternatively, by adding chocolate chips, more salt, or instant espresso to any of the preceding recipes, their flavors may be much improved without disrupting the superior textures. Different cooking times may be preferred by different people, too, depending on if one is aiming for something more fudgy than cake-like. Mug cakes can be a great platform for experimentation because of their small size and quick results.
Ranked List of Mug Cakes
Below is a ranking of the six mug cakes that the panelists tried. Overall, the list is arranged based on how enjoyable a given cake was to eat and, as an extension, how well it fits the cravings that often incite the baking of a mug cake.
1. The “home-brew” mug cake
This self-invented mug cake recipe astonished the panelists by being the cake that they most enjoyed. The strong flavor that so many of the other mug cakes lacked helped to shoot it to the top of the list.
2. Spice Bangla’s “1 Minute Perfect Chocolate Mug Cake in Microwave”
Our second-favorite mug cake, and our favorite from a recipe, was Spice Bangla’s mug cake. The panelists pinpointed the addition of chocolate chips to the cake as a major plus. The improved flavor and texture of half-melted chocolate secured this mug cake as second overall.
3. Hello Lana’s “2 Minute Microwave Brownies in a Mug!”
The third mug cake on the list is by Hello Lana. While nothing stood out as being particularly special about this cake, a good overall flavor and no significant problems with texture gave it a ranking in the upper middle of the pack. This is the highest mug cake without chocolate chips.
4. Allrecipes’s “Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake”
Allrecipes had a perfectly decent mug cake recipe. The flavor, texture, and portion size worked together to create a mug cake that is not going to be featured in a French patisserie any time soon but is a good fix for a late-night craving. The main problem with this recipe is that the batter can overflow during microwaving, so it is important to use a very large mug or place a plate or bowl beneath the cake.
5. The New York Times’ “Chocolate Mug Cake”
The New York Times produced a dissatisfying mug cake. The near-ideal texture of the cake was overshadowed by the disastrously bad flavor. In fact, some panelists thought that this mug cake recipe was near sixth; it was only the edibility compared with My Recipes’ cake that saved it from being last.
6. My Recipes’ “1 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake in Lock-down”
My Recipes’ mug cake is solidly last. It was inedible. The flavor may have been fine, especially if one is accustomed to the taste of raw flour, but this cake was - and the panelists cannot stress this enough - inedible.