5-Minute Nutella Mug Cake

I have a long string of posts in my draft folder. Many of them are recipe ideas – and, in some cases fully developed recipes – that I never got around to finishing up and sharing. Some are holiday-specific recipes that get saved for the next year, while some of them are everyday recipes. This 5-Minute Nutella Mug Cake is an everyday recipe that got caught in the backlog. I’ve been making it here and there, but never posted the recipe because I honestly thought I had already shared it!

This is a great reminder for me to get started on my spring cleaning – of my draft folder, as well as of my inbox and my physical desk. This recipe is also a great motivator, since it only takes a few minutes out of your day and is a nice way to treat yourself while taking a break from all that cleaning.

This recipe makes a single-serving chocolate cake that has a molten Nutella center. It’s indulgent, but even more importantly, it’s easy to make. The mug cake recipe is made in the microwave, and takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish. I recommend mixing it up in a second small bowl, to ensure that all your ingredients combine completely, but you can mix it up in the mug if you want to give that a try and have even less cleanup.

You will need a microwave-safe cup for this recipe. It can be baked in any size mug, but you’ll get the best results in a mug that is 10- or 12-oz in capacity because the cake will fill it up much better than it will a larger mug. That size will also leave you with plenty of room for whipped cream without making the cake look small. No matter what size, it will be tasty.

The recipe uses a two-step cooking method that I’ve used in other mug cake recipes. The Nutella is added after the first stage of cooking, which ensures that it doesn’t melt completely into the batter. By cooking the cake in two stages, you can ensure that the cake cooks evenly and completely. The finished cake should be fluffy and moist, with a molten (or at least very soft) center to it. You should be able to get cake and Nutella in every bite, for loads of rich chocolate hazelnut flavor. I always top mine with whipped cream and chopped hazelnuts for texture, but you can opt for chocolate sprinkles, another type of nut or even a drizzle of chocolate syrup, too.

5-Minute Nutella Mug Cake
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Nutella

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and add in the egg, then whisk vigorously to combine. Add in melted butter and vanilla, then whisk until smooth.
Pour mixture into a 10- or 12-oz mug.
Microwave at 50% power for 45 seconds, then take the mug out and stir your cake with a fork. Add 1 tbsp Nutella to the center of the cake batter, pushing it into the batter slightly, then microwave at 50% power for an additional 60-70 seconds.
Serve cake immediately, topped with whipped cream and chopped hazelnuts, if desired.

Serves 1