Trying to convince yourself that with only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes you can have a nutritious and delicious breakfast, what would you say? It seems that eating sweets and taking care of your diet is a complicated decision, but nothing to do with knowing how to reinvent recipes. Today we teach you how to make a delicious chocolate mug cake (muffin in a cup) in a few minutes. No oven, no fridge.
The idea of this sweet is that you have all the necessary nutrients for breakfast (proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats), without falling into the monotony of a bowl of yogurt with whole grains.
flourless chocolate mug cake
We have made it with a ripe banana, but you can also use a roasted apple, carrot or pumpkin. Best of all, it does not contain flour, so the amount of calories ingested is greatly reduced. Also, being a protein recipe, you will notice that you will be satisfied in a short time, and it will even cost you to finish the cupcake.
Mug cakes are simply cakes that you can make in a mug. But not everything is that. Not only can they be made super fast with small amounts of ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, but they're an elevated single-serving pie because they're steamed in the microwave, rather than in the oven.
They are a perfect treat without having to make an entire cake, or a delicious sneaky snack in the middle of the night. Just a few ingredients, in just a few minutes, and all for you. In addition, since it takes just 5 minutes, we will avoid pecking at other unhealthy products while cooking.
Why is it Fit?
This recipe is considered a mug cake fit because it has only three ingredients and they are natural. By not having flour, this cupcake is lower in calories than those we can find in a supermarket. However, it is more satiating due to the properties of the banana and the egg.
The banana provides carbohydrates and fiber, while the egg introduces protein and healthy fat into the recipe. Unlike other microwave muffins, this version is recommended to be eaten with a spoon. The result of the mug cake fit is more like a coulant or mousse. The lack of flour makes it not so thick, although in turn the banana helps to make it compact.
To also be considered fit, we have used defatted cocoa powder. This helps so that sugars are not added to the mix and that the final taste tastes like pure chocolate. However, you can also make this cup cake without chocolate. We will only have to follow the steps, but ignoring the contribution of cocoa. This way you will have a more powerful banana flavor. If we want to add vanilla essence, the flavor will be sweeter, although that of the fruit will not be camouflaged.
How do you cook a Mug Cake?
We've all seen mug cake recipes, where you mix the ingredients together in a mug and place it in the microwave. The idea is quite ingenious, and for those who don't use the microwave much it can be quite a challenge.
Most of us have one of these appliances at home, so its use won't surprise us. Beyond simply heating up our parents' leftovers, you can now make a delicious dessert in just 5 minutes.
If you have a ripe banana, you probably have the rest of the ingredients to make a banana-based mug cake. Mix and stir them together in a cup. Put it in the microwave and a few minutes later, ready to drink. So this small slice of quick-make chocolate banana cake is the perfect excuse to try out the microwave and pot cakes.
We need to make sure to use a mug that is large enough, as the dough will rise a bit in the microwave. When measuring the flour, we have to spoon it into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a knife. We'll also keep a close eye on the mug cake while it's in the microwave and cook it until the center is set. We think 1 minute and 30 seconds is perfect, but the amount of time can vary slightly for each microwave.
It also has to be said that even an extra 15 seconds in the microwave can make the cake really dry. So we will be careful that it does not happen with ours.
Ideal for ketogenic diets
Using overripe bananas provides two-fold benefits. Firstly, it acts as a fantastic substitute for butter or oil, which are normally two key ingredients in any delicious-tasting cake. Second, it's naturally sweet, so there's no need to add sugar or liquid sweetener.
For this banana mug cake to work best, we'll need to use very ripe bananas . If they aren't ripe, they won't mash properly with a fork. Unmashed bananas will result in a very unsatisfying cake, as you won't get the smoothness and sweetness you need. Sometimes we buy bananas that go bad before we can eat them. That's the perfect time to use them to make this mug cake.
Even with the banana, this recipe can be quite low carb and notice that it overpowers the flavor of the actual banana. But, if we prefer to leave the banana, we can change it for 1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree together with a quarter of a teaspoon of banana extract (or to taste). However, for this size of cake, a tablespoon gives the cup cake a good amount of flavor, but if we want to use more, we can use 2 tablespoons of banana without changing the other ingredients.
On the other hand, the absence of flour makes it a perfect mug cake for the keto diet. Either in cereal form or a non-grain alternative (such as coconut flour or almond flour), flour is usually present. In this chocolate cup cake, we won't be using any of those. Instead, good quality cocoa powder will be used to work as a binder. It also adds a dark, rich, chocolaty flavor, something we all appreciate.
Tips for making chocolate mug cake
Although it is a very simple and quick recipe to make, not following some recommendations can affect the final result. There are some tips that we must take into account so that our cup cake turns out perfect.
- Don't over mix your batter. It will be tempting, but mix until all the ingredients are combined. Otherwise, you will have a hard cake.
- You have to beat the egg before adding the other ingredients. This makes it easier to mix the egg into the batter. Once we add the cocoa powder, it's very hard to see the egg to see if it's fully incorporated. If we don't fully mix the egg, the cake will taste like egg.
- When microwaving on high, check after 45 seconds and add more time if necessary.
- Don't cook your cake until the surface is completely dry. You should have a thin layer or flecks of slightly moist dough.
- The mug must not have any metal or metallic paint.
- Be careful when removing the mug from the microwave. It will be very hot, so it is recommended to use a kitchen towel or silicone oven mitt.
- This cake has a semi-sweet dark chocolate level of sweetness. If we want it to be sweeter, we can add 1/2 more tablespoon of sweetener. More than that is not recommended because the dough will have too much liquid and will not cook properly. Other ways to sweeten the cake further are to add chocolate chips to the batter or a sweeter frosting on top.
Necessary material
Mug cakes only require a very basic material. For this recipe we will need:
- A microwave-safe mug. We can also use a microwave-safe pan, but we may need to adjust the cooking times.
- A fork is best for stirring and mashing the plantain in one go. Although you can also use a mortar or spoon.
- Measuring spoons. In the case of not having, as there are few ingredients, we can control the portions well.
- A microwave. We must know how to interpret all the modes that our microwave has so that the mug cake turns out perfect.
- A toothpick or cake tester. It does not need to be very large, we will only need it to check that it is cooked.
How to make a chocolate mug cake in advance
This chocolate mug cake should be eaten right away, but you can mix up a batter from this recipe and keep it in the fridge for 48 hours. Then you can pop it in the microwave when inspiration strikes. However, it is not a very elaborate dough either, so it does not need to be done before. Perhaps the reheated result is not as delicious as eating it at the moment. Since it does not have preservatives, it can lose flavor and density quickly. Also, consuming it cold will have even less flavor.
It is a quick, delicious recipe that children can easily make. They can even take it to school freshly made in the morning. It's also a great way to treat yourself to interesting nutrients and low in calories. It can also be made with apple, if we prefer another type of main flavor.
Can it be done in the oven?
We do not recommend it. This recipe was developed for the microwave only. There will be those who try to bake it, but it must be taken into account that the times and temperatures are not the same. In addition, there are mugs that cannot withstand the high heat of the oven and could result in a disaster.
It takes about 20 minutes to bake. At first, the cupcake cup will rise quite high, almost like a soufflé, but it will sink again as it cools. The eggs would need to be beaten a lot more to create a cake structure that would not sink. It's not the prettiest, especially after it sinks, but it will taste good.
Also, the point of this recipe is that you can make this in the microwave when you're in a pinch. If you prefer to make it in the oven because you do not have a microwave, it is better to look for another recipe.
Can Colacao be used?
If we don't have 100% defatted cocoa powder, Colacao could get us out of gastronomic trouble. However, the nutritional values would alter the entire recipe. The defatted cocoa powder provides hardly any calories and is free of sugar and fat. However, the Colacao preparation provides large amounts of sugar for each tablespoon or envelope. This would make it not suitable for the keto diet, nor would it be a fit or healthy recipe.
Not only will the taste be different, but the result may also vary. It must be taken into account that this product is famous for generating lumps in the milk, so it may not integrate correctly into the final mixture. On the other hand, defatted cocoa does not present any problem in this recipe.
Our advice is to avoid using any other type of chocolate, in the event that we do not have it at the moment. We can make a mugcake without chocolate flavor and it will be just as delicious. In addition, the banana provides enough flavor and aroma to result in a healthy and delicious recipe. And above all, without added sugars.
Is it safe to eat with the center molten?
Yes! After 2 minutes the bottom of the cake will be slightly melted, creating a delicious contrast of textures.
If we want the cake to be stickier, we will heat it in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. At this stage, the dough has warmed up enough to be safe to eat, so there won't be a problem with eating it a bit stickier.
Can it be stored?
Although this muffin in a cup may be the favorite sweet of many, making it in advance would not make much sense. We are talking about this recipe taking no more than 10 minutes to complete. If we wanted to save time and make it days before, conservation would be complicated because it has few ingredients.
It is not recommended to put it in the refrigerator for several days or freeze it. For that, you would have to take it out of the cup and put it in a container suitable for freezing, so the main reason for doing it in the cup to drink it directly is lost. What we can do is wait a few minutes for it to cool down, although the mass will drop in volume drastically.
How to customize it?
This recipe makes the base of the mug cake warm and slightly sticky, but there are many different ways to top it with toppings. Some suggestions are:
- Mix with chopped toasted walnuts
- Add a pinch of cinnamon
- Top with ice cream or whipped cream
- Top with a drizzle of peanut butter, Nutella, or chocolate
- Mixing chocolate chips into the batter for a double chocolate mug cake
- Break up the sweetness of the cake with some fresh fruit. Berries like strawberries, raspberries, and cherries are the perfect match for anything chocolatey.
- The whipped cream gives a light creaminess that breaks up the sweetness, adds moisture, and creates a complete dessert.
