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This tender and delicious gluten free mug cake is made in 1 minute in the microwave. Learn the secrets to making it moist and tender every time!
It's the perfect solution to tasty last-minute gluten free desserts. Once you try it, I know you'll agree that something this tasty shouldn't also be so insanely quick and easy.
Why this is the best gluten free chocolate mug cake recipe ever
I think you'll agree that most recipes for a chocolate mug cake are rubbery and just plain unappetizing. But it doesn't have to be that way!
We've made a Chocolate Cake for 1 with just 3 simple ingredients, and a classic flourless chocolate cake with chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar and cocoa powder. Many of you asked if that single serve chocolate cake could be made in the microwave, but since it has eggs, it would turn to rubber.
To create a quick sweet treat that stayed light and fluffy even after a round in the microwave, I had to do some work — oh, there was so much experimentation! But here’s what I found:
A moist and tender gluten free chocolate mug cake can be done! It's meant to be microwaved for just about 1 minute at 1000 watts (you can easily adjust any microwave down with power levels), and I can guarantee delicate, non-rubbery results.
If you love mug cakes (or have never tried one before), keep reading because I’m going to blow your mind with this super fast, super easy, and incredibly delicious gluten free mug cake recipe.
Wait… why make a gluten free mug cake to begin with?
Maybe you have an iron will and can resist the call of a big, chocolatey cake sitting on the counter looking all chocolatey and tempting. That’s certainly not the case for most of us!
Whether you’re watching your weight or don’t like to see food go to waste, mug cakes are great because they allow you to have a single serving of the good stuff without a ton of work or a big mess.
They’re perfect for late-night snacks, impromptu desserts, and more!
Gluten free mug cake ingredients
- Gum free gluten free flour – For this recipe, you need to use my gum free blend, which means there’s no xanthan gum; it contains mostly superfine rice flour, but with smaller amounts of potato starch and tapioca starch.
- Cocoa powder – This is what gives your cake that rich chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder – Baking powder helps your cake rise so it comes out fluffy rather than dense.
- Salt – Just the tiniest pinch really sets off the flavor of this gf mug cake.
- Sugar – Cocoa powder on its own won’t satisfy your sweet tooth, so we need to add a bit of sugar for taste and tenderness.
- Butter – There’s no egg in this recipe, so we turn to butter for richness and added tenderness from the fat.
- Milk – Using milk instead of water also helps with the cake’s decadence.
- Chocolate – We’re not picky when it comes to the additional chocolate: Use chocolate chips, baking chocolate, or even leftover candy.
Recipe tips
To make this versatile, delicious recipe even better, and utterly perfect every time, I've got a handful of tips for you.
Skip the egg, and use the right gf flour blend
The first secret to success: what's not in there. A basic gum free gluten free flour blend, and no eggs. Hey, you can even make this vegan by using vegan chips, nondairy milk, and vegan butter (Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen are the best brands) in place of butter.
Layer a piece of chopped chocolate in the middle of the batter
Here's another secret to success: adding a bit of chocolate in the middle of the batter. The chocolate melts pretty gently in the microwave and helps to keep the cake moist as it cooks—and as it cools.
Don't overfill your mug
To keep from making a huge mess, it’s important that you don’t fill your mug higher than the half-way point. This is because your batter will rise dramatically as it cooks in the microwave.
So don’t panic if you see a wall of chocolate slowly exploding from your cup; it will all settle with no issue, so long as you don’t overfill.
(To stay on the safe side, I would suggest that no matter how much batter you add to your cup, you should place a napkin or plate under your mug to catch any accidental spills.)
Here's how to adjust the power of your microwave to 1000 watts
And my final secret to success: Adjusting the power of your microwave to approximate 1000 watts by microwaving at a reduced power level if necessary.
About microwave wattage
My microwave is a basic, countertop LG model. I had absolutely no idea what its wattage was. So I looked it up! It's 1200 watts.
I either microwave the cake for up to 1 minute 20 seconds at 80% power, or closer to 1 minute at 90% power. Don't be afraid to stop the microwave, check the cake with a toothpick, and restart it.
And err on the side of undercooking, rather than overcooking.
Can you make this microwave gf mug cake without a microwave?
No, but you can make our flourless chocolate cake for 1 in the oven. This cake should only be made in the microwave.
This is the perfect recipe for when you need a quick chocolate fix (after the kids are in bed!) Or when it's too hot to turn on the oven. Or when your kitchen is under construction.
Links:
How to find out your microwave's wattage
Diner coffee mug (aff link)
Don't burn yourself — this gluten free mug cake will be hot
And lastly, a safety tip: Be very careful when removing your made-in-a-mug chocolate cake from the microwave. It will be hot, and it will stay that way for a couple of minutes.
Use oven mitts to remove the mug from the microwave, and then set it on a heat resistant surface to cool. I suggest letting it sit for at least 3 minutes before digging in.
Can you store leftover gluten free mug cake for later?
In a word, I’d say: No.
To expand a bit, I highly doubt you’re going to have leftover chocolate cake. Each cup is a single serving, and the cake’s so delicious you’ll likely want seconds instead.
If you were thinking you need storage instructions because you want to make a gluten free cake in a mug in advance, I’d recommend against that idea. There’s really no reason to make one to store for later as these cakes take but mere minutes to put together.
But let’s say for the sake of argument that you really couldn’t finish your cake (or maybe your second helping?) and need to save the rest. Try leaving the cake in the mug and covering the opening tightly with plastic wrap. Store your cake in the fridge for no longer than 2 hours, otherwise it will dry out.
Reheating a gluten free mug cake
When you’re ready to eat your leftover cake, pop the mug back into the microwave for just 15-20 seconds, at 50% power. That’s long enough to warm it up without drying it out.
Chocolate gluten free mug cake: substitution notes
Dairy free
In this gluten free mug cake recipe, we have dairy in the butter, milk, and chocolate. Thankfully, you can switch these out for substitutes fairly easily.
Instead of butter, use vegan butter (my favorite brands are Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen). In place of the dairy milk, you can use an unsweetened dairy free milk of your choosing, such as almond or coconut milk.
And for the chocolate, you can use a piece of dark chocolate (most of which is dairy free) or choose a dairy free option.
Vegan
As this recipe is already egg free, all you need to do to make a vegan, gluten free chocolate mug cake is follow my instructions above for replacing the dairy! Just be sure your sugar isn't made with bone char.
Flavor variations
I am perfectly satisfied with this chocolate cake as it is, but if you’d like to try something a little different, I have a few suggestions:
- Dark chocolate: Add dark chocolate chips for that stronger chocolate flavor
- Mocha: Try replacing some or all of the milk with an equal amount of strong brewed coffee
- Peanut butter: For a flourless chocolate mug cake made with nut butter, we've got a separate recipe for that; use peanut butter as your nut butter choice.
- Peppermint: Make your microwave mug cake a little festive with a couple of drops of peppermint extract
- Rocky road: Toss in a few chopped nuts and mini marshmallows when mixing your batter
Chocolate gluten free mug cake topping ideas
Do toppings work with this gluten free cake in a mug from the microwave? Absolutely! Just let the cake cool for a few minutes before adding things like:
- Ice cream
- Frosting
- Whipped cream
- Caramel sauce
FAQs
Because the cocoa powder is what imparts the greatest flavor in this cake, I suggest springing for a box of the good stuff. Personally, I love Dutch-pressed, which has richer chocolate flavor; my favorite brand is Rodelle.
No, you cannot use almond or coconut flour in my gluten free chocolate mug cake recipe. These flours just won’t give you the same taste and texture.
If you’re set on using coconut flour, you’ll need to look for a mug cake recipe that was specifically designed to use them. For one made with almond flour, try our chocolate Paleo mug cake!
A larger 10 to 12-ounce mug is perfect for making this chocolate gluten free mug cake. If you don’t have an oversized cup, you can use a smaller one, just take care not to overfill it so the batter doesn’t overflow in your microwave.
No, the recipe won't work without the cocoa powder. While it’s not that easy, my gluten free vanilla mug cake recipe isn’t much harder to make than this chocolate one.
Although I don’t advise storing prepared mug cake, I highly recommend putting together a mug cake mix so that it takes even less time to “bake” a cake in the microwave when the mood strikes.
To assemble your gluten free mug cake mix, just combine the dry ingredients from my recipe and store them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to make the cake, add the butter and milk, and you’re ready to go.
Did you forget the baking powder or add too much liquid? Those are usually the reasons for a dense cake.
Did you lower your microwave oven power? Overcooking the cake will make it dry.
If you leave your gluten free mug cake in the microwave too long, it may turn rubbery and gummy.
Gluten Free Mug Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Microwave oven
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (35 g) basic gum free gluten free flour blend, (23 grams superfine white rice flour + 8 grams potato starch + 4 grams tapioca starch/flour)
- 2 tablespoons (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch-processed
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar, (can reduce to 1 1/2 tablespoons (18 g) for a less sweet version)
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons (1.5 fluid ounces) milk, any kind, at room temperature
- ½ ounce chopped chocolate, any kind
Instructions
- Grease a microwave-safe mug or mason jar with at least an 8-ounce capacity and set it aside.
- In a small bowl, place the flour blend, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the butter and milk, and whisk until well-combined and smooth, working out any clumps of cocoa powder that may have formed. The batter will be smooth and thickly pourable.
- Pour half of the batter in the prepared mug or jar, add the 3 chocolate wafers or chips, and cover with the remaining cake batter in an even layer.
- Place the mug in your microwave oven and cook at about 1000 watts for 1 minute. (See Recipe Notes about microwave wattage.)
- Test with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. If not, cook for up to another 20 seconds at about 1000 watts. Allow to cool briefly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Really delicious and not too sweet at all! I used King Arthur’s 1:1 gluten free flour which has xantham gum, so I omitted the baking powder. I was a little concerned because of how thick the batter was initially… it was more like a paste. Being that I’ve never made a mug cake before, I decided to add about 3 more tbsp of oatmilk and it was perfect! So light and fluffy!! And I also added some chocolate chips and peanut butter chips! Will definitely be making this again and playing around with the toppings. Loved it!