Hidden Surprise Mug Cake
with directions for baking in the oven + microwave
It was quite the challenge deciding which new sweet treat recipe I wanted to share ahead of Valentine’s Day next week. The small batch chocolate chip cookies I’ve been working on have been a major hit with the teenager. I’ve tested it about a half dozen times, and even shaped it into a heart during one of my tests, thinking it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Much as I love the chocolate chip cookie recipe, and am excited to share it with you, this little rich chocolate cake for one is more my speed for Valentine’s Day. It can be a special sweet you make for yourself but also easily double, triple, quadruple, etc. to share the love. The little hidden surprise buried in the center can be customized any way you want since it’s just adding your favorite candy. For me, it’s been the M&S chocolate truffles lingering on the antique silver platter on my dining table.
I’m calling this recipe a mug cake but you can use any oven-proof vessel, so long as it’s the correct size, so be sure to read the notes below the recipe for this important info.
While most mug cakes are cooked using the microwave, I also wanted to ensure you’d have success using a regular oven since I know not everyone owns a microwave. I did a lot, I mean a lot, of testing and tweaking on this recipe to land on the right balance between the cocoa, sugar and oil in the recipe.
It’s not an overly sweet cake, which is always my preference when it comes to desserts. The candy added for the surprise also lends a sweet touch. If you decide to not use the candy, you might want to increase the sugar by 1 teaspoon, or be sure to serve it with whipped cream or a dollop of my Salted Peanut Butter Frosting or you could whip up some 7-Minute Marshmallow Frosting—whether you decide to torch it for a burnt marshmallow flavor is up to you! —xo, j.