Chocolate Nutella Mug Cake

Do you ever get a craving for cake but don't feel like taking an hour to make an entire cake or make the effort to go out and get one? That seems to be a weekly dilemma for me and most the time my tummy is left feeling sad from the lack of chocolately goodness, but not anymore! I'll let you in on a little secret, now you can have the cake you were craving in under 5 minutes without leaving the comfort of your own home. I know some of you are skeptical about it but I have the perfect recipe for a single serving of cake and all you will need is a microwave. Yes, a microwave. This recipe is perfect for students living in the dorms and its so simple even those who are baking-impaired can't fail at this. So lets get started!

For this recipe, you will need:

3 tbsp all purpose flour

2 tbsp hot cocoa powder

3 tbsp Nutella

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp heavy cream

1 egg

2 tbsp butter

If you don't have hot cocoa powder, regular cocoa powder will also work but remember to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar. You can also use regular milk instead of heavy cream for a less rich cake. And the very last thing you will need is a microwavable cup. I thought this one from Kate Spade was appropriate for this recipe. This polka dot Kate Spade mug or this adorable monkey face cup from Pier 1 are also good options!

First you need to melt the butter in the cup. Do it slowly in 15 second intervals. You don't want the butter to get too hot. After it is all melted, swirl the butter around the mug to coat the sides so the cake won't stick to the cup later.

Next add the Nutella and heavy cream to the cup and mix until blended. Then crack in the egg and mix again. Be sure to mix the egg in thoroughly though, you don't want pieces of scrambled eggs later in the final product! 

Finally add all the dry ingredients into the cup and give that bad boy a good stir until everything is smooth and a cake batter consistency. Pop the mug into the microwave and you are now 90 seconds away from chocolatey Nutella heaven!

Your cake will rise in the cup and look like its going to spill over the side but don't worry, after you take it out of the microwave it'll deflate a bit. When the microwave beeps, your cake is ready to be eaten and it only look you 3 minutes from start to finish. The final result is a delicious mug of rich, moist chocolate cake. 

If you're like me, a simple cake won't do. I chose to dress mine up with some fresh raspberries and green tea ice cream. But feel free to add whatever you want. Fresh whipped cream would be amazing with this or even some hot fudge if you truly want a decadent treat.

Now go on, I know you want to go test this little recipe out for yourself. Bon appetit!