My 5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake Tastes as Good as a Bakery’s

Just wait until you hit the molten peanut butter center.

By
Rebecca Fennel
Rebecca Fennel
Rebecca Fennel
Rebecca Fennel is a Tulsa-based recipe developer, videographer, and social media consultant originally from Boston, Massachusetts. Rebecca now runs a boutique marketing agency for food influencers and brands, serving as a consultant and content creator for accounts like Brocc Your Body and Broma Bakery.
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Published September 29, 2025
Rebecca Fennel
Chocolate peanut butter mug cakes garnished with peanut butter one partially eaten

Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

It’s a Tuesday night and I need a chocolatey dessert RIGHT NOW. So I whip up my five-minute molten peanut butter chocolate microwave mug cake—a moist chocolate cake with a molten peanut butter core.

It tastes like a fluffy chocolate cake you’d get at your favorite bakery, but it’s made with baking staples you probably already have in your pantry. Plus, it's ready in five minutes because it’s cooked right in the microwave. Need I say more?!

Two mugs of chocolate cake with peanut butter drizzle and two spoons on the side

Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

As Easy as Cake

This recipe is inspired by Betty Crocker Warm Delights, which I devoured as a 10-year-old and am yearning for to this day, as the product was discontinued. My favorite flavor was Molten Caramel Chocolate Cake. You mixed the batter in the container it was sold in, drizzled on a packet of caramel sauce, and microwaved until it was perfectly baked. I was obsessed.

This version is nearly as easy as Betty Crocker’s, and just as delicious. It’s made with a moist chocolate cake batter that takes three minutes to whip up, “baked” in the microwave in about one minute, and there’s a hidden pocket of gooey peanut butter in the middle of the cake. Chocolate and peanut butter lovers, run to your kitchen right now because you’re going to fall in love with this dessert!

A spoon with a bite of cake topped with peanut butter in front of a bowl

Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

Tips for Making This Mug Cake

  • Don’t overcook it: If overcooked, this cake gets tough and dry. Take it out of the microwave as soon as the top no longer looks like raw batter.
  • Peanut allergy? Almond butter, pistachio butter, or pumpkin seed butter would be delicious substitutes.
  • Twice as nice: If you’re enjoying this recipe with a friend, simply double the recipe and cook each mug one at a time in the microwave.
Chocolate mug cake topped with drizzled peanut butter a spoon scooping from one mug

Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

Molten Peanut Butter Chocolate Mug Cake

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 1 mins
Total Time 6 mins
Serving 1
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 3 tablespoons milk

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, plus more for topping

Method

  1. Make the batter:

    Spray a large heatproof mug with cooking spray. To a small bowl, add the milk, oil, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, but do not overmix.

  2. Layer with peanut butter in the mug:

    Pour half of the batter into the prepared mug. Dollop the peanut butter on top, then add the remaining batter.

  3. Microwave and serve:

    Microwave on the standard high setting for 1 minute and 10 seconds or until the batter is just barely set on top. VERY IMPORTANT: Do not overcook, or the cake will turn out tough and dry! If the batter is still wet, microwave in 5-second intervals until it’s done.

    Remove the mug from the microwave. Add another dollop of peanut butter on top—as much as your heart desires! Allow the cake to cool (and the peanut butter to melt) for 5 minutes, then dive in with a spoon.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
473 Calories
23g Fat
59g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 473
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 788mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 21%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 139mg 11%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 201mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.