Radical self-care in a mug: single-serve chocolate cake, flavored with rich, savory miso. Mix in one mug. Microwave for 90 seconds. Time for an ultra-delicious, decadently gooey and luscious serving of chocolate cake!

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If you’ve ever needed to indulge a chocolate craving FAST — this simple, microwavable dessert is for you!

Easy Chocolate Mug Cake with Miso

A single-serve, individual Chocolate Mug Cake? Just for me?

That’s the miracle of mug cake — a single serving of cake, cooked in the microwave. Simple and fast, Mug Cakes are mixed in one mug and microwaved into a cake that’s moist, soft, and fluffy.

The combination of chocolate and Miso paste takes mug cake to another level! (Thank you to Alex’s Miso Hot Chocolate for the inspiration). The easy, accessible, decadently rich dessert we all need!

Ingredients:

• Miso Paste. Salty, savory fermented soybean paste adds so much depth of flavor! Although you could certainly leave it out and still enjoy a delicious chocolate mug cake — this is the ingredient that makes this single-serve dessert truly special.
• Cocoa Powder. For deep, chocolate flavor.
• Flour. Provides structure.
• Baking Powder. For rise. It is a cake, after all.
• Maple Syrup. Adds sweetness to balance the miso paste. I like the mild, amber-hued sweetness of maple syrup but you can sub with white granulated sugar if you don’t have it.
• Oil. Keeps the cake nice and moist. Any neutral-flavored cooking oil works well. Grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, or canola oil are all good options.
• Milk. Adds richness. I recommend whole fat (homo), 2%, or 1% milk. Plant-based milk also works but the rise won’t be as high.
• Chocolate Chips. Melt into little gooey pockets of chocolate goodness! I like semi-sweet chocolate chips but if you prefer sweeter, use milk chocolate or white chocolate chips.

Instructions:

1. In a microwavable mug, add dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
2. Add wet ingredients directly into the mug: milk, oil, maple syrup, and miso paste. Whisk well, making sure to smash miso paste with the back of the fork.
3. Microwave for 90 seconds. The cake will rise!
4. Garnish if desired and enjoy immediately.

Pro Tips:

• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream for a decadent dessert!
• Smash miso paste with a fork. Otherwise, it will not incorporate into the rest of the batter. It’s ok to have small chunks here and there but the miso paste should be well mixed and not left in one big clump.

What is Miso Paste?

Miso is Japanese fermented soybean paste. Miso is salty, savory, and full of umami flavor.

Miso comes in a range of flavor intensities — from lightly fermented White Miso to darker, more strongly flavored Red Miso. Generally, the more fermented the Miso paste, the stronger the taste and color. Fermentation adds SO much flavor to food!

Miso tastes great in savory preparations — for example, Miso Soup or Miso Glazed Salmon Skewers.

Miso also tastes great when paired with sweet. Miso adds a layer of flavor and complexity. It’s not just salty — it’s got depth and buttery richness that make desserts truly amazing. Especially chocolate. Every bite is deliciously satisfying.

FYI, for sweet preparations, I recommend White or Shiro Miso Paste. Red Miso is strongly flavored and can be overpowering in desserts.

Easy dessert recipes:

• Instant Pot Creme Brulee with Cinnamon
• Air Fryer Cheesecake
• M&M Chocolate Popcorn
• Coconut Mochi Cake

Easy Chocolate Mug Cake with Miso

The Subversive Table | Lis Lam

Radical self-care in a mug: single serve chocolate cake, flavored with rich, savory miso.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Calories 452 kcal

Equipment

• Microwaveable Mug
• Microwave

Ingredients

  

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Dry Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp milk
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp Miso paste (White or Shiro Miso work best)

Other:

• 1 Tbsp chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet but use what you like best)

Optional toppings:

• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
• 1 scoop whipped cream
• dusting powdered sugar
• dusting cocoa powder + cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp toasted + chopped walnuts

Instructions

 

• Add dry ingredients to a large, microwaveable mug. Add wet ingredients. Mix well. (I use a mini whisk but a fork also works).
• Make sure the miso paste is mostly dissolved and not left in one big chunk. I gently smash the miso paste against the side of the cup with a fork. It's OK if there's small bits of miso.
• Add chocolate chips. Don't skip this step as the chips melt into tiny pockets of gooey deliciousness! Gently mix again.
• Microwave on high until the cake is set in the center, about 90 seconds. It's OK if the middle is a little bit gooey. The cake should puff then deflate. The mug cake will be steaming hot so be careful! Add any or all of the suggesting toppings and enjoy!

Notes

*Microwave ovens vary.  For mine, 90 seconds is the perfect cook time.  You may need to add less or more time.  

**For a vegan version, substitute milk with plant-based milk of choice. It won’t be as fluffy but it will still work.  

***The instructions state to mix in a mug.  But I find it easier to measure ingredients into a bowl and whisk furiously.  This quickly breaks up the miso paste and emulsifies the cocoa powder, which is hydrophobic and somewhat tricky to combine with all that liquid.  Then, using a spatula, scrape into the mug.  

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 8gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 373mgPotassium: 437mgFiber: 5gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 53IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 221mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Chocolate, Miso, Mug Cake

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