Chocolate Berry Mug Cake

Name: Chocolate Berry Mug Cake
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 cup (37 g) plus 1/2 teaspoon all purpose flour, divided; 2 tablespoons (27 g) plus 2 teaspoons (9 g) granulated sugar, divided; 1/2 cup (70 g) frozen berries (to use fresh berries, see note 1); 1 tablespoon cocoa powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; pinch salt; 5 tablespoons (74 ml) milk; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil (canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.); 2 tablespoons (28 g) chocolate chips (any kind)

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This Chocolate Berry Mug Cake is a quick and easy way to get your chocolate fix. The bottom layer consists of a sweet and juicy berry sauce (using either fresh or frozen berries!). The berry sauce is then topped with a rich, fudgy chocolate cake. You can make this indulgent dessert in only about 10 minutes!

chocolate berry mug cake turned out on plate with mug on the side

Note: this post was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2021 with new photos and improved instructions.

Sometimes you're craving a special dessert and store-bought cookies or ice cream just won't do. If you're short on time or you don't want a ton of leftovers, that's a perfect time for a mug cake! And this chocolate berry mug cake is one of my absolute favorites. This is no ordinary mug cake - it pulls out all the stops. Fudgy chocolate cake with chocolate chips, AND a juicy, sweet berry sauce at the bottom of the mug!

Plus, you can make this dessert with mostly pantry ingredients and frozen berries (or fresh, if you prefer!). By using frozen berries, you can make this recipe without any pre-planning, and at any time of the year, as long as you've got a bag of berries stashed in the freezer!

And, if you're a mug cake fan like me, you need to try some of my other favorite mug cake creations: how about snickerdoodle mug cake, apple cinnamon mug cake, or strawberry shortcake mug cake?

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Recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

Frozen berries: you can use one type or a mix of a few different types of berries. Cut up any large strawberries before using in the recipe. If you want to substitute fresh berries, see the Recipe FAQs section!
Oil: any light oil will work, like vegetable oil or canola oil.
Milk: any kind, I have used both 2% and whole milk.
Chocolate chips: I highly recommend not leaving these out! They melt into the cake and help create a rich, fudgy texture. My go-to for this recipe is dark chocolate chips. You could substitute chunks of chopped chocolate if you don't have chips.

Step by step photos

1. Add frozen berries, ½ teaspoon flour and 2 teaspoons sugar to the mug. The flour helps to thicken the berry sauce. (Greasing the mug first is optional - see the tips and tricks section!)

Keep stirring the berry, sugar and flour mixture until no dry pockets of flour and sugar remain.

collage of berries and sugar being mixed together in mug on left and berries fully mixed with sugar on right

2. Place a folded paper towel on top of the mug and microwave for 45 seconds, or until berries are warm and juicy. Stir again.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients. Here I'm using my favorite mini whisk (affiliate link). It's the perfect size for mug cake batter!

dry ingredients being mixed in small bowl with small empty bowls on the side

4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry. Whisk with a fork or mini whisk until most of the lumps are gone.

collage of milk being poured into dry ingredients on left and finished mixed batter on right

5. Stir in the chocolate chips.

chocolate chips being added into cake batter

6. Pour the chocolate cake batter on top of the berries, but do not stir!

cake batter being poured on top of berries in mug

7. Place the folded paper towel back on top of the mug and microwave for 90 seconds on high, or until the cake is cooked through. The cake is done when the top is firm with no wet batter on the top or sides.

If you want to and you've greased the mug, try unmolding the cake into a bowl or plate. Enjoy!

Tips and tricks

If you want to unmold the mug cake, spray the inside of the mug with non-stick spray before you add the first berry layer, making sure to get the sides really well! Or you can grease the mug with oil or butter. When the cake is done, run a knife or toothpick around edges to help unmold it if needed.

Make sure you mix the flour and sugar into the berries really well before microwaving. You don't want any pockets of dry flour in the corner. It may not seem like all the flour and sugar will incorporate at first, but as you keep mixing, it will start to combine with the moisture from the berries. Mixing well at this stage will ensure the berry sauce is nice and smooth!

Also, I recommend pouring the batter over the berries slowly and gently, which will help keep the berries on the bottom rather than pushing them to the side. This way, when you unmold the cake, the berries will be beautifully displayed on the top!

Recipe FAQs

Can I use fresh berries instead of frozen?

Yes, you can substitute fresh berries for the frozen berries!

I actually found that the frozen berries get more "saucy" after microwaving than fresh berries. To replicate that desirable saucy texture of the frozen berries, lightly press down on the fresh berries when mixing them with the small amount of flour and sugar. You don't need to crush them completely, but break up a few of them so some juice is released.

And, rather than microwaving them for 45 seconds, you only need 30 seconds. Then, you can follow the rest of the recipe instructions as written.

What are the best kinds of berries to use?

I prefer to use a mix of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. I found that they produce the most deep flavor and juicy texture! Strawberries will also work, just cut any large ones into bite-sized pieces first. Want to get more creative with your berry selection? Check out this list of 25 types of berries!

How do I keep the mug cake from overflowing?

Because this mug cake has a lot of liquid from the berries, it's possible you may have some spatter or overflow in the microwave. To help catch any spatter, place a paper towel on top of the mug when microwaving.

Also, be sure to use a mug that is large enough; you will need a microwave-safe mug that holds at least 12 ounces (355 ml).

Finally, if you want extra insurance against mess in the microwave, place the mug on top of a microwave-safe plate to catch any potential drips!

chocolate berry mug cake on plate with mug and napkin in background

Oreo mug cake in white mug with black spoon — **Oreo Mug Cake**

gingerbread mug cake with scoop taken out and spoon sitting on the side — **Gingerbread Mug Cake**

mocha mug cake with raspberries and spoon — **Mocha Mug Cake**

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Chocolate Berry Mug Cake

Print Recipe

5 from 7 reviews

You can use berries straight from the freezer, plus a few other basic pantry ingredients, to make an indulgent, rich and fudgy cake with a tangy and sweet berry sauce at the bottom of the mug!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving 1x
Category: dessert
Method: microwave
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

¼ cup (37 g) plus ½ teaspoon all purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons (27 g) plus 2 teaspoons (9 g) granulated sugar, divided
½ cup (70 g) frozen berries (to use fresh berries, see note 1)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
5 tablespoons (74 ml) milk
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil (canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.)
2 tablespoons (28 g) chocolate chips (any kind)

Instructions

Optional pre-step: If you want to unmold the mug cake rather than eating it right from the mug, spray the inside of the mug with non-stick cooking spray or grease it with oil or butter.
In a large, microwave-safe mug, add the frozen berries, ½ teaspoon flour and 2 teaspoons sugar. (If using strawberries, cut up any large ones into bite-sized pieces before adding.) Stir well to combine, there should be no remaining pockets of dry flour or sugar at the bottom of the mug.
Cover the mug with a folded paper towel to catch any potential spatter. Microwave the berry mixture on high for 45 seconds, or until the berries are juicy and warm (they do not need to be hot, just not cold!). Stir the berry mixture again and set the mug aside.
Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, combine the remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and pinch of salt.
Add the oil and milk to the dry ingredients and whisk well with a fork or small whisk until most of the lumps are gone. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Slowly pour the cake batter over top of the berry mixture. Do not stir. Replace the paper towel on top of the mug and microwave again on high for 90 seconds. Check the top and sides of the mug cake (see note 3). If you see any wet batter remaining, microwave again in 10 second increments on high until the cake is cooked through. When checking for wet batter, make sure you aren't looking at a melted chocolate chip instead! (My cake needed the extra 10 seconds after the initial 90.)
Unmold the cake onto a plate or bowl, or enjoy straight out of the mug!

Notes

You can also substitute fresh berries for the frozen berries in this recipe. When mixing the berries in the mug with the ½ teaspoon flour and 2 teaspoons sugar, lightly break up a few of the berries with a spoon to release some of the juices. Then, microwave them for only 30 seconds, rather than the 45 seconds called for in the recipe.

Be sure to use a microwave-safe mug that holds at least 12 ounces (355 ml) to ensure the mug cake does not overflow. For extra insurance, you can also place the mug on top of a microwave-safe plate to catch any potential drips in the microwave.

To more easily check the sides of the mug cake to see if it's cooked all the way through, here is what I like to do: tilt the mug about 45 degrees and slide a butter knife down between the cake and the mug. Press the cake slightly inward with the knife. This way you can see all the way down to the bottom!

The nutrition information below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 mug cake
Calories: 555
Sugar: 52.6 g
Sodium: 194 mg
Fat: 20.9 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 90 g
Fiber: 5.1 g
Protein: 8.8 g
Cholesterol: 6 mg

Keywords: chocolate berry mug cake, berry mug cake

Chocolate Berry Mug Cake