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Hi Bold Bakers!
It’s been a while since I made an ENTIRE cake in the microwave. However, I am back with a highly requested recipe for a 10-Minute Easy Chocolate Cake Made in the Microwave! We’ve made all kinds of Mug Meals, Brownies, and 3 Layer Cakes in the microwave, so “microbaking” is one of our Big and Bold signatures! This Chocolate Cake Made in the Microwave is moist, fudgy, packed with a rich chocolate flavor, and can be made in MINUTES.
If baking a cake intimidates you, allow me to introduce you to this super impressive yet approachable take on a Chocolate Cake!
What Cake Pans Can I Use In The Microwave?
When microbaking it’s really important to use a microwave-safe dish. I use these Silicone Cake Molds. These are the perfect size and material for baking in the microwave.
They are not only safe and easy to clean, but they are flexible which is great for turning out the cooked cakes. If you don’t have molds, don’t worry! Just use any microwave-safe dish.
While this homemade chocolate cake recipe calls for silicone cake molds, you can easily adapt this recipe into my microwave chocolate mug cake recipe as long as you use a microwave-safe mug.
What You’ll Need For This Microwave Chocolate Cake Recipe
- 3 Silicone cake molds and parchment paper
- Sieve
- Large bowl
- Electric hand mixer
- Large spoon
- Microwave
- Cooling rack
How To Make Chocolate Cake In A Microwave
Making a chocolate cake from scratch is easy with this recipe (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below).
- Butter three silicone cake molds and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Place sieve over a large bowl. Add cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar using an electric hand mixer on high.
- Slowly add in eggs and beat on high.
- Mix in yogurt, vanilla, and melted chocolate.
- Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredient with a large spoon.
- Divide batter into cake molds.
- Microwave each cake layer for 2 minutes and 20 seconds.
- Allow to cool completely and turn out on the cooling rack.
- Add chocolate frosting (with my recipe) between the three layers of your cake.
- Line up layers and add frosting to the top.
How Do I Know My Chocolate Cake Is Done?
You will be amazed by how quickly and evenly this chocolate cake bakes in the microwave. You will know the cake is done when it is firm to the touch in the middle and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
How Do I Store Microwave Chocolate Cake?
After the cake has been decorated, cover the cake in cling wrap or a reusable airtight container. Then store at room temperature for up to 4 days. It also freezes really well unfrosted for up to 4 weeks. This makes it a great make-ahead dessert option for all kinds of events and last-minute entertaining.
Tips And Tricks To Making Chocolate Cake In The Microwave:
- You can substitute the eggs with apple sauce, buttermilk, or banana. For quantities reference my Egg Substitute Chart.
- Use any type of yogurt e.g./ plain, Greek, or even dairy-free
- Don’t be tempted to use hot chocolate powder instead of the 1/2 cup of cocoa powder I recommend. They are not the same thing.
- Allow your butter to sit out overnight to come to room temperature before making the batter
- Always start with room temperature eggs. To bring cold eggs to room temperature quicker, put them in a bowl of warm for 10 minutes before using.
- The cook time below is based on my microwave which is 1200 Watts, so your cook time may vary depending on your microwave.
- If you don’t have silicone molds then use any microwave-safe dish.
Get More Microwave Recipes!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
10 Minute Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe Made In The Microwave
Ingredients
- ½ cup (2oz/57g) cocoa powder
- 1½ cups (7.5oz/210g) all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ (6oz/180g) sticks butter, (room temperature)
- 1 cup (8 oz/225g) sugar
- 3 eggs (beaten*)
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (10oz/282g) plain yogurt
- ¼ cup (1.5oz/43g) chocolate (melted)
Frosting:
- 1 recipe Best Ever Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Instructions
- Butter 3 (6-inch) round silicone cake molds and line the bottoms with a round piece of parchment paper.
- Place a sieve over a mixing bowl and add cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sieve ingredients together and set aside.
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add in the eggs and beat on high speed. (High speed will stop this mix from separating.)
- Swiftly mix in the yogurt, vanilla, and melted chocolate and mix in quickly.
- Lastly by hand, using a large spoon fold in flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Divide the batter evenly between 3 silicone cake molds (or any microwave-safe dish).
- One layer at a time, microwave each cake for roughly 2 minutes - 2 minutes 20 seconds. (this cooking time is based on my microwave which is 1200 Watts so your cook time may vary).
- You will know when the cake is done when it's firm to the touch in the middle and it pulls away from the sides of the pan. Take care not to overcook or they will dry out. Remove from the microwave and allow to cool in the pan before turning out on a cooling rack.
To decorate the cake:
- Start by frosting between the layers with a generous scoop of my Best Ever Fudge Frosting. Line up the cakes as you go so your cake isn't leaning in the end. Add more frosting on top and top with fresh berries for color. (see above video for more detail)
- Cover the cake and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. It also freezes really well for up to 4 weeks.
Microwave:
3:20 @600w
3:10 @700w
3:00 @800w
2:50 @900w
2:40 @1000w
2:30 @1100w
2:20 @1200w
For oven:
600F for 25-30 min
Hi Gemma,
I want to make this cake, but I would rather make it in my oven. What temperature would I need to cook it at and for how long? Or should I just use a different recipe?
I’m a beginner in this whole baking thing. The cake took around 5 minutes to cook in my microwave so I was so nervous that it would be a mess.. but the cake turned out great! It was moist and fudgy like a good brownie. I frosted it with cream cheese and decorated the cake with some fake flowers. After eating it, I covered the sliced part with some leftover frosting and put it in the fridge. The next morning, i thought the cake dried out but the cake was as moist it was before. I cut the cake after… Read more »
My mom got mad at me for making it. It was worth it tho
Hello Gemma,
Can we make it in only one mold? and how big would that be and for how long should we bake it in the microwave?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Gemma,
The cake is perfect when it is freshly baked but it is drying out very quick if it is in refrigerator for a day even though the cake is not cut but just frosted and ready. could you tell me why? I have tried with whipped cream and chocolate ganache as well.
Hi Gemma,
Made this cake,it was unbelievably delicious received a lot of compliments, all thanks to you and thank you for sharing the recipe.
Gemma, I’m interested in making this microwave cake; however, your instructions call for 3 6-inch silicone molds, but your link goes to a 7-1/4-inch cake mold. Will this recipe work with the larger mold? Thanks for your help!
Hi! This cake looks delicious. Would heavy cream be a suitable substitute for the yogurt?
Hi Gemma I have an Inverter microwave do you know how long it would take to cook? Thank you