Mugcake: the original cupcake.
That’s not entirely true. Cupcakes were originally baked in teacups before fancy pans and crinkly papers. Before cupcakes were even cool! So I guess technically teacupcakes were the original cupcake, but teacups already have a nauseating Disneyworld ride named after them, so lets show the mugs a little love.
What you bake your single-serving-round-vessel-with-a-handle-cake in isn’t important. What’s important is what’s inside that vessel. Another thing that’s important is not filling up that vessel more than 2/3 of the way, or you will have spillage like I did. So my mug cake has a muffin top.
To be honest, the perfectionist in me screamed to redo the entire photoshoot because of that muffin top. After much debating in my head, I told my perfectionist no. I decided to just love this mugcake for its muffin top, just as we all should love ourselves for our imperfections. So I’m looking at it as a lesson in self-love. And mugcake love.
Why spelt? There are two reasons I chose spelt flour: 1) I finally found One Degree Organic’s Sprouted Spelt Flour. 2) I really wanted to try One Degree Organic’s Sprouted Spelt Flour. And so I did.
No it is not gluten-free, but it is much easier to digest than wheat flour thanks to all it’s ancient-grain sprouted magic. But wheat flour, all-purpose, or a gluten-free blend will work too.
Chocolate Cinnamon Mugcake with Caramel Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Ingredients
- FOR THE CARAMEL FROSTING
- 8–10 pitted medjool dates
- 2/3 cup water
- FOR THE MUGCAKE
- 1/3 cup spelt flour (I used One Degree Organic Sprouted Spelt Flour)
- 2 tbsps of the caramel frosting (above)
- 2 tbsps coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
- 3–4 tbsps water
Instructions
- FOR THE CARAMEL FROSTING: Blend the dates and water on high until smooth.
- FOR THE MUGCAKE: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir it up.
- Pour into a mug. Only fill it 2/3 of the way.
- Microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high.
- Top with the frosting and devour!
You know mug cakes are my life! And obviously chocolate and cinnamon are pretty much always in them 😛
Yep they are essential! I thought it was about time I had a mugcake recipe around here 🙂
These look amazing, even with the muffin top!!! Can’t wait to try them….that a great treat. Thanks!
I guess technically it should be a mugcake-top, since its not a muffin, but then no one would know what I was talking about 🙂
These pictures are so gorgeous and completely swoon-worthy!! I’ve never tried putting date caramel IN my mugcake! So intrigued. As soon as I get more dates, this is going dooooowwwnnnn. (also how sad is it that I only have one date left – I’m heartbroken hahah)
That is a date tragedy!! I get sad when I only have one pack of dates left, let alone just one single date! The date caramel acts in place of oil or applesauce, and dates make everything better 🙂
yum Natalie especially that cinnamon! and I also really like that muffin top it makes it look more indulgent (or maybe that’s just me hehe) lovely recipe!!
I agree, it makes it look like it’s so much delicious chocolate the mug can’t even contain it 🙂 haha
Yummy! Mugcake top and all. The photos are beautiful too!
Thank you Melissa!
Muffin top, shmuffin top, all I’m seeing is CARAMEL on CAKE!! 😛 Yum.
Yep there’s a bit of that going on 😉
I LOVE the muffin top, seriously it looks gorgeous and like a soufflés! I’m so going to make this and I will tag you when I do. In fact, I’m going to use my 3 ingredient peanut butter caramel for the caramel part…since I still have some left. I’ll add a pinch of salt and espresso to make it taste extra chocolatey…..mmmm. I love espresso in chocolate. Looks gorgeous!!
Oh my goodness!! I think I’m going to like your version even better than mine! I can’t wait to see how you add the espresso, because honestly I’ve never baked with espresso and don’t really know how to. But I love the flavor of it with chocolate…or without chocolate 🙂
This looks fantastic and I’m glad you didn’t redo the photo shoot. I have the same doubts about my shoots often but I’ve decided to be more accepting as well.
It can be hard to go against the inner perfectionist! I usually just tell myself that I’m the only one who will notice the imperfections, and redoing the shoot is just wasting precious time i could be making other things…and sometimes I believe myself 😉
A mugcake with caramel frosting? I’m loving it so much, and I’m glad you didn’t redo the photoshoot, I accept it all (for myself!) as it is <3
★★★★★
Thanks Lily! Chocolate + caramel is hard to beat, especially when it appears before you in less than 5 minutes 🙂
Don’t worry about the top – it’s perfect as it is! And I imagine it was wonderful. It looks so good & soft – like a chocolate pillow 😀
Thanks Bianca! I love that description <3 haha
I love mug cakes so much – they are so quick to make and so satisfying to eat 🙂 I love the pictures, and I know how you feel about being perfectionist. I made healthy ‘pop tarts’ today and most of them split open, because I didn’t poke enough holes/put too much filling in them. I figured I should redo them all, but hey, actually it gives them character and so I decided to embrace their imperfection and they will end up on my blog next week 😉
Yes!! Pop-tarts with personality, I love it <3 Can't wait to see them 🙂
Ha, I have to remember the pop-tarts with personality line, you will be quoted on my post 😉 If you want to get a sneak peak, I just posted a picture on my Instagram 🙂
Hehe glad I could contribute to your post with my alliteration 🙂 And I’m even more excited after seeing the IG pic!!
Just tried this and it was so good! Any tips on changing it to a matcha flavored one? 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it! You could try leaving out the cacao and adding about 1 tsp matcha powder, and I can certainly work on an actual matcha mug cake recipe soon too!
Can’t wait to try this, however I don’t own a microwave, can this be baked in an oven? Waiting eagerly as I drool!
Absolutely! Usually about 12-15 minutes at 350F works best for mugcakes, you just want the center to bounce back when lightly pressed and not feel gooey anymore–then its done 🙂 Enjoy!