Night Owl Mug Cake

We’ve all had those nights: the ones where you’re up in the wee hours, working feverishly on a new creative project. It’s pitch black outside, quiet inside, and the glow of your computer screen displaying how to make espresso is lighting up the room. I’m normally a morning person, but a few times a year, I get a hankering to pull an all-nighter–usually when coding a website or working on a writing project. And no matter how excited I am when I get started, there’s usually a point in the middle when my mind is still racing, but my eyes start to droop and my stomach starts to rumble. I need a pick me up.

So I created the Night Owl Mug Cake, a quick a delicious treat you can make when the craving for something sweet, warm, and caffeinated grabs you. It’s the perfect excuse to step away from your project for a couple minutes, and can be made any time with items you most likely have in your pantry already.

I was inspired to create this by Gourmesso coffee. They reached out to me, wondering if I wanted to try some of their capsules for my Nespresso machine. (They’re delicious and cost 30% less than your average Nespresso branded capsules!) I love that you can use the machine to create one espresso shot in no time. It works perfectly for the single serving mug cake and makes prep/clean up super easy. But be warned, this means this mug cake is caffeinated! I use one of the capsules meant for the short/espresso function, and for this cake I used one that has a caffeine level of “7.” Use whatever caffeine level you feel you need, and if you don’t have a Nespresso, you’re welcome to substitute espresso/coffee however you normally make it.

Ready for a cozy and caffeinated treat to keep you going late into the night? Let’s get started.

Night Owl Mug Cake
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A caffeinated chocolate mug cake to get you through those all-nighters!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 3 TBS Flour
  • 2 TBS Cocoa Powder
  • 3 TBS Sugar
  • ¼ tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 TBS Espresso
  • 1 TBS Milk
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 TBS Oil
  • ½ tsp Vanilla
  • Whipped Cream (optional)
  • Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
  1. Place all dry ingredients into a mug. Mix together.
  2. Add all wet ingredients into a mug. Whisk with a fork until everything is well mixed.
  3. Microwave for 90 seconds.
  4. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles, and enjoy!

Isn’t that easy? Make sure you enjoy it while it’s nice and warm!

Working on an all-nighter with a group? Make a batch of my Epic Win Cupcakes in advance for a caffeinated kick. Looking for something a bit more healthy? My “Healthy Gaming Snacks” Pinterest Board has a bunch of great ideas!

3 Comments

  1. This would be my signature dessert, if I had one!

  2. I’m assuming this would be okay without the espresso, but you know what they say about assuming! I’m trying to avoid the caffeine completely while pregnant (don’t worry – pulling all nighters is totally easy without it, just have a toddler). So with a caffeine level of zero, would you recommend this or try something else?

  3. Without espresso is fine! I’d just add at least another tablespoon of milk to increase the liquids a bit.

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