Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth with this 5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake!
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: September 26, 2016

Ever crave a chocolate cake but lacked the time (and desire) to bake an entire one? Jamielyn Nye, author of THE I HEART NAPTIME COOKBOOK, created this delicious and super easy 5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake recipe that's "baked" in the microwave. THE I HEART NAPTIME COOKBOOK is full of easy recipes for every meal of the day, time saver tips and tricks, kitchen hacks and entertaining tips, as well as a guide to freezer cooking and meal-planning. She even includes easy and fun craft ideas such as Ice Cream Sundae Kits, and templates for gift tags and spice labels. From breakfast through dessert you'll find over 100 recipes the whole family will love.
Be sure to get these easy and delicious recipes also featured from THE I HEART NAPTIME COOKBOOK: Baked Chicken Taquitos with Homemade Salsa and The Best Guacamole.
5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake 
	Makes 1 cake
PREP 4 min
	COOK 1 min
	TOTAL 5 min
"This quick-and-easy chocolate mug cake will change your life. It is super rich, soft, delicious, and done in five minutes, with little cleanup! It’s perfect for those emergency chocolate cravings…you know the ones. I had many late-night chocolate cravings during my last pregnancy. It also makes a great dessert for a date night at home when all you want to do is watch a movie on the couch. Get creative and add your favorite ice cream sundae toppings, like Dreamy Caramel Sauce or Homemade Hot Fudge." ~Jamielyn Nye
Ingredients
¼ cup low-fat milk
	2½ tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces
	3½ tablespoons granulated sugar
	½ scant teaspoon vanilla extract
	¼ cup all-purpose flour
	¼ teaspoon baking powder
	2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
	1 to 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
	Ice cream or whipped cream (optional)
	Sundae toppings (optional) *Get her Dreamy Caramel Sauce and Homemade Hot Fudge recipes below.
Method
1. Place the milk and butter in a 14-ounce glass mug or small microwavable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until the butter has melted.
2. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until the sugar has begun to dissolve. Add the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder and mix with a fork until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and then microwave on high for 60 seconds, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
3. Enjoy plain, or topped with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and your favorite sundae toppings.
HELPFUL TIP Since all microwaves cook differently, you may need to cook for an additional 10 to 15 seconds if the middle is not cooked all the way through. Also, if making more than one mug cake, microwave them separately.
Jamielyn shows you how to create your own personalized mug on page 220 and give it as a gift using a gift tag from the template on page 254.

Dreamy Caramel Sauce
	Makes 2 cups
PREP 5 min
	COOK 15 min
	TOTAL 20 min
"This caramel sauce has been nicknamed “pure liquid gold” at my house. It is dangerous stuff, I tell ya! It can be used for so many things, and tastes amazing on top of vanilla ice cream, apple cider, pies, cakes, brownies, apples, and more. If there was a swimming pool full of this caramel sauce, I would dive right in! It is that good." ~Jamielyn Nye
Ingredients
1½ cups sugar
	½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
	¾ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
	¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Method
1. In a large saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat, stirring continuously with a whisk or spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes. The sugar will begin to turn clumpy before melting into liquid. Keep stirring, and be careful to not let it burn.
2. Once the sugar has melted and there are no more clumps, add the butter immediately. Grab a new spoon and keep stirring until the butter has completely melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low and very slowly and carefully pour in the heavy cream (watch out—it will bubble up and sputter). Stir continuously for 1 minute, or until the cream has been incorporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt.
4. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan and then pour into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Homemade Hot Fudge
	Makes 3 cups
PREP 5 min
	COOK 5 min
	TOTAL 10 min
"This hot fudge sauce is extra rich and smooth, and it is the ultimate topping for any ice cream sundae. It’s easy to make with ingredients readily available in your pantry—perfect for a last-minute chocolate craving." ~Jamielyn Nye
Ingredients
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
	¾ cup sugar
	1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
	2 tablespoons salted butter
	½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
1. In a large saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, sugar, evaporated milk, and butter and heat over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the chocolate, sugar, and butter have melted and the mixture comes to a light boil, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving; it will thicken as it cools.
2. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in the microwave, in 30-second intervals, until hot.
Recipes excerpted from the book THE I HEART NAPTIME COOKBOOK by Jamielyn Nye. Copyright © 2016 by Jamielyn Nye. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Life & Style. All rights reserved.