A light, fluffy vanilla mug cake with fresh raspberries folded through the batter that burst into jammy pockets during cooking, topped with a drizzle of white chocolate, ready in five minutes.
About This Recipe
Raspberry mug cake is the most visually appealing of the single-serving microwave cakes, the bright red berries visible through the pale sponge and the white chocolate drizzle on top producing a colour combination that looks intentional and attractive rather than thrown together. It is also the lightest and freshest-tasting mug cake, the sharpness of the raspberries cutting through the sweetness of the vanilla sponge in a way that makes it feel like a proper dessert rather than merely a sweet fix.
Fresh raspberries work best because they hold their shape slightly during the brief cooking time, producing pockets of soft, just-burst fruit through the sponge rather than dissolving entirely into the batter. Frozen raspberries work too but produce more juice as they thaw and cook, which slightly colours the surrounding batter and produces a wetter, more jammy result. Both are excellent in different ways.
The white chocolate drizzle is applied immediately after cooking when the cake is still hot, which causes it to melt slightly into the surface and then reset as the cake cools during the brief rest period. The combination of the warm sponge, the burst raspberries, and the sweet white chocolate produces a cake that tastes considerably more put together than its five-minute preparation time would suggest.
History and Origins
Fruit-incorporated cakes have been made across European baking traditions since the medieval period, when berries, dried fruits, and fresh fruit were standard cake additions. The raspberry and white chocolate flavour combination became particularly popular in British and American baking in the 1990s as white chocolate became widely available as a baking ingredient. The mug cake format brings this classic combination into the single-serving microwave tradition.
Why It Is Fast To Make
Microwave cooking. Fresh raspberries need no preparation. White chocolate drizzle takes 30 seconds.
Raspberry Microwave Mug Cake
Course: Cake1
servings3
minutes2
minutes400
kcalIngredients
•t3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
•t3 tbsp white sugar
•t1 large egg
•t3 tbsp self-raising flour
•t1 tbsp milk
•t0.5 tsp vanilla extract
•tPinch of salt
•t8 fresh raspberries
•t1 tbsp white chocolate chips melted to drizzle
Directions
- Melt butter in a large mug for 30 seconds.
- Add sugar, egg, milk and vanilla. Beat with a fork.
- Add flour and salt. Mix until just smooth.
- Gently fold in raspberries.
- Microwave on high for 60 to 80 seconds until just set.
- Drizzle melted white chocolate over the warm cake. Rest 30 seconds. Eat.
Notes
- Fold raspberries in gently with one or two strokes. Over-folding breaks them up and turns the batter pink.
Push one raspberry to the visible side of the mug for an attractive presentation when eating.
White chocolate chips melt in 20 seconds in the microwave. Stir until smooth before drizzling.
Frozen raspberries work but add them still frozen to prevent excess juice bleeding into the batter.
Make Ahead Tips
Too fast for advance preparation to be useful. Make fresh each time.
Storage and Serving
Eat immediately. Does not store well. The raspberries continue to release juice as the cake sits. Make fresh in five minutes.
Variations and Substitutions
Replace raspberries with blueberries or blackberries. Use dark chocolate drizzle instead of white for a more intense result. Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter for a lemon raspberry version. Replace white chocolate drizzle with a simple lemon icing.
