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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Easy Vanilla Mug Cake

    Posted: Jan 8, 2016 · Updated: May 22, 2024 by Sara · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Easy Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles
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    Easy Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness!

    Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles

    This post includes affiliate links. Please see my disclosure.

    So, eating healthier and getting in shape are part of my goals each year. . .mine and a bazillion other people's no doubt. It has to be the reason I'm craving sweetness now more than ever. You always want what you can't or shouldn't have, right?

    Well, to satisfy my sweet tooth but keep the portion size in check, I made this yummy and easy Vanilla Mug Cake.

    This little cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! Pretty smart, right?

    Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles

    I've never really "trusted" mug cakes. So many have turned out dry and tasteless. It took a little experimenting until I achieved the sweetness I was looking for.

    And in my opinion, cake isn't really cake if you eat it out of a mug. Cake out of a mason jar, now that's a different story. You can "see" through a mason jar so it can still be "pretty." You following me?

    Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles

    So, this is usually my hot chocolate mug from which I drink the most wonderful hot chocolate in the world. Alright, so I'm a little biased, but you can't get much better than ice cream AND white chocolate.

    Oh, man. I need to make more of that this winter. . .

    What were we talking about again? Oh yes. This mug cake. . .

    Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles

    All it takes is 90 seconds in the microwave, and you'll have a little "mug" o' heaven. Classic vanilla cake is just the best. In fact, vanilla truly IS our favorite cake flavor here in the house.

    One of the most important tips I can offer if you're going to make this cake is to make sure that your mug is at least 14 ounces or it may "bubble" over while baking in the microwave.

    Watch that mug closely!! If you use a big enough mug there's nothing to worry about. My cake took up about ¾ of the cup, which was perfect.

    I made sure to spray the mug generously with cooking spray before adding the batter and baking it. That way, when it was done, I just ran a butter knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the mug and flipped it over!

    Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles

    Here's the disclaimer. This is not about perfection. It may not look "perfect" when you flip it out of the mug. But in my opinion, it looks much prettier out of the mug than in it.

    Top it with some sprinkles and you'll begin to fall in love.

    Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles

    Add some sweet icing, and you'll forget the cake was ever even in a mug. What mug? See.

    Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles

    I let the icing soak in a little bit while I filled a glass of milk. . .AND. . .put a few more sprinkles on top.

    Vanilla Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness! #mugcake #vanillacake #recipe #easymugcake #microwavedessert #bitzngiggles

    Just look at how moist this is. Drag the cake right through that little pool of icing. Holy moly. Seriously now. Promise me you'll try this. Believe it or not, the cake is fairly sweet without the icing.

    If you wanted to switch out the icing for some whipped cream, you could do that, too. Heck, next time I may add some sprinkles to the actual cake batter!

    So, yeah. There you have it. An easy vanilla mug cake perfect for one. . .or two, if you really wanted to share. But when it comes to cake is that even a consideration?

    I'm going to go and grab an extra mug just to be safe. I'll make you your own. Do you have 90 seconds to spare? After that, we'll do PiYo in my basement. You in?

    Easy Vanilla Mug Cake – Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness!

    Looking for More Delicious Mug Cakes?

    Pumpkin Mug Cake - A quick and easy microwave pumpkin mug cake. Topped with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick, this is the ultimate simple fall dessert!
    Easy Chocolate Mug Cake - Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist and delicious with melty chocolate fudge throughout!
    Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mug Cake - This delicious mug cake literally takes about 60 seconds to make in the microwave. It tastes just like a cinnamon sugar doughnut!

    And Who Can Resist a
    Delicious M&M Microwave Cookie?

    M&M Microwave Cookie - A soft, warm and delicious cookie you can make right in the microwave in less than 2 minutes!! Perfectly portioned for one or two!

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    Easy Vanilla Mug Cake

    Ready in 90 seconds! This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing that soaks into the cake and infuses it with sweetness!
    4.49 from 108 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 2 minutes mins
    Total Time: 7 minutes mins
    Servings: 1
    Calories: 482kcal
    Author: Sara
    adjust servings: 1

    Ingredients

    For the Cake

    • 4 Tablespoons flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 3 Tablespoons sugar
    • ½ Tablespoon butter (softened)
    • 4 Tablespoons milk
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch of salt

    For the Icing

    • 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon butter. softened
    • 1 Tablespoon milk
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    For the Cake

    • Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
    • Pour into greased mug (at least 16 ounces).
    • Microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds (or 90 seconds).

    For the Icing

    • Mix all ingredients together and drizzle over cake either inside the mug or pop cake out of mug onto plate.

    Notes

    1. Mind the Mug Size: Use a mug that is at least 16 ounces in size to allow for the cake to rise without overflowing during microwaving. Using a smaller mug may result in the batter spilling over and creating a mess in the microwave.
    2. Check for Doneness: Microwave cooking times can vary depending on the wattage of your microwave oven. After microwaving the cake for the recommended time of 1 minute and 30 seconds, check the cake's doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready. If not, microwave in 10-second intervals until done to avoid overcooking.
    3. Customize Your Icing: Adjust the consistency of the icing to your liking by varying the amount of milk added. For a thicker icing, use less milk, and for a thinner drizzle, add more milk. Additionally, feel free to add a drop of food coloring to the icing for a pop of color or swap vanilla extract for other flavor extracts like almond or lemon for a different flavor profile.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 319mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 421IU | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BitzNGiggles or tag #bitzngiggles!
    22611 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sue

      October 25, 2023 at 12:46 am

      3 stars
      Way too sweet for me. Looked just like the picture minus the sprinkles and icing. Maybe I’ll try with half the the sugar. Maybe it’s a mis print and should have been 3 teaspoons of sugar?

      Reply
      • Sara

        October 28, 2023 at 2:10 pm

        Hi Sue! If you found it a bit too sweet you can certainly lessen the amount of sugar!

        Reply
        • kendra

          November 27, 2024 at 9:36 pm

          Wondering how this is 224 calories.. the sugar alone is 150?

          Reply
          • Sara

            December 02, 2024 at 9:43 am

            We recently updated our recipe cards and you're correct, this one needed a bit of tweaking. The plug-ins websites use for recipe cards aren't always perfect so it's great you're calculating on your own as well. I have updated this recipe so the nutritional facts should be more in-line with what they should be. Thank you!

            Reply
    2. Ashley

      March 10, 2022 at 6:39 pm

      4 stars
      Too sweet for my taste. So I added a lemon glaze and that helped.

      Reply
    3. Liana

      May 26, 2021 at 7:57 pm

      Really flavourful! It was still slightly undercooked after 1min and 30 seconds (My microwaves fault) and to me the recipe didn't make a ton so I am going to double it next time! (my fault for liking this too much) Really quick and easy! Love it!

      Reply
    4. Chris M

      February 09, 2021 at 1:56 am

      I have made this recipe a bunch of times and it came out great every time... except for tonight!! I made it twice and it was soggy and dense... what did I do wrong? I used my new mugs, that’s the only change.

      Reply
      • Sara

        February 09, 2021 at 10:18 pm

        The mug shouldn't really have much of an effect on how the cake turns out. I'm really not sure why it didn't turn out in your new mug. I hope you still kept your old ones? 🙂

        Reply
    5. James

      August 30, 2020 at 2:55 am

      5 stars
      This mug cake is moist, delicious and topped with a lovely vanilla icing !

      Reply
    6. Gabriel

      July 20, 2020 at 2:28 am

      5 stars
      Tastes good! Would use butter instead if oil though.

      Reply
    7. Rimmy

      May 20, 2020 at 9:19 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy! Can’t wait to make this with my grandson!

      Reply
    8. Dianne

      May 14, 2020 at 9:39 pm

      5 stars
      This turned out so good. I am gonna bake these for my sister's birthday!

      Reply
      • Sara

        May 15, 2020 at 9:36 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    9. Anonymous

      April 04, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      The cake was too chewy and I still did the same thing

      Reply
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    4.49 from 108 votes

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    Sara Zenner, blogger at Bitz N Giggles

    welcome!

    Hey, I’m Sara!

     Born and raised in Wisconsin, where family and fun are at the heart of it all - I inherited a deep appreciation for home cooking and family traditions. I’m all about quick and easy recipes, tidying up, and laid back “up north” living.

    Read more!

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