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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!
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?
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?
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. . .
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!
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.
Add some sweet icing, and you'll forget the cake was ever even in a mug. What mug? See.
I let the icing soak in a little bit while I filled a glass of milk. . .AND. . .put a few more sprinkles on top.
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?
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Easy Vanilla Mug Cake
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Allie
This is really good and I'm so glad I tried it. I had made chocolate sauce for ice cream but didn't realize we were all out of ice cream. I wanted something quick to pour my sauce over and this was perfect. Thank you.
Sara
Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Allie!
Janet
I loved it but it was just a little sweet I would suggest a little lest sugar but just depends how sweet you like things
Sara
You can definitely adjust the sweetness level! Sub the frosting with whipped cream or just add a bit less sugar like you suggested!
Kelsey
I've tried so many vanilla mug cake recipes, and trust me, this is the best one I've tried. I normally don't comment on things but I just felt compelled to for this one. Definitely going to keep using this in the future, thank you so much!!
Sara
That is SO sweet, Kelsey! I'm flattered that you felt compelled to leave a comment. I recently used this mug cake recipe in a homemade ice cream recipe I made. It was so good. You need to check it out! https://bitzngiggles.com/birthday-cake-crunch-ice-cream/
Lily
hi! i love this mug cake! but may i ask, what is the watt of your microwave? thanks! ?
Sara
Absolutely. It's 1000 watts.
karimina
The cake was so delicious and fluffy! It's perfect! However, when i made the icing, the margarine ( i used margarine) doesnt want to mix with the milk and sugar. Is it because i used margarine instead of butter?
Sara
Karimina, try softening the margarine or butter in the microwave next time to the point of melting. That may help it mix better next time. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Leia
Couldn't find vanilla extract but it still tastes amazing!
Mijanielle
Best mug cake I have eaten it is not all mushy at all I typically do not home made cakes so, this was saying a lot that I enjoyed this it was moist, sweet, and flavorful. Thank you for sharing your ideas!
Sara
Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your sweet comment!
Marina K
I make mug cakes a lot but decided to try a new recipe tonight and came across this one. It's definitely the best one I've made as agreed upon by both me and my partner. (And no I didn't dare share mine with him, we doubled the recipe 🙂 )
Sara
I'm so glad that you loved the recipe, Marina! From all the comments about other recipes, I think I'm sticking to this one, too! 😉
Sue J
Oh my! I'd given up on mug cake recipes and went looking for one on impulse....love yours. It's delicious. I will be making it again. 🙂
Sara
Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I know it's hard to find good recipes. This one is my go-to!
Gwen
I absolutley love this mug cake. It is much better than the other mug cakes I have tried. To make it vegan, instead of using regular butter, I used vegan butter! Thanks for the recipe!
Sara
What a great idea to use vegan butter! So glad you enjoyed it!
Willow
I LOVE this recipe! I added lemon juice and zest to the cake and the icing.
Sara
That sounds like such a great addition! I'm so glad you enjoy the recipe!
Dana
Made this tonight after roast pork and served with icecream and stewed apple it was fantastic! Quite a large serve though ☺ very fluffy and light. Love the idea above to add sprinkles to batter my kids would love that!
Sara
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Dana!
Erika
I've been googling mug cake recipes for months and every one I've tried is too buttery or gross. This is the first recipe I've used that was successful. Thank you for posting. I will definitely use it again. 🙂
Sara
Yay! I love this recipe too, Erika!
Franshesca
Very yummy, I would probably add a little more vanilla extract or sugar next time, but with the chocolate icing I put on myne it tasted very good and is fluffy!
Sara
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Chocolate icing sounds delicious!
Eboney
This is the best mug cake recipe ever! It was moist, light and fluffy. I add sprinkles to the batter before microwaving and it made the perfect confetti cake. Thanks for sharing!
Sara
That's music to my ears! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I really love this recipe, too, and I love the fact that you added sprinkles right to the batter!
Sana
Hi I was just wondering if this recipe works in the oven as well
Sara
The recipe is specifically for the microwave. I wouldn't use it in the oven. Good luck!
Jasmin Valdez
This actually does work out perfectly in the oven too! We use this recipe for oven mug cakes. I rarely eat sugar or junk but when I do it's a mini oven mug cake lol ? 350 degrees F for 15-20 min...
Jo-Anne
Wow I like the look of that cakesounds pretty easy to make as wwell