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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!
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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.
Chelsea
In the recipe you call for baking powder, but in the video, it’s baking soda.. just want to verify which one the recipe calls for. Thanks!
Sara
Chelsea - it should be baking powder! I'm in process of fixing the video. Thanks so much for your message!
Viviana
This is THE BEST mug cake I’ve ever made! It was perfect!
Sara
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Viviana!
Alina
Sara, nice idea! This cake look absolutely delicious! I need to try it!
Sara
I hope you do try it, Alina!
Alyssa
Sara, thanks! Very tasty mug cake turned out. Very cool photos!
Sara
So glad you liked the mug cake!
Jj
Excellent recipe but why must I read an essay of crap before the recipe!
Sara
Wow. Well, that was a bit harsh. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe. I hope you have a better day tomorrow.
Boop
This is the best mug cake I've made thus far. Usually they have a faint taste of baking soda, but this one does not. This recipe makes a cake that is moist, fluffy, and tastes great. Highly recommend! Don't understand how it's 4.5/5 stars, it is only a mug cake after all so you shouldn't expect much.
Sara
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Joe
Wow! Made this for my niece at 12am. She was telling me she wanted brownies or cake or something so I googled mug cake! My batter was really soupy so I was skeptical, might have added too much milk, but it actually turned out really qell! I think next time I'll double the recipe though. Icing was tasty! I think overall I added a bit more vanilla. Thank you for the great recipe! It satisfied her late night sweet hankering.
Sara
So glad your niece enjoyed it, Joe! Thanks so much for rating and leaving a comment!
Erica
Girl, oh girl, this recipe made for one ugly cake, but it was 100% delicious! I was craving something sweet and easy and this hit the spot! The recipe was perfect and the cake tasted great! I used some store bought frosting and sprinkles I had on hand, but I'll definitely have to try the recipe you suggested. 5/5 stars!!!
Sara
Erica, so funny! You're right, mug cakes aren't real pretty but they can sure satisfy a craving.
Reynaldo Alcantara
Hi, I was wondering if I could use this vanilla mug cake recipe as base for other cake flavors. It looks pretty yummy and moist. Maybe just adding like baking soda if I make making chocolate mug cake? Would you agree? Thanks for the recipe. ?
Sara
I DO use my vanilla mug cake recipe as a base for my Chocolate Mug Cake recipe. Check this one out and let me know if you enjoyed it! https://bitzngiggles.com/easy-chocolate-mug-cake/
Steph mason
Great recipe, I took out almost all the sugar and added some apple pieces that I cooked for about 10 mins with some cinnamon so yummy
Rachel
Can you use water instead of milk??
Sara
I've never tried it. It may make the cake harder and flatter then it should be?
Anonymous
So good! I've made this every day since I found the recipe lol I like to add a little almond extract to give it a amaretto flavor ♡
Ben
I made one it was bad but I think I used the wrong measurements but looked good
Beulah C
Love this recipe! I added some apples and cinnamon to mine and I really liked how it tasted although I had to cook it longer for the apples to be soft. Because i cooked it longer, it was a little dry. But still really yummy AND easy! Will have to use this as a date night dessert.
Anonymous
I love the recipe but could you make a flourless one for some of us who want to bake but don't have all the supplies?
Sara
I will have to whip up a flourless mug cake for you! Stay tuned!