Discover more from Sunny Side Recipes
The Best Vanilla Mug Cake (Yes, Really)
Make a moist and fluffy single-serving cake in 3 minutes!
❤️ Did you know that if you hit the HEART at the top or bottom of this post, it makes it easier for people to find this newsletter? (And makes my day!) 🥰
This vanilla mug cake recipe takes only 3 minutes and is seriously the BEST. It makes a moist and fluffy single-serving cake with the perfect amount of sweetness. Add your favorite toppings, and dig in.
I have many faults but ignoring the urge to eat dessert is not one of them. That’s why mug recipes are a speciality of mine. In minutes I can go from no cake (sad face), to a single-serving of fluffy vanilla cake just begging for ice cream on top. 🙌
If you're craving vanilla cake stat, this is the recipe for you. Just mix the ingredients in a mug, microwave, then add your favorite toppings and enjoy. From start to finish, this mug cake is ready in 3 minutes. You can serve it with all sorts of toppings, or even add cinnamon to turn it into a Snickerdoodle mug cake. (Details below.)
This recipe used to be on my blog, but is now available only on Substack. It received dozens of rave reviews. Here’s what one reader had to say:
Sunny Side Breakfasts & Desserts is a member-supported publication. I occasionally share free recipes, but the majority of them are behind a paywall. I hope you enjoy this free sample! Wondering why I paywall most of my content? Learn more in: Why I’m on Substack.
What You’ll Need
So, are you ready to make a mug cake? Here a quick overview of what you’ll need. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe for a printable ingredient list.
Egg yolk – Adds velvety texture this adds to the cake.
Milk – I have used cow milk, oat milk, and soy milk with equal success.
Oil – I usually use olive oil because I have a bottle of it on the counter. But you can also use canola oil.
Vanilla Extract + Sugar – The amount of sugar in this recipe is up to you. Since I always eat my vanilla mug cake with ice cream, I only use 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar when I make this for myself. However, if you are eating it on its own you might want a sweeter cake and could use up to 3 tablespoons.
All Purpose Flour + Baking Powder
Kosher Salt – Just a scant pinch. You don’t want your cake to be salty, but a teeny tiny amount will enhance its flavor and sweetness.
Cinnamon – If you want to turn this into a Snickerdoodle mug cake you will also need ground cinnamon. (See below.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make This a Snickerdoodle Mug Cake?
You can! To make this a Snickerdoodle Mug cake, simply add 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon along with the dry ingredients. This is my teen’s #1 fav variation.
Can I Make This Single-Serving Cake in the Oven?
Yes! You can also bake this cake in an 8-oz ramekin. Spray it lightly with PAM, then mix the batter in the ramekin same as you would for a mug cake. Bake at 350F for 21-23 min or until golden and the cake springs back when you press it gently with your finger. See a photo and more details below.
Helpful Tips
Use a microwave safe mug. This is important! Many mugs are microwave safe these days, but just double check to be sure. You don’t want your cake to explode in the microwave.
Use a large mug. The batter won’t look like a lot, but this cake does rise quite a bit in the mug. Use a 16-oz mug that gives it plenty of room. Bonus, this also means you can add your ice cream and other toppings directly into the mug.
If you only have a small mug. You can also use a standard 11-oz mug, you just won’t have room for toppings and the cake may rise beyond the edges of the mug. I recommend scooping your cooled cake into a bowl to eat in this case.
Mix well, but don’t over mix. It is easy for dry bits of batter to get stuck in the edges of the mug, so be sure to get your spoon in there and mix all the dry ingredients in. Stop mixing as soon as the batter is combined. Over mixing can lead to a chewy mug cake.
Let it cool. These cakes cook so quickly it’s tempting to dig right in when they are done. But this cake will be HOT when you take it out of the microwave. Give it a few minutes to cool off to avoid burning your mouth.
How to tell when your mug cake is done? The cake is done when it is firm to the touch and springs back slightly if you press it with your finger.
How to Eat It
There are tons of options here, but I’ll admit: I almost always go with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. I can’t help it. I like what I like. 🙂
Other ideas:
Chocolate sauce or hot fudge
Caramel sauce
Another flavor of ice cream. I will probably never stop adding a scoop of vanilla, but if I was feeling wild one day…. I might try pistachio.
Berries. Either whole or gently mashed berries would be delicious on top of this cake.
Enjoy friends!
Vanilla Mug Cake
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 3 minutes
Yield: 1 mug cake
Ingredients
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons milk, regular milk from a cow, soy milk or oat milk
1 tablespoon oil, olive oil or canola oil
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ - 3 tablespoons sugar, depending on how sweet you want it to be, I use 1 ½
4 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Kosher salt, just a tiny pinch
Instructions
Combine the wet ingredients in a large mug. In a microwave safe mug combine the egg yolk, milk, oil, vanilla extract and sugar. Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients. This is the flour and baking powder.
Mix well. Until there are no large lumps or dry mixture.
Microwave for about 1 min 30 seconds to 1 min 45 seconds. Microwave time will depend upon your microwave. Mine cooks a mug cake in 1 min 45 seconds.
Test your mug cake. The cake is done when it is firm to the touch and springs back slightly if you press it with your finger.
Serve. Let the cake cool for a couple minutes, then add your favorite toppings and dig in!
Can I Make This Cake in the Oven?
Someone asked if this recipe could be made in the oven. Having never done this before, I decided to seize the opportunity for impromptu cake and experiment.
Turns out 21-23 min in an oven preheated to 350F worked perfectly. Bake until golden and the cake springs back when you gently press it with your finger. I used an 8oz ramekin. 🙌🏻
And now, I’m off to eat my cake.
Subscribe to Sunny Side Recipes
Well-tested recipes, philosophy, legacy cookbook tutorials, plus stories about this wild & precious life.
Snickerdoodles!!! Oh my heart 💜 Thank you for this!
Would you be able to do a chocolate mug cake recipe for us chocolate lovers out here ❤️🥰