The Easiest Vanilla Mug Cake (+ Video)

This easy Vanilla Mug Cake is the perfect way to satisfy a sweet tooth. A single serve cake that's made in the microwave with 5 ingredients (and no egg)...ready in about 2 minutes!

vanilla mug cake with sprinkles and a spoon.

If you haven't discovered the magic that is a mug cake, I've got a treat for you.

Ever have one of those times when you get a sweet tooth and there's absolutely nothing in the house to satisfy it? I think we all do. Mug cakes are the perfect dessert for those cravings.

spoonful of vanilla mug cake.

What's a mug cake?

Microwave mug cakes are single-serve homemade treats that are so easy to make. The idea is simple: mix a tiny amount of a few of the traditional cake ingredients in a mug. Coffee cups are perfect (as long as they're microwave-safe), but a small ramekin works too.

Once the ingredients are mixed, microwave for about a minute. You're left with a single serving of warm cake. These are so perfect topped with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!

For this first post in my series of mug cake recipes, we're going to keep it simple with a recipe for vanilla cake made in a mug. (See other varieties in this series: Oreo Mug Cake and Chocolate Chip Cookie in a mug.)

Variations and Additions

I intentionally started this series with the most basic mug cake recipe. This is kind of the foundation for all of my mug cakes. I've got more variations of this recipe headed your way throughout the week. But, suffice it to say that there are a million ways to change this recipe up!

Mug Cake Formula

The trick to making a mug cake is just a basic formula. Just use 2 tablespoon butter, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup flour, and 2 tablespoon milk. That's the basis for a mug cake. From there, you can really add in anything you'd like!

How do I make different mug cake flavors?

Using that basic mug cake recipe, you can make it just about any flavor under the sun.

  • Chocolate: add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • Strawberry: add ½ tablespoon strawberry gelatin mix
  • Peanut Butter: add 1 tablespoon peanut butter to the mix. Once batter is mixed, add 1 tablespoon peanut butter in the middle for a lava cake (yum!)
  • Nutella: same idea as peanut butter; 1 tablespoon in mix and 1 tablespoon in the middle
  • Coffee: add 1 tablespoon coffee
  • Pumpkin: add 2 tablespoons pureed pumpkin

You get the idea. Just add about 1 tablespoon (dry ingredients) or 2 tablespoon (wet ingredients) to the cake to make it any flavor you'd like!

Toppings

Once you make the mug cake, adding toppings really amps up the richness and flavor. Some of my favorite toppers...

  • Ice Cream
  • Whipped Cream
  • Chopped Nuts
  • Sprinkles (included in today's recipe...gives it a very "birthday cake" feel)
  • Frosting
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Fresh Berries
  • Coconut
  • Chocolate, Strawberry, or Caramel Syrup

You can even mix some of these toppings (like sprinkles, nuts, chocolate chips) into the batter before microwaving.

Step by Step Instructions

Guys, recipes (especially baking recipes) don't get much simpler than this.

You only need 5 ingredients...

ingredients for vanilla mug cake.
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 tablespoon milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

butter melted in a mug.

Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a microwave-safe mug or ramekin.

flour added to butter in a mug.

Add the dry ingredients (¼ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar) to the butter in the mug and stir well. Add vanilla/milk and give it one more stir.

sprinkles in batter in a mug.

If you want to add in anything (like sprinkles), add them in before microwaving.

baked mug cake in a mug.

Microwave for 60 seconds. Allow to cool for a minute or two before serving.

That's all there is to making this easy vanilla mug cake recipe!

Make it Healthier!

It's pretty obvious from the ingredient list that this recipe isn't exactly healthy. However, there are some swaps you can make to reduce sugar and fat content.

  • Swap butter for 2 tablespoon applesauce
  • Swap 1 tablespoon of butter for skim milk
  • Change sugar to stevia or honey (equal amounts as sugar)
  • Make it dairy-free by substituting coconut oil for butter
  • Swap to buckwheat or rice flour to make it gluten-free

Other Tips and Tricks

  • The microwave time on this recipe might vary depending on your model. The perfect bake time for a mug cake in mine is 60 seconds. If, after 60 seconds, your cake it still liquid at all, pop it back in for another 15 seconds. Or don't - it's perfectly safe to eat the batter in this recipe a little undercooked!
  • This cake is best served immediately. It tends to get a chewy texture if left uneaten for longer than 30-45 minutes.
  • If making more than one, still microwave them individually. I've tried to make more than one at once, and it always throws off the microwave cook time.
  • If you don't have a microwave, this can be made in an oven or air fryer by baking at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Make sure your mug is safe for baking at that temperature!

Video: How to Make 3 Different Mug Cakes

FAQs

While traditional vanilla cake needs an egg, you won't miss it at all in this recipe. I prefer not to use egg because a)it reduces cost and b) it allows you to undercook the cake to give it an extra gooey texture, if desired.

Mug cakes usually become rubbery when over-cooked. Try taking 15 seconds off of the microwave time next time you make one.

Absolutely! I intentionally made this batter from ingredients that don't have to be cooked for very long. Undercooking a mug cake with this recipe (as long as the flour has at least a little bit of cook time) shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks for checking out today's recipe! I'll have more fun variations throughout the week.


More Easy Desserts


xo, Leslie - signature at the end of blog post.
mu

Vanilla Mug Cake

This easy Vanilla Mug Cake is the perfect way to satisfy a sweet tooth. Made with 4 ingredients (and no egg), you can make this in a microwave in about 2 minutes!
5 from 40 votes

Affiliate links used.

Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 2 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 1
Calories 359 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a microwave-safe mug or ramekin.
  • Add the dry ingredients (¼ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar) to the butter in the mug and stir well. Add vanilla/milk and give it one more stir.
  • Microwave for 60 seconds. Allow to cool for a minute or two before serving.
  • Top with ice cream, whipped cream, sprinkles, nuts, syrup or fresh fruit.

Notes

    • The microwave time on this might vary depending on your model. The perfect bake time for a mug cake in mine is 60 seconds. If, after 60 seconds, your cake it still liquid at all, pop it back in for another 15 seconds. Or don't - it's perfectly safe to eat the batter in this recipe a little undercooked!
    • This cake is best served immediately. It tends to get a little chewy if left uneaten for longer than 30-45 minutes.
    • If making more than one mug cake, still microwave them individually. I've tried to make more than one at once, and it always throws off the microwave cook time.
    • This can be made in an oven or air fryer by baking at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Make sure your mug is safe for baking at that temperature!
    • Make different flavors by adding the following...
      • Chocolate: add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
      • Peanut Butter: add 1 tablespoon peanut butter to the mix; once mixed, add 1 tablespoon peanut butter in the middle for a lava cake (yum!
      • Nutella: same idea as peanut butter; 1 tablespoon in mix and 1 tablespoon in the middl
      • Coffee: add 1 tablespoon coffee
      • Pumpkin: add 2 tablespoon pureed pumpkin
      • Strawberry: add ½ tablespoon strawberry gelatin mix

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 2gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 181mgPotassium: 29mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 700IUCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Rate it in the comments below!

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    8 Comments

    1. Why does the recipe call for 1/4 cup of the flour and sugar (which would be 4TBS of each) but in the directions it says to use 2TBS or each?

      1. Leslie Lambert says:

        Sorry about that, editing mistake! I just fixed it, thanks for letting me know.

    2. I'm confused. The recipe says "1/4 c sugar" and "1/4 c flour", but the directions list two tablespoons sugar, two tablespoons flour. Which is it? In your comments you say you edited it, but it's still there. Is it two tablespoons, or four?

      1. Leslie Lambert says:

        Sorry about that, missed one mention on the recipe card! Both flour and sugar are 1/4 cup.

    3. There is no leavening in this one, most mug cakes have it, like baking soda or powder. How is the texture result?

      1. Leslie Lambert says:

        It ends up being a little denser, rather than fluffy - almost like the texture of a brownie. It's really yummy!

    4. kami-chan says:

      very good cake. added ice cream, chocolate syrup, and a chopped-up hershey bar. tasted great. thanks for the good recipe 🙂

    5. mercedes kajima says:

      5 stars
      didn’t have regular milk so i used almond this was amazing! i didn’t use vanilla and it still tasted great! thank you for the awesome recipe