What Is A Mug Cake
Moist, filling, flavorful, and quick to prepare, mug cake recipes are great if you are baking for one, or if you dont want the temptation of an entire cake in the house.
You can even do some dessert meal prep in advance, by measuring out individual bags of the cake dry ingredients and storing them in the cabinet.
This way, they are ready to go any time you want vanilla cake without the wait!
How To Make Oreo Mug Cake
Step 1: Crush the Oreos in a microwave-safe mug with a fork.
Youll want a mug with at least an 8-ounce capacity to prevent the cake from overflowing.
Step 2:Pour in the milk and mash them together until the Oreos soften and moisten like cake.
Be patient with this step, as itll take about a good minute to finely mash the Oreos.
Step 3:Microwave the mug cake.
The length of cooking depends on your microwaves wattage, but in general, itll take about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Cook for 1 minute first, and then in 30-second increments until done.
Youll know the cake is done when its tender and moist but not wet.
Step 4: Let the cake cool.
The cake will be too liquid right after cooking, so youll have to give it time to cool. Itll take at least 5 minutes for the cake to set and firm up.
Step 5: Serve.
This is the fun part! Garnish it with any sweet and crunchy topping you can think of, and enjoy!
Vanilla Mug Cake Variations
I prefer a sprinkling of chocolate chips in my vanilla mug cake, but its also delicious with other add-ins. Here are a few yummy variation ideas:
- Plop a spoonful of fruity jam into the center of the mixed batter before cooking for a fruit-filled vanilla cake.
- Add 2 tablespoons of colorful sprinkles for a Funfetti mug cake.
- Try different flavors of baking chips. Ive seen butterscotch, vanilla, peanut butter, mint and even unicorn rainbow swirl chips at the store that would all be delicious .
- Stir a dash of cinnamon into the batter, then sprinkle brown sugar on the top before baking and it tastes like a snickerdoodle cookie.
Anyway, Im so happy that I now have TWO amazing mug cake recipes to switch between. I hope that youll give this recipe a try, then try the chocolate mug cake too if you havent already.
Like this recipe? Pin it so you dont forget it!
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Make The Drizzle And Serve
The last thing you need to do is throw together the glaze. Don’t worry, this part is really easy. Just grab a bowl and toss in the confectioner’s sugar and the remainder of the lemon juice. Whisk them together to combine. You can adjust the sugar and lemon juice as needed to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle it on top of the mug cake. You can serve the cake in the mug or transfer it onto the plate. “Serve with tea or coffee as a dessert,” Shelbert suggests. “If you prefer you can top with whipped cream or ice cream instead of the glaze.”
Anything left? “Leftovers, if any, will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days,” Shelbert shares. Though, considering this is a single-serve dessert, we think that you won’t have to worry about leftovers!
Making A Mug Cake With Or Without Eggs

Note that this recipe uses 1 large egg yolk . The egg yolk makes the mug cake moist, tender and deliciously springy in texture. The egg yolk will bake in the microwave. But if you prefer to make this mug cake without egg, you can substitute the egg yolk for 1 extra tablespoon of milk.
This vanilla mug cake is such a delicious treat when youre home alone, or craving something sweet in a jiffy.
For more easy, single-serving desserts try these other favorites:
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The Best Vanilla Mug Cake Recipe
With a soft texture and classic vanilla flavor, this single serving vanilla cake in a mug is like true love in the form of a dessert.
Using just a few pantry staple ingredients, it can easily be made in the microwave or oven, and there are NO eggs and no milk required!
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Can This Mug Cake Be Made In The Oven
I personally have not cooked this particular mug cake recipe in the oven. Feel free to experiment, though, and give it a try. Based on some other similar mug cake recipes, if I were going to try this one in the oven, I would bake at 350ºF for 12 to 14 minutes. If you give it a try, please comment on this post and let us know how it worked out for you.
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Secret To This Chocolate Mug Cake: Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
The other secret to this chocolate mug cake recipe is our favorite ingredient for baking chocolaty sweets: Dutch process cocoa powder. This special type of cocoa powder is easy to find and results in the best chocolaty, fudgy desserts. What is it?
- Dutch process cocoa powder is a dark chocolate version of cocoa powder. Its been treated with an alkali to make it pH neutral, which gives it a darker color and milder flavor.
- Where to buy it? You should be able to find dark chocolate or Dutch process cocoa powder at your local grocery store, next to the regular cocoa powder. You can also find Dutch process cocoa powder online. We like Hersheys Special Dark Cocoa Powder or Ghiradelli Dutch Process Cocoa Powder.
Peanut Butter Mug Cake
This easy peanut butter mug cake is fudgy, moist, made in the microwave, and ready in under 5 minutes. Add in some chocolate chips or an extra drizzle of peanut butter on top for the most delicious mug cake recipe.
I cant say no to a peanut butter treat and when youre short on time, then this peanut butter mug cake is the perfect treat. It tastes somewhere in between a peanut butter cookie, and a fudgy piece of cake. Its super moist and has a delicious peanut butter flavor without being too sweet.
I posted my first mug cake recipe on Just So Tasty only a few months ago. But since then this vanilla mug cake recipe has been going crazy. So I made the chocolate version next, and since I cant say no to a peanut butter treat, this peanut butter mug cake recipe had to happen.
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Combine The Butter And Sugar
Ready to get started on this delicious and easy mug cake? First, select a mug that is microwave safe. Most mugs should be since they’re meant to hold hot items, but it’s always good to double-check. Then, grab the butter and pour it in the mug. As a reminder, you should have melted it ahead of time. “I microwave the butter to melt,” Shelbert shares. Be sure to do it in intervals of a few seconds at a time so it won’t burn. Next, toss in the sugar, and stir the two to combine.
More Creative Mug Cake Recipes
Like I mentioned, I have over 100 mug cake recipes and I couldnt include them all in this post. So, here are a few of my favorite mug cakes that have a creative spin on them.
Red Velvet Lava Mug Cake | This red velvet mug cake has a molten lava chocolate center. Its a festive cake for the holidays that is ready in just a few minutes.
Cookies n Cream Mug Cake | A white chocolate cake base with crushed Oreo cookies throughout. This microwave cake cooks in just 1 minute. If you want more chocolate you might like my Chocolate Cookies and Cream Mug Cake.
Lemon Cloud Mug Cake | This lemon mug cake is so light, its like eating a cloud. It has just the right amount of lemon flavor and is paired with an airy whipped cream frosting and lemon peel curls.
Baileys Irish Cream Mug Cake | This easy mug cake has an adults-only twist with some Baileys Irish Cream in the batter. Its great year-round, but especially at St. Patricks day when you want a festive treat. Want a flourless version? Be sure to check out my Flourless Baileys Chocolate Mug Cake, too.
Triple Coconut Mug Cake | If you love coconut, this is the cake for you. Its made with coconut oil, coconut milk with coconut flakes inside the cake and on the top.
Avocado Mug Cake | This naturally green colored avocado mug cake is light, fluffy and delicious. Sweet avocado is a surprisingly delicious flavor.
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This Chocolate Mug Cake Is Made Without Eggs Why
Okay, I get asked this a lot too and the reason why this mug cake is made without any eggs is because that is what makes it have a spongey texture!
If you think about it, it makes sense. Why would you put an entire egg into a mug cake when a regular full-sized cake often asks for one or two eggs?
This isnt a full-sized cake. And of course Im not going to ask you to divide an egg in half.
Just omit it! Best texture, ever!
Gemmas Pro Tips For Making The Best

- Take care not to over mix the mug cake as it can toughen the cake
- Dont over-microwave! These only need seconds to cook so check after 45 seconds and go from there
- Make sure your mug has no metal or metallic paint on it that will react in the microwave
- If you dont have a microwave you can bake the mug cake at 350°F for roughly 10 minutes
- If you dont eat eggs you can substitute them using my Egg Substitute Chart
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Vanilla Mug Cake Ingredients
This vanilla mug cake recipe only has eight ingredients and they are all very basic pantry ingredients that you probably already have on hand: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, milk, vanilla, butter, salt and chocolate chips!
I used all-purpose flour, but cake flour or bread flour would both work just fine.
If you dont have butter, you could substitute margarine or even vegetable oil, although I prefer the flavor that the real butter gives the cake.
Use the type of vanilla extract you prefer. I personally dont like the taste of pure vanilla extract, so I use imitation. Vanilla bean paste would be amazing if youre feeling fancy. You can also double the amount of vanilla if you want to increase flavor even more.
I have not tested non-dairy milk alternatives, so proceed with those substitutions at your own risk. A non-dairy milk could change the texture substantially.
What Makes This Chocolate Mug Cake The Best
This is truly a Best-Ever recipe because it originated from my Best-Ever Chocolate Cake recipe! Yes, with my limited math skills and lots of time on my hands I divided my chocolate cake recipe down to this cupcake-sized mug cake. I mean, I love that cake so it makes perfect sense I would use the same one just on a smaller scale for a microwave mug cake.
Not only that, but by microwaving a cake it steams instead of getting dry baked like in an oven, leading to a wonderfully moist chocolate cake worthy of Best-Ever.
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For The Vanilla And Chocolate Chip Mug Cakes
Melt the butter in your mug.
Add the sugar and vanilla and mix to combine.Add the room temperature milk, baking powder and flour and mix to combine.Stir in the chocolate chips or sprinkles.Scrape the bottom of the mug, clean the edges and place the mug in the center of your microwave. Cook on high for 1 minute.Allow the cake to rest for 2 minutes and then enjoy.
How To Make A Mug Cake With A Cake Mix
A cake mix mug cake is made in just three simple steps. This recipe is for a single mug cake, but you can easily double it to suit your needs. If youre making more than one, microwave them individually, so they cook evenly!
Pro tip: Be careful removing the cake from the microwave, as the mug will most likely be SUPER hot.
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How To Make A Peanut Butter Mug Cake
Mug cakes are so incredible for a few reasons:
- theyre made in the microwave
- they only need a few ingredients
- and are the easiest cake recipes youll ever make
For this peanut butter mug cake youll need:
- 1 ½ tablespoons oil
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
Add the oil, peanut butter, sugar and egg yolk to your mug and give them a whisk. Gently stir in the flour and baking powder, then whisk in the milk. You can also stir in 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips at this point too. Then to bake the cake microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until you see the top start to puff up and it looks set on the top.
Top Off Your Masterpiece
To finish this recipe, @SweetPortfolio uses white chocolate shavings, though you can opt for any topping you like. Drizzle your mug cake with Hersheys syrup if youre a real chocoholic, or complete your cake with melted caramel and sea salt for a savory treat. Might we suggest some crushed candy canes for a wintry peppermint twist?
We dont know about youbut were having Oreo mug cake for dessert tonight!
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Can I Make This With Self
You can, but I tested it with self-raising flour and it just came out spongey and not the texture I wanted.
I like my cakes light, fluffy, and moist and with the self-raising flour, it just didnt yield the results I wanted.
There have been many people who have used self-raising flour in this recipe and didnt notice a difference so if youre up for the challenge, I say go for it.
Making Lemon Mug Cake

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