Do you love cake? Do you love mugs? If you answered yes to either question then you know in your heart that mug cake is for you.
Mug cake is just so incredibly cozy! What could be better than curling up on the couch with a warm chocolate cake in a mug in your hands? It is the pinnacle of being.
Food confession time: when I was a kid, I LOVED those frozen chocolate cakes you got at the grocery store. Deep‘n Delicious is the chocolate cake that has all my warm and fuzzy nostalgic childhood memories. I’m pretty sure it’s a Canadian thing, so if you have no idea what I’m talking about, I don’t blame you. Basically, DND (as it shall now be known) is a frozen chocolate cake with star shaped chocolate frosting piped on top. The closest thing I’ve found to it while living in America is SaraLee.
I totally don’t buy frozen chocolate cake anymore (or do I?!), but what I remember loving about it was the fact that there was always cake on hand. It was frozen, but magically easy to slice and enjoy at all times of the day. Mug cake is almost as easy as pulling a pre-made cake out of the freezer, but it has the bonus of being warm, so mug cake is my new favorite thing!
What is mug cake?
Mug cake is a cake that’s made in a mug! It bakes up in just a minute in the microwave and is a warm and chocolate-y treat that will satisfy any chocolate sweet tooth. Mug cake is perfect for when you just want a single serving of cake and don’t want to bust out all your baking equipment.
How to make mug cake:
- Whisk. Whisk together the milk and oil in a mug.
- Mix. In a bowl (or you can do this straight in the mug) mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir. Stir everything together then add the chocolate.
- Microwave. Bake your mug cake in the microwave on a plate (in case of overflow), let cool slightly and dig in!
What does it taste like?
Heaven! Seriously, I’m not joking guys, this cake is SO GOOD. It’s moist, chocolatey, and light and fluffy. I love the melty chocolate parts that essentially make it like molten chocolate lava cake. I like it plain, with a little bit of powdered sugar, with whipped cream, with ice cream, oh my gosh, I feel like I need one right now. The best part is that it comes together so quickly. Bonus points for the fact that I almost always have everything right at home.
Mug cake ingredients
For this mug cake, you need:
- Milk. I use whatever milk I have in the fridge, usually 2% or almond.
- Oil. Try to use a neutral oil that doesn’t have any flavor like canola oil.
- Flour.
- Cocoa powder. For cocoa powder, we need the unsweetened kind, not hot chocolate milk.
- Baking powder.
- Sugar. You can adjust the sugar to you liking, or use a sugar alternative.
- Chocolate chips. The chocolate gets melty and gooey and is the best part! I usually just chop up a bit of a chocolate bar/baking chocolate if I don’t have chocolate chips in the pantry.
No eggs in this mug cake?
Yep, that’s right. This recipe has been updated and there are now no eggs in this mug cake. Eggs tend to make mug cakes have a bit of a rubbery texture, so bye-bye eggs and hello tender, fluffy cake. As a bonus, it’s now vegetarian and can easily be made vegan too. I developed this recipe from wacky cake, a cake that has no eggs in it. I kept it pretty similar but switched out the water for milk.
Can I make vegan mug cake?
Yes! This can absolutely be made vegan. Just substitute a milk alternative for the milk: oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, rice milk, cashew milk, macadamia milk.
Can I make sugar free mug cake?
You can definitely make a sugar free mug cake by using sugar alternatives like honey, agave, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or even sweeteners. If you’re using sweeteners, don’t swap out the sugar one-to-one, adjust as per the sweetener.
Tips and tricks
Each microwave is different in strength so the very first time you make this recipe try experimenting a bit. I find that 1 minute plus 10 seconds in my microwave works best, but you might need a bit extra. Because this recipe doesn’t have any eggs in it, you can have it on the gooey side if you love cake batter.
The kind of mug you use matters! One that has straight sides is best and bigger is better. Use a mug that holds at least 1 and 3/4 cups. If you use a smaller mug, you should put the mug on a plate so you can catch the overflow, which will make clean up easier.
Variations:
- Cream cheese: add in a nugget of cream cheese when you add the chocolate.
- Nutella: add a spoonful of nutella instead of the chocolate.
- Peanut butter: add a spoonful of peanut butter instead of the chocolate.
- Coconut: use coconut milk and and stir in a tablespoon or two of shredded coconut into the batter.
- Biscoff: add a spoonful of biscoff cookie spread instead of the chocolate and top with crushed biscoff cookies.
Vanilla Mug Cake
If you’re looking for a two minute easy vanilla mug cake, I’ve got you. This is mug cake is fluffy, sweet, and full of vanilla. It’s like a little birthday cake in a mug. Bonus points if you add in sprinkles to make it a funfetti mug cake! Here’s how you make it:
In a microwave safe mug that holds at least 1.75 cups of liquid, whisk together:
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp white vinegar
In a small bowl, mix together:
4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
Add the flour mix to the mug and whisk well, making sure there are no lumps. Add in sprinkles now if you want a funfetti cake.
Place on microwave safe plate and microwave for 1 minute and 10 seconds. If needed, continue to microwave in 10 second increments if it’s not cooked through.
Let cool slightly and enjoy!
Optional: Top with a quick frosting: mix together 2 tbsp room temp butter with 1/4 cup icing sugar and splash of vanilla extract or milk until smooth and fluffy.
If you want to bake a whole cake, here are some of my favorite cake recipes:
Mug Cake
Do you love cake? Do you love mugs? If you answered yes to either question then you know in your heart that mug cake is for you.
Serves 1
- 6 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 tbsp flour 1/4 cup
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
You may want to microwave your cake for a bit longer depending on how gooey you like your cake. Microwave in 10 second increments after the first minute until it’s done to your liking.
Nutrition Facts
Mug Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 452
Calories from Fat 184
% Daily Value*
Fat 20.4g31%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 637mg28%
Potassium 416mg12%
Carbohydrates 65g22%
Fiber 4.8g20%
Sugar 33.8g38%
Protein 9.2g18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
