This vanilla mug cake is so easy to make! All you need is a handful of staple ingredients and 5 minutes to put it all together.
Are you in the mood for something to satisfy your sweet tooth but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen? Look no further than this 5 minute vanilla mug cake! With no eggs required, it's the perfect dessert for those days where you can't be bothered making a full-sized cake.
Ingredients in Vanilla Mug Cake
It is crucial that you measure the ingredients with proper measuring spoons and cups. Don't use regular dessert spoons or soup spoons to measure out ingredients.
- Plain / all-purpose flour: you can also use self-raising flour and omit the baking powder.
- Baking powder: NOT baking soda. Make sure your baking powder is in-date or your cake will be dense and tough.
- Caster / superfine sugar: this finer form of sugar gives you a fluffy cake. Substitute with regular white sugar, if required.
- Milk: I use dairy milk but you can also use any plant-based milk alternative (or water).
- Canola oil: or any other flavourless vegetable oil. You can use melted butter if necessary.
- Vanilla: this gives you the delicious vanilla flavour! Use a high-quality vanilla if you can.
How to make Vanilla Mug Cake
I promise that this will be the easiest recipe you have ever cooked! All you need to do is stir together the dry ingredients in your large mug, then stir in the wet ingredients (stir very well!). Bake until done, making sure to adjust the cooking time according to the strength of your microwave.
Substitutions & Tips
- Find the original recipe video on here on TikTok (you don't need to have a TikTok account to view the video).
- Oil: you can use any type of vegetable oil. I don't recommend using olive oil as it will give the cake an odd flavour. You can also substitute oil with an equal amount of melted butter or margarine.
- Sugar: you can substitute caster sugar with regular granulated white sugar.
- Baking powder: you can substitute ½ teaspoon of baking powder with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. You can also leave it out completely and replace the plain flour with self-raising flour.
- Can I make my mug cake gluten-free? Yes, substitute regular flour with the same amount of high-quality gluten free flour.
Troubleshooting Vanilla Mug Cake
Why did my mug cake overflow?
If your mug cake overflowed then you are using a mug which is too small. Use a mug which is at least 350 mL (12.5 oz) or use a small microwave-safe bowl. If your cake starts to overflow, stop the microwave and let the cake sink down then resume cooking.
My mug cake is too sweet or not sweet enough
Adjust the amount of sugar according to your preference. I don't recommend using less than 1 tablespoon of sugar or it will begin to affect the texture of the cake. You can also substitute sugar with baking sweetener to reduce the sugar and make the mug cake diabetic-friendly.
Why is my mug cake hard and rubbery?
It is likely that you have overcooked the cake. 90 seconds will be plenty of cooking time for this cake in the majority of microwaves. If you know that your microwave is more powerful than normal microwaves, reduce the power to 80%. When in doubt, a slightly undercooked cake is far better than an overcooked cake!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can mug cakes be baked in the oven?
Yes! This batter can fill 1 to 2 regular cupcake tins. Line the pan then bake at 180C/355F (standard) or 160C/340F (fan-forced/convection) for 10-15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean.
Don't place your mug in the oven!
Can you make mug cakes in a bowl?
Yes, you can mix and microwave the mug cake in a microwave-safe bowl. However it will reduce the cooking time if your bowl has a wider base than a mug! Start with 30 seconds then continue to cook in bursts of 10 seconds until cooked through.
Are mug cakes healthy?
Mug cakes provide a single serving of cake which may be helpful for enjoying a sweet treat in moderation. You can substitute sugar with baking sweetener for a lower calorie option.
Serving Suggestions
I like to top my mug cake with any ice cream that I have in the house. It's also delicious served with whipped cream or a drizzle of chocolate sauce. For a fruity twist, you can add berries or chopped fruits.
When I'm making this recipe with kids, I also add rainbow sprinkles or jimmies to the top of the cake for a fun and colourful cake.
Storing Mug Cakes
I don't recommend storing this cake. It should be eaten fresh as soon as it's cooked.
Variations of Vanilla Mug Cake
Want to change it up? You can try adding any of the following.
- Nuts: add chopped nuts through the mug cake batter for a crunchy twist.
- Chocolate chips: add chocolate chips through the batter for a chocolate flavour.
- Blueberries: if you're a fan of blueberry muffins, you have to try adding blueberries through the batter!
- Cinnamon or other spices: adding ¼ - ½ teaspoon of your favourite spices along with the dry ingredients will give you a lovely warm and spicy flavour.
5 Minute Microwave Vanilla Mug Cake (No Eggs)
Enjoy a soft and fluffy vanilla cake without even turning on the oven! This moist vanilla mug cake is the perfect single-serve dessert. You can have it ready in just 5 minutes!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75 g) plain flour / all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
- 3 tablespoon (60 g) caster sugar / superfine sugar
- ¼ cup (63 mL) milk
- 2 tablespoon (40 mL) canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon (2 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe mug (350 mL / 12.5 oz capacity or larger), stir together plain flour, baking powder and caster sugar until well combined. Add milk, oil and vanilla essence and stir until well combined.
- Microwave for 90 seconds (based on an 1100 watt microwave) or until the cake has risen well. You can stick a fork through the centre of the cake to see if it is cooked through. Microwave in further 10 second bursts if needed but be very careful not to overcook! Serve with ice cream and sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
Measurement
- Please note that my recipes are measured in metric cups and spoons which are larger than US cups and spoons. Most recipes will be fine if measured in US cups and spoons, but please use the weight (grams) measurement for the most accurate result.
Storage
- I recommend eating the mug cake while it is fresh. It isn't designed to keep well.
Substitutions & Tips
- Find the original recipe video on here on TikTok (you don't need to have a TikTok account to view the video).
- Oil: you can use any type of vegetable oil. I don't recommend using olive oil as it will give the cake an odd flavour. You can also substitute oil with an equal amount of melted butter or margarine.
- Sugar: you can substitute caster sugar with regular granulated white sugar.
- Baking powder: you can substitute ½ teaspoon of baking powder with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. You can also leave it out completely and replace the plain flour with self-raising flour.
Troubleshooting
- Why did my cake overflow? If your cake overflowed then you are using a mug which is too small. Use a mug which is at least 350 mL (12.5 oz) or use a small microwave-safe bowl. If your cake starts to overflow, stop the microwave and let the cake sink down then resume cooking.
- Why is my cake hard and rubbery? It is likely that you have overcooked the cake. 90 seconds will be plenty of cooking time for this cake in the majority of microwaves. If you know that your microwave is more powerful than normal microwaves, reduce the power to 80%. When in doubt, a slightly undercooked cake is far better than an overcooked cake!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 Mug CakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 567Total Fat: 29.7gSaturated Fat: 2.7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 244.3mgCarbohydrates: 70.6gFiber: 1.3gSugar: 40.6gProtein: 6.1g
Demi Star says
It was so moist and amazing my kids are contantly begging me to make more!?
Chloe says
Once you start it's so hard to stop!? So so glad you and the kids love it!! Thank you for the lovely feedback!
Dee says
Good recipe. I used SR flour and 1.5 tbsps brown sugar, 1 tbsp rice bran oil and a sprinkle of instant coffee. Delicious.
Fitzy says
This is utterly amazing. Works wonderfully our house was super happy, i added a dollop of strawberry jam at the end. So delicious.