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A vanilla mug cake is the perfect fix when you are craving a simple cake but not necessarily the whole shebang of making a full cake. This single serving vanilla mug cake is just as easy to make as my chocolate mug cake; equally light and fluffy, and still has no eggs and fully customizable!
The Very Best Vanilla Mug Cake
If you have been hanging around the blog for a few years now, you’ll know that my original chocolate mug cake that started the whole mug cake trend has been a hit. I recognize, though, that not everyone is a fan of chocolate. If I’m being honest, that’s quite shocking to me but, I aim to please, so if you are a vanilla lover, here is the vanilla mug cake!
Over the years, several of people asked for one and honestly, it wasn’t a bad idea. It’s like having chocolate and vanilla ice cream flavors to choose from. Sometimes you’re wanting chocolate, some days you’re wanting vanilla. Same deal for mug cakes, right?
What is a mug cake?
I still seem to get this question a lot and a mug cake is literally as it sounds. A cake that is made in a mug! They are popular because they’re easy to make, egg-free, and a single-serving. When you are craving cake, you don’t have to whip out all your baking equipment, let alone bake an entire cake. A mug cake is a great alternative to nip that craving in the bud!
Vanilla Mug Cake Variations
Vanilla cake in a mug is the perfect base for your favorite add-ins. Here are some ideas:
- Sprinkles (I suggest using Jimmie sprinkles as the nonpareils will bleed color into your batter)
- Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, you get the jist!
- Mix in some jam for a fruity surprise!
- Add in some leftover candy like chopped up Reese’s peanut butter cups or a Snickers bar.
- Crush up cookies like Nilla Wafers or Oreo cookies and mix them into the batter.
- Use a nut butter or substitute of choice. Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc.!
- Top it off with some whipped cream or ice cream!
Important Vanilla Mug Cake Tips
- Use a microwave-safe mug! This is so important. You don’t want anything shattering in the microwave. Additionally, make sure it holds at least 16 ounces.
- Place the mug on a paper towel just in case it bubbles or spills over. It would make clean up a lot easier.
- Microwave wattages vary thus cook time will vary. My microwave is 950 watts and I cooked mine on 100% power for 130 seconds. Knowing this information, it may help you better judge how long to cook yours for and at what power.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 didn’t yield the results I wanted. There have been many people who have used self-raising flour in this recipe and didn’t notice a difference so if you’re up for the challenge, and knowing texture and taste may be off, I say go for it.
No, this was solely developed for the microwave. I have had readers who have baked this but I honestly do not recall how it turned out and/or what temperature or time.
Other Mug Cake Flavors
Very Vanilla Mug Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (31 g) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (59 ml) + 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.1/4 cup (31 g) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, vanilla bean paste, and vanilla extract.1/4 cup (59 ml) + 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients then pour the milk mixture into the center, followed by the melted butter.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Whisk until no lumps remain and batter is smooth and well combined.
- Pour into a 16-ounce microwave-safe mug.
- Microwave on high for 130 seconds or 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
- Carefully remove and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
Made this and was amazing fit well in my sports direct mug but was far too sweet for my liking but other than that was perfect!!!
Wow! So very good and so incredibly easy. I accidentally mixed everything in one bowl, and it was amazing. I added a glob of cherry preserves and am a very happy girl now.
These are the best mug cakes ever! I added about 20 chocolate chips to the chocolate mug cake which makes it like a mouton lava cake.
To the vanilla I added 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and topped it with a bit of real maple syrup served warm YUMMY!
Thanks for these great recipes
Ohhh the 20 chocolate chips sounds amazing! Haha
Phenomenal!!!
I had almost given up on mug cakes because of the eggy-spongy-smelly grossness about them. This one is truly like a cupcake!!! I cooked it for just 1 min and 10 seconds. And it was perfect
How many calories approx?
Sorry, there are many reasons as to why I don’t post nutritional information on my recipes, one of which is that I simply do not have the time to do this. Also, I’m not a registered dietician or nutritionist so for me to give any sort of nutritional information would be incorrect and inaccurate. There are also many differing factors when it comes to nutritional information and since I do not have the knowledge in this, I do not feel comfortable posting this sort of information. If you must have this information, there are many calculators out there (free and paid) that can help you with calculations. A simple Google search would pull up some of these calculators, but again, I’m not endorsing them as I do not know how accurate they may be.
It’s cake….I don’t want to know….I just want to indulge!!
If I used 1 tbsp of butter and substituted vegetable oil for the other tbsp of butter, would there be a big difference?
I haven’t tried it this way but I don’t think there’s a big difference.
This turned out absolutely fucking disgusting. I followed your recipe exactly. You’re an idiot.
Sorry I ruined your life.
You ma’am are the idiot! This cake is seriously amazing, I’m not even a vanilla cake fan, I may be converted… ? Thanks for the awesome recipe!! You just keep doing you, and making these bomb recipes! ?
Thank you so much!!
Even if you had choked on it, that kind of language was totally uncalled for. Disgusting. Of course, it did not occur to you that maybe YOU might have done something wrong? Especially since so many others love this cake?
Had to try it after the cocoa one (divine). Texture is exactly like in the picture! We don’t have vanilla paste in southern Europe, and I also craved sth fruity, so I added a tsp cherry jam to the mix. Came out pink and delicious. (There’s so few ingredients I find these cakes great to experiment with)
Hi Julie :)
Thank you for this brilliant recipe, I made this for my sister, we ended up dividing it amongst two 8 oz cups as that’s what we have. The cake itself tasted like a cupcake! Moist, and actually cake-like (fluffy yes), unlike so many microwave mug cake recipes. We topped it off with white chocolate and cream ;) Though it tasted just fine without
This one’s a keeper x
Does this work with vanilla extract powder? i don’t have a liquid one
I’m not sure. I’ve never used vanilla extract in powder form. I presume it would work the same.