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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
Hmm not sure about this recipe. Put it in for 2 and a half minutes and still couldn’t tell if it was cooked properly. It was bubbling a lot. Tasted good though. Any comments or advice?
Your vanilla and chocolate mug cake recipes are ridiculously easy and come out perfect every time!
Thank you so much for sharing them.
Oops…sorry-I forgot two key points in the review I just submitted:
After mixing the batter, (make sure you incorporate enough air into it), let it rest for about two minutes to give the baking powder time to work.
During that time, I greased and floured (well, I use Bakers Joy) the inside of the cup. I know that it’s not mentioned in the original recipe, but I feel that if you don’t, the batter might stick to the sides of the cup in the beginning of cooking, and then not be able to rise.
Sorry if I took over this post. Hope these suggestions help.
Ok! So maybe letting it rest is what I should try next time. I carefully followed the measurements and took them the appropriate way as well as stiffing all dry ingredients. Still I had to keep adding time as the top was wet. Really not sure where I went wrong. My texture is more spongy than fluffy though.
I didn’t have any problems with this recipe. The batter rose and was light and fluffy. Vanilla is not my “thing”, but my husband said that it was very good.
Now, if it’s ok, let me give some insight into the issues that several people had:
When making a small recipe like this, accurate measurements are key. If you just “scoop” the flour, that alone will make this cake heavy and not fluffy. You should always “fluff” your flour and then gently spoon it into the cup and then level it. Like I said, when the recipe is this small, the smallest amount over will affect the results.
Also, tablespoons should be written with a capital “T”, to give a clear distinction from teaspoons. Tbs. or tsp. It’s possible that some people may have had the wrong amounts of sugar or vanilla in their cake. I looked quickly and only put a half tsp of vanilla extract in, instead of a half Tbs. I guess my husband will like it even better next time I make it for him!
I hope these suggestions aren’t seen as criticism-I’m only trying to offering suggestions as to what might have gone wrong for some people.
I’ll be making this again for my husband-I’ll be eating a brownie in a mug?
This tastes good I guess but it was so dense and heavy that it made me sick and I couldn’t finish it. I do not reccomend using this recipe at all. I feel like throwing up right now
It’s very lumpy and it didn’t really
Rise. We kept having to add time. It doesn’t really taste like cake, it tastes like cookie dough and hot flour, sugar and vanilla.
I saved this pin ages ago and I’ve just tried it (much less cooking time required in my monster and ingredients altered for intolerances!) it was absolutely delicious and is helping me through a rubbish migraine… will now become my go to treat! Thank you x
For those of you who are missing egg in this recipe, why not try a tsp of mayonnaise? I make a chocolate mayonnaise cake using only mayonnaise instead of eggs. It is one of the moistest cakes and delicious. I don’t know how much one would use in a mug cake and perhaps Julie might have an idea but I would think it might be a good option since you wouldn’t have to figure out how to divide an egg. Oh, and using mayonnaise in my chocolate mayonnaise cake doesn’t make it taste eggy so I assume the taste wouldn’t overwhelm in a much smaller recipe.
It looks like a bunch of other people have had success with this, but I’m honestly baffled as to HOW. I attempted this twice, and all I got was a flat, pale rubber disc for my effort. I actually perfected my own chocolate mug cake recipe about a year ago, and it *absolutely requires* an egg. As do pretty much ALL CAKES. A couple of times I accidentally left the egg out, and ended up with the same sad flat rubber mat.
I see a number of comments saying theirs turned out more like a stodgy cookie, and that’s exactly what you’d expect without an egg. If you absolutely insist on making this eggless, I’d recommend a) increasing the amount of baking powder, and b) adding some vinegar to react with it to try to generate some rise.
Yes, all cakes require eggs but a mug cake doesn’t require a WHOLE egg. A 9-inch cake can take 2 eggs. A mug cake is hardly the size of a 9-inch cake. To each their own, but I definitely stand behind my recipe. Thank you for sharing your tips at the end.
i wonder if a lot of these folks who arent getting a rise are from the UK where baking powder and baking soda are kind of swapped? If you add acid , like vinegar to baking SODA in the us, you get a lift, but baking POWDER already has the acid and the base needed to create the lift. Just a thought.
Just made this. Oh my days!!!!
Am in the UK and even with my rough Conversions it was sooooo good, added a handful of choc dots which went gooey in the bottom of mug like sauce and served to partner with a dollop of Greek yoghurt
Will be a regular, many thanks.