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Vanilla Mug Cake

4.95 from 120 votes

This super easy vanilla mug cake recipe is perfect for those days when you’re craving a delicious fluffy homemade cake, and it’s ready to eat in under 5 minutes!

Homemade Mug Cake Recipe
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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!

Readers also love this Healthy Banana Bread

Vanilla Cake In A Mug Recipe

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 don’t 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!

Above, watch the step-by-step vanilla mug cake recipe video

Easy Vanilla Mug Cake

How to make vanilla cake in a mug

To make the vanilla cake, start by setting all of your ingredients out on the counter and reading through the directions.

Grease a mug or heat-safe large bowl, and add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, water, oil (or oil free option), and vanilla extract to the mug. Stir with a fork or spoon to form a cake batter.

If you’re baking the mug cake in an oven, preheat to 350 degrees Fahreheit. Then bake on the oven’s center rack for 14 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Or for a microwave mug cake, cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until cooked through. The microwave time will depend on your microwave’s wattage.

Apparently you can also bake mug cakes in an air fryer, but I’ve never tried it. If you experiment, be sure to report back for the rest of us.

Serve and enjoy. Whether or not you want to share is entirely up to you!

Also make this homemade vanilla Chia Pudding

Vanilla Mug Cake Recipe

Frosting ideas

Top the mug cake with packaged or homemade frosting, melted peanut butter, ice cream, or fresh berries, banana, and Coconut Whipped Cream.

Feel free to stir a spoonful of sprinkles, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, some crushed walnuts or pecans, a handful of shredded coconut, or mini chocolate chips into the batter.

Or add some sprinkles, powdered sugar, or shaved chocolate after baking.

I used the basic cream cheese frosting recipe from my Easy Cinnamon Rolls.

Moist Vegan Vanilla Cake In A Mug

Recipe ingredients

The flour: I’ve successfully made the recipe with spelt, white, or oat flour. A few readers say that all purpose gluten free flour works for a gluten free vanilla mug cake.

It tastes great with almond flour but doesn’t really hold together, so just eat it straight from the mug if you want to do a grain free cake. Or there is also a keto mug cake recipe linked in the recipe below.

For the vanilla extract: Make sure to buy pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla. Look for the word “pure” on the label.

This extract is more expensive, but the improved taste and lack of artificial aftertaste are very much worth the higher price.

To make a vegan vanilla mug cake: This recipe is made without milk and can also be done with no butter, so it’s already naturally dairy free, egg free, and vegan as long as you choose to go with the oil or vegan butter option.

For the sweetener: You can use your favorite granulated sweetener here.

Try white or brown regular sugar, raw or unrefined coconut sugar, or granulated erythritol for a sugar free mug cake. Use the lower sugar amount if adding frosting or the higher amount if eating the cake on its own.

Microwave Vanilla Mug Cake Recipe
Pin it now to save for laterPin Recipe

Vanilla Mug Cake Recipe

This super easy vanilla mug cake recipe is perfect for those days when you're craving a delicious fluffy homemade cake.
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Yield 1 mug cake
5 from 120 votes

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp spelt, white, or oat flour (here's a Keto Mug Cake)
  • 2-3 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp oil, butter, or mashed banana
  • 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • optional add-in ideas are listed above in the post

Instructions

  • Stir all ingredients in a greased mug or bowl. Either bake in the oven or microwave until fluffy and cake-like. It takes around 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in the microwave, depending on wattage. Or preheat the oven to 350 F and bake 14 minutes.
    View Nutrition Facts

Notes

Also be sure to try this Chocolate Mug Cake.
 

Have you made this recipe?

Tag @chocolatecoveredkatie on Instagram

More Mug Cake Recipes

Brownie Mug Cake

Brownie In A Mug

Chocolate Protein Mug Cake

Chocolate Protein Cake

Vegan Banana Mug Cake Recipe

Banana Bread In A Mug

Pumpkin Cake In A Mug

Pumpkin Mug Cake

Coffee Cake In A Mug

Coffee Mug Cake

If you have any other mug cake flavors that you’d like to see, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what recipe to try next!

Published on October 3, 2021

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28 Comments

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  1. Lana says

    5 stars
    This was a delicious and easy recipe. I have loved your chocolate mug cake recipe for years and was excited to see a vanilla version – long overdue! I will be making this again and again 🙂

  2. Camille says

    My daughter (10) has been making your 1-minute streusel coffee cake minus the streusel for years as a not-too-sweet treat. We’re excited to try out this new recipe.

  3. Rachel says

    5 stars
    This was a great mug cake for a Saturday afternoon pick me up. I added a spoonful of peanut butter in the middle too!

  4. Susan says

    5 stars
    Has anyone tried this with Splenda or any other artificial sweetener? How much would you use? 2 or 3 tablespoons seems too much. Thanks

    • bob a. ganoosh says

      I used monk fruit and used 2 tablespoons. I wouldn’t use less than that because I think it would taste bitter.

  5. becky jo says

    5 stars
    I love this i made this for my family in bowls not mugs and they are really good then we made icing and added sprinkels god bless you for making this recipe i love it

  6. Lynn says

    5 stars
    Love love love this! You have made my non vegan family believers! Do you have a full size yellow or vanilla cake recipe?
    Thank you! I am off to buy your cookbook!

  7. Jessica says

    5 stars
    Mug cake! Oh my so good followed recipe, used wheat flour added pumpkin pie spice with some chopped pecans and a little bit of whipped cream. Quick very tasty dessert. Thanks Katie!

  8. Minami says

    5 stars
    I didn’t have vanilla essence so I put peanut butter. It was very fluffy and a crumbly textured cake. In the future I might try putting an egg, or anything else that’ll bind the cake together but it tastes good.

  9. Cat Sciarrino says

    5 stars
    Very tasty. I would make it again. I added cinnamon and when done (microwave) I drizzled a little confectionery sugar simple frosting and added sprinkles. Definitely hit the spot!

  10. Lively Smith says

    5 stars
    Wonderful, ate with royal icing but it lacked the whole cake-ness I expected, but was still quite enjoyable in its own way. If you eat with royal icing I recommend a dash of vanilla in the icing

  11. Elaine says

    5 stars
    This was the best mug cake I have ever had! I used 2 T of white sugar, 1 t of brown sugar, 1/4 t of cinnamon and a little over 1.5 tablespoons of melted butter. I was a little worried about it being dry with the sugar. I put half in the mug, chopped pecans, rest of the batter, topped with a few more pecans. After 2 of the longest minutes of my life in the microwave, and boom! Done! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! DELICIOUS!!!

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