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Vanilla Mug Cake

4.98 from 196 votes

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

Homemade Mug Cake Recipe
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The best vanilla mug cake

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.

It calls for just a few pantry staple ingredients and can easily be made in the microwave or oven, whichever baking method you prefer.

Plus, there’s no milk and no eggs 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.

Add all of the ingredients to a mug, stir to form a batter, and microwave or bake in the oven until soft and fluffy. It really is that easy.

You can even do some dessert meal prep in advance.

Simply measure out the dry ingredients for multiple cakes, portion the mix into individual bags, and store your single serving vanilla cake mixes in the cabinet.

This way, they are ready to go any time you want vanilla cake without the wait!

Vanilla mug cake recipe video

Above, watch the step-by-step recipe video

Easy Vanilla Mug Cake

Ingredients for vanilla cake in a mug

The cake calls for flour, baking powder, pure vanilla extract, water, sweetener of choice, a pinch of salt, and optional oil or butter.

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

The recipe tastes great with almond flour but does not 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 included as an option in the recipe below.

Vanilla extract: Make sure to buy pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla or vanilla flavoring. 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.

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.

Fat source: For a traditional vanilla cake texture, it is best to use either melted coconut oil, sunflower oil, butter, or a vegan alternative.

You can make an oil free, fat free version by substituting mashed banana, applesauce, or sweet potato. The low calorie mug cake will taste like a muffin, making it perfect for breakfast or a healthy snack.

Vegan vanilla mug cake

Because this recipe calls for water, it already naturally works without milk.

To make a fully dairy free and egg free mug cake, just choose banana, coconut oil, or vegan butter instead of dairy butter.

Top the vegan mug cake with your favorite nondairy ice cream.

Vegans also love these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vanilla Mug Cake Recipe

How to make the recipe

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

Grease a mug, or a heat safe bowl or two ramekins. This important step ensures your finished vanilla dessert will pop out of the mug or dish without sticking.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, water, oil or oil free option, and vanilla extract to the mug or bowl.

Stir everything together with a fork or spoon to form a vanilla cake batter.

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

Or for a quick microwave mug cake, cook for one and a half to two minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. The microwave time will depend on your microwave’s wattage.

Reader tip: Apparently you can also bake delicious homemade mug cakes in an air fryer. I have never personally tried this method, so be sure to report back for the rest of us if you experiment.

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

Also make this homemade vanilla Chia Pudding

Moist Vegan Vanilla Cake In A Mug

Frosting ideas

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

Feel free to stir a spoonful of rainbow sprinkles, some crushed walnuts or pecans, or a handful of shredded coconut and mini chocolate chips into the batter.

Or garnish with birthday sprinkles, powdered sugar, or shaved chocolate after baking.

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

Fun flavor variations

You can stir in a half teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a cinnamon roll mug cake.

Or add three to five drops of pure almond extract or maple extract.

Turn it into a lovely spice cake by including a pinch each of ground cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

Or omit the oil and swirl in two tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter instead. Top the finished microwave cake with chopped peanuts and caramelized banana slices.

For a coffee cake, stir in a half teaspoon of instant coffee granules, or swap out the water for strong brewed espresso instead.

Of course, my personal favorite variation is to throw in a handful of chocolate chips and top the yellow mug cake with dark chocolate frosting.

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

Vanilla Mug Cake

This easy vanilla mug cake recipe is perfect for those days when you crave a delicious fluffy homemade cake.
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Yield 1 mug cake
5 from 196 votes

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp flour (spelt, white, oat, or here's a Keto Mug Cake)
  • 3 tbsp sugar or granulated sweetener of choice
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp butter or oil or mashed banana
  • 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • To make a single serving vanilla mug cake, simply stir all ingredients in a greased mug or bowl. Either bake in the oven or microwave until fluffy, with a cakey texture. It takes around 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to cook in the microwave, depending on wattage. Or preheat the oven to 350 degrees 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

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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 would like to see, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what recipe to try next!

Published on December 30, 2023

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39 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!!!

  12. Brianne Bates-Dinney says

    5 stars
    So delicious! Do you have the recipe scaled up for an actual cake? Would love to make this for my son’s birthday as he can’t have eggs, dairy or wheat (we use oat flour and it’s so good!)

  13. Elkay says

    5 stars
    Made this and yummy 😋
    I replaced some of the flour with two tablespoons of dark rye flour that was leftover from a previous recipe I made the same day. Love this quick, easy, and versatile recipe. Thank you, CCK!

  14. Riley says

    5 stars
    One of the best mug cakes I’ve tried! Great recipe! I doubled it, cooked it in the microwave for exactly 2 minutes and it came out perfect. So yummy!

  15. Lanette says

    5 stars
    My first time making mug cake and this recipe is perfect. I added chocolate chips for some extra sweetness. I would make this recipe again.

  16. Cathleen says

    5 stars
    I hate mug cakes but this one won me over! How is this THIS good with no eggs or milk?? Thanks for the recipe!

4.98 from 196 votes (166 ratings without comment)

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