This vanilla mug cake recipe is everything: moist, sweet, and perfect for toppings from sprinkles to fruit to ice cream!

Need a sweet treat that takes literally 5 minutes to make with ingredients you have on hand? Meet the ultimate Vanilla Mug Cake! This one is so moist, so sweetly vanilla-scented, it feels like it’s a fancy from-scratch baking project. Except it’s a cake made in the microwave. The mug cake is an internet trend that’s totally worth trying: because it really is that delicious. And easy.

Ingredients in this vanilla mug cake recipe

A mug cake is a single-serving cake mixed in a mug and cooked in the microwave. The microwave “bakes” the cake in under 2 minutes. It might sound like one of those Pinterest experiments doomed to fail…only it isn’t. This vanilla cake comes out surprisingly moist and fluffy, beautifully sweet and perfect for toppings of any kind! Even better: you probably have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Milk (oat milk or almond milk, for vegan)
• Butter (coconut oil or neutral oil, for vegan)
• Vanilla

Cook time varies based on microwave

All you’ve got to do is mix the ingredients together in a mug, then nuke it for about 1 ½ minutes! Now, here’s an important thing to note. Cook time for a mug cake varies based on the power of your microwave. Here’s how to make this vanilla mug cake recipe fit any microwave:

• Cook 60 seconds on high, then check. It’s possible that your cake could be done now, if you have a high powered appliance.
• When is it done? It looks cooked and springs back when you touch it. It will still look fairly moist on top. But if it’s super gooey, keep going.
• Cook 20 seconds, then another 10 if not cooked. If it’s still gooey, go for another 10 second burst. You don’t want to overcook it, so air on the side of caution!

Make sure to cool before eating!

Here’s the other most important thing about this vanilla mug cake recipe. Make sure to cool it for 2 to 3 minutes before digging in. Why?

• Cooling solidifies the texture. Take a bite too soon and it’s much too hot: the way that the microwave cooks it different from an oven. Don’t rush this part!
• After 2 to 3 minutes, it’s solidified and still warm. Don’t worry: it will still be warm after a few minutes! Dig in and it has a beautifully fluffy, moist texture and sweet vanilla flavor.

Vanilla mug cake mix-ins!

The concept of vanilla mug cake is very loose: you can easily add mix-ins to customize it!

• Dark chocolate chips: This is what we used! You can omit, but just 2 tablespoons chips makes a deliciously gooey texture.
• Peanut butter: Add a dollop of peanut butter to the center of the batter.
• Cookie dough: Add a ball of edible cookie dough to the center (room temp or frozen). Or try our chickpea cookie dough, a healthy-ish option.
• Chocolate mint candies like Andes mints

Vanilla mug cake toppings

This vanilla mug cake is the ideal canvas for toppings of any kind! Make it as a birthday cake vanilla mug cake with sprinkles, or go for a fruity topping. Might we recommend this all-natural strawberry puree? It’s full of beautiful, pure berry flavor. Here are some of our other favorite toppings:

1. Vanilla ice cream
2. Homemade whipped cream: try classic or dairy free
3. Strawberry sauce: try strawberry sauce or strawberry puree
4. Raspberry sauce: opt for raspberry sauce or raspberry compote
5. Fresh berries or cherries
6. Chocolate sauce or caramel sauce

What would you add? Let us know in the comments below!

This mug cake recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free.

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