Coffee mug cake: quick coffee cake in minutes!

Mug? Check. Spoon? Check. Five minutes spare? Of course. Then make our coffee mug cake with fresh coffee!

Marvellousness, mug-shaped

There’s something wonderfully comforting about eating warm cake from a mug. It’s a bit like bowl food, just smaller and sweeter and way more snuggly. This coffee mug cake recipe is the answer when cake cravings come calling. Maybe you’ve just had dinner and fancy something cake related. Or you’ve settled down to watch Netflix and find that a shop-bought biscuit won’t suffice.

Not that you need an excuse to make this mug cake. It’s delicious and that’s enough. Yes, mug cakes might seem a bit studenty. You might have even tried whipping one up in the past, only to be disappointed by its rubbery texture. We’ll let you into a (not so secret) secret: mug cakes turn rubbery when overbaked. You can prevent this from happening and achieve that bouncy-light cake texture by microwaving with caution. Don’t whack up the timer for two minutes and pootle off. Start by cooking your cake for one minute and then microwave in very short bursts after that if needed. Microwaves vary, so it might take a bit of trial and error. But that’s fine – it gives you an excuse to eat more cake!

We know mug cakes aren’t fancy like layer cakes and posh gateaux. But they are no less delicious for that. And this coffee mug cake is so simple. We’re not keen on measuring in tablespoons when brewing coffee (we like it gram-perfect) but have kept things quick with tablespoon measurements here. Just so you know, all tbsp and tsp measurements are level, not heaped.

This scrummy mug cake is a great pud if you are vegan or dairy-free; simply adapt to use your preferred milk and non-dairy spread.

A quick word on the mug (it’s pretty major, considering this is a MUG cake). As much as we love our Two Chimps enamel mug, you can’t use it in this recipe because it isn’t microwave friendly. Use a generously sized, microwave-safe mug instead. One that holds at least 8oz is ideal. You could also use a small bowl or ramekin if you like – just make sure it can go in the microwave!

This super-simple coffee mug cake is something of a miracle. We’re not even sure it counts as baking, but when it tastes this good, who cares?! Spoons at the ready, because cake-pour-un is on the way!

Serves 1

• 2 tbsp very strongly brewed coffee or double shot espresso
• 4 tbsp self-raising flour
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp milk or dairy-free milk
• pinch salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• A few walnuts, chopped
• Sweetened mascarpone, cream or ice cream, to serve

Method

Brew your coffee or make your espresso.

Add all of the ingredients to your microwavable mug and stir with a fork until well mixed and no lumps of flour remain. If your mug looks a bit messy, you might want to scrape the mixture into a clean mug at this point.

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Pop the mug in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute. Take it out and press down lightly with the tip of your finger. Does it feel firm yet springy? If not, return to the microwave for another 20-30 seconds, or until cooked. A cocktail stick should come out clean when inserted.

Leave to cool slightly while you whip up your topping(s!), then grab a spoon and dive in!

Make your mug cake extra magic with speciality coffee – shop now!

Let's go!