This Vegan Vanilla Mug Cake is completely dairy and egg free and made with just 7 pantry staples and fresh raspberries! It’s perfectly sweetened, fluffy, moist and prepared directly in the mug. Have this super easy vegan dessert ready in 5 minutes or less.
Before creating my own vegan mug cakes, I had tested several other mug cake recipes and was not impressed.
They were either completely undercooked, tasted like baking soda, or were way too heavy and dense.
With a bit of trial and error, I’ve cracked the code to making delicious, fluffy vegan vanilla mug cakes without the use of eggs or milk.
Why This Recipe Works
- Pressing fresh raspberries into the vegan vanilla mug cake batter before microwaving helps keep the vegan cake batter moist.
- Using baking powder instead of baking soda ensures your cake will not have a soapy after taste.
- A wide mug ensures an even, quick cook completely to the bottom of the mug cake. Say goodbye to raw, doughy mug cakes!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- all purpose flour – The best flour to use for the lightest, fluffiest vegan mug cake. You can substitute with gluten free 1 to 1 all purpose flour mix. I have not tested a whole wheat version.
- vegan milk – Any unsweetened plant-based milk will do. Note that unsweetened oat milks are naturally sweeter than unsweetened almond or soy milks and will result in a sweeter cake.
- cane sugar – Cane sugar will be the most neutral tasting vegan vanilla mug cake, but coconut sugar can be used for a refined sugar free option. I don’t recommend substituting with maple syrup or other liquid sweeteners because this is going to make the cake batter too wet.
- oil – I use avocado oil, but any neutral oil like canola, vegetable or grapeseed will also work. I only recommend coconut oil if the plant-based milk is ROOM TEMPERATURE or the coconut oil will harden in the cake batter and effect the texture.
- vanilla – I use vanilla extract, however scraped fresh vanilla beans would be amazing here!
Step by Step Instructions
- Add the all purpose flour, cane sugar, baking powder, and salt to your mug and mix well to combine ingredients together.
- Add the plant-based milk, oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix to create the batter. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the mug when mixing to ensure all of the dry ingredients on the bottom of the mug are pulled into the cake batter.
- Press the raspberries into the vanilla mug cake batter so that they are submerged. If not using any raspberries, be sure to add an additional tablespoon of water to compensate for the lack of moisture.
- Microwave between 1 minute 45 seconds and 3 minutes, depending on the strength wattage of your microwave. You know the vegan mug cake is cooked when the top of the batter is no longer sticky to the touch. If you touch the cake and a significant amount of cake sticks to your finger, it’s likely not done yet. Microwave in additional 15 second bursts, or until no longer sticky. Be careful, however, not to overdo it!
The amount of time your vegan mug cake takes will depend on two things: the size of your mug and the strength of your microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can reheat this mug cake, however it really is best enjoyed fresh. And since it only takes a couple of minutes to prepare, it’s worth it to prepare right before you are ready to enjoy!
If your vegan mug cake is dense, chewy or rubbery in texture, you overcooked it! With mug cakes, it is always better to undercook it slightly as opposed to overcooking it. It’s also very important to use the correct sized mug. If you try to cook this in a tall, narrow mug your cake will be extremely thick and very difficult to cook all the way through. Wide and shallow mugs are the best mugs to use for microwaved cakes.
Yes, I’ve had success making this with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. I do not recommend attempting to substitute coconut flour, almond flour, or oat flour as those flours absorb liquid much differently than all purpose and I cannot guarantee great results.
If desired, swap the neutral oil with unsweetened apple sauce, however please note this will make the texture of the cake a bit denser and less light and fluffy. I prefer the texture of the cake made with oil as it is more likened to traditional vanilla cake.
Tips for Success
- USE A WIDE MUG OR SMALL BOWL! I cannot stress enough the importance of using the proper vessel to “bake” your mug cake in. Classic coffee mugs that have a narrow mouth and are tall WILL NOT WORK.
- Before preparing, determine the strength of your microwave as this will effect the amount of time the mug cake needs to be cooked. I have provided cook times for a few different strength microwaves, however slight adjustments to cook time will be needed if yours is different.
- Resist the urge to over mix the cake batter. Although it is very important to make sure you mix in all of the flour at the bottom of the mug, mixing the cake batter gently will ensure the fluffiest textured mug cake.
Additional Cake Add-in Ideas
I absolutely love the flavor combination of vanilla cake with raspberries, but if you want to switch it up, try:
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
- 1-2 tablespoons vegan Funfetti sprinkles
- 1 tablespoon vegan white chocolate chips
- 1-2 strawberries, diced
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
If substituting raspberries for any non fruit addition, add 1-2 teaspoons of water to compensate for loss of moisture!
More Easy Vegan Dessert Ideas
- Vegan Apple Cake with Sticky Pecan Glaze
- Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- 1 Bowl Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Vegan Banana Pudding
Vegan Vanilla Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based milk - I used unsweetened soy milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons neutral oil - I used avocado
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 raspberries - plus more for topping.
Alternate add-in ideas
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegan white chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegan funfetti sprinkles
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- 1-2 medium strawberries - diced
Instructions
- Add dry ingredients to a wide, 10 ounce shallow mug, bowl or ramekin and mix to fully combine.
- Add oil, vanilla extract and milk to dry ingredients and mix to completely combine. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the mug to make sure all flour is incorporated in the batter.
- Press in five raspberries. If you use another add-in instead of fresh fruit, consider adding an additional 1-2 teaspoons water to compensate for loss of moisture from the fruit.Note: if you use melted coconut oil, you must use room temperature milk or the coconut oil will harden in the batter and greatly effect the texture of the cake.
- "Bake" the cake! The amount of time you need to cook for is going to vary depending on the strength of your microwave. I have provided estimates based on different microwaves I have tested. If your cake is sticky to the touch after microwaving, continue microwaving in 15 second bursts until no longer sticky. 800 Watt Microwave: Microwave for about 3 minutes.950 Watt Microwave: Microwave for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.1000 Watt Microwave: Microwave for about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.1200 Watt Microwave: Microwave for about 1 minute and 45 seconds.
Notes
- Your mug needs to be a minimum of 10 ounce capacity and 4.5-5 inches wide at the mouth. It should be wide and shallow. The classic coffee mugs that are tall and narrow will not have optimal results. I love using these Old Havana mugs for mug cake recipes. These ramekins or these wide mouth mugs or even small bowls would also work great.
- If you do not use fresh raspberries, consider adding 1-2 teaspoons water to keep cake from drying out.
- Pay attention to the wattage of your microwave. I have given cook time estimates based on different microwaves I have tested this recipe in. Please note that the combination between different strength microwaves and different sized mugs can effect the results of your cake.
- To make gluten free: Use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 All Purpose Flour.
- To make oil free: Use unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil. Please note this will result in a denser cake.
- To make refined sugar free: Use coconut sugar, but note this will effect the color of the cake and slightly alter the taste. Do not use liquid sweeteners.
General note about salt
Please pay attention to the type of salt called for in the recipe (if applicable). Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1 for 1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
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Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
This recipe was originally published on May 21, 2020 and has been updated on July 19, 2021 to include an improved written recipe, new photos, step by step instructions, ingredient notes, and tips for success. The recipe remains the same.
I have always wanted to make a cake in a mug! This was my first go at it and it was delicious (and also extremely easy)! I used chocolate chips and it was so good. Will definitely make this again and again.
I’m definitely going to have to give it a try with chocolate chips!
We made this tonight with chocolate chips for the boys! 😍 Yum! Easy enough for even the most inexperienced cook, and safe enough for those who should probably stay away from the oven! 😉
I bet it was delicious with chocolate chips!