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{2 minute} Coffee Cake in a Mug

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This Coffee Cake In A Mug recipe is the perfect remedy for a sugar craving! If you’ve tried other mug cakes and weren’t sold, you have to try this one! It takes about a minute to bake in the microwave and about that much time to mix it together. It’s fluffy, light, and has an irresistible streusel topping!
Coffee Cake In A Mug-- the perfect remedy for a sugar craving when you don't want to spend a lot of time or heat up the oven. #coffee #cake #microwave #mug

Coffee Cake Mug Cake

I usually try to stay FAR, FAR away from the microwave when it comes to anything besides reheating food. In fact, Baking in the microwave pretty much goes against everything I believe in. Until now.

I’m guessing you’ve probably tried a mug cake by now and have been underwhelmed by it, am I right? I know I have! I think we all want to believe that we can spend a few minutes mixing something up, throw it in the microwave and have a decadent creation presented to us by the microwave gods 1 minute later. Because, well, that would be cool.

Well, I’m here with some good news! I have a mug cake recipe that doesn’t suck! 🙂 And when I say it doesn’t suck, I mean it’s reeeeeaaaalllly dang good. Like, the microwave gods are really pleased with themselves and how this coffee cake in a mug turned out.

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Coffee Cake In A Mug-- the perfect remedy for a sugar craving when you don't want to spend a lot of time or heat up the oven. #coffee #cake #microwave #mug

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know that I posted this recipe a long time ago– 5 1/2 years ago to be exact! And, I figured it was time to take some updated pictures (aka- give myself an excuse to make some cake).

Does Coffee Cake In a Mug Have Coffee In It?

If you read through the comments at the end of the post you’ll see a pretty common thread– “Why doesn’t this have coffee in it?!?” Well, here’s the answer: Traditional coffee cake DOESN’T actually have coffee IN it. Instead, it’s a cake that is commonly served WITH coffee.

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Coffee Cake In A Mug-- the perfect remedy for a sugar craving when you don't want to spend a lot of time or heat up the oven. #coffee #cake #microwave #mug

Tips for Making Coffee Cake In A Mug:

  • Make sure your mug is big enough to allow the cake to rise about 1 inch. Nobody likes cleaning out the microwave. 🙂
  • Microwave ovens all vary so your cooking time will vary, too! My microwave cooks it perfectly at the 6o second mark. I suggest starting at 50 seconds and going up in 10-second intervals until the center is set. You can check this by inserting a toothpick into the middle and if it comes out with only a few moist crumbs, it’s done!
  • The BEST way to eat this cake is straight out of the microwave when it’s nice and hot! Of course, you can let it cool as to not burn your face off, but once it’s cooled completely it loses some of its magic.

Want More Mug Cake Recipes?

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Coffee Cake In A Mug-- the perfect remedy for a sugar craving when you don't want to spend a lot of time or heat up the oven. #coffee #cake #microwave #mug
4.79 from 47 votes
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{2 minute} Coffee Cake in a Mug

Coffee Cake In A Mug-- the perfect remedy for a sugar craving when you don't want to spend a lot of time or heat up the oven. 

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 4 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 521 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons applesauce
  • vanilla extract few drops
  • 1/4 cup All Purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In a mug soften 1 tbsp of butter in microwave, about 5 seconds. You don’t want it melted, just soft. Stir in 2 tbsp of sugar and mix until well incorporated. Stir in applesauce, vanilla (just a tiny bit, we’re talking drops), flour, baking powder, and pinch of salt; stirring until just combined. Use the back of your spoon to smooth it out in the bottom of the mug.
  2. Want struesel? Of course you do! In a separate, small bowl, combine 1 tbsp of butter, 2 tbsp of flour, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, and ¼ tsp cinnamon. Use your fingers to to pinch the butter and mix it in with the other ingredients. When it starts to look like lumpy sand (appetizing, eh?) and all ingredients are combined, pour on top of cake batter in mug.
  3. Cook in the microwave for 50-80 seconds depending on your microwave. At 1 minute, my microwave cooks it perfectly. It will look just barely set on top. You don’t want to overcook it and things tend to get ugly fast in the microwave. I suggest cooking it 50 seconds, and then in 10 second intervals checking after each interval until done. Eat white it’s still warm. Once it cools off, it tends to loose some of it’s magic!
Nutrition Facts
{2 minute} Coffee Cake in a Mug
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 521 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 60mg 20%
Sodium 205mg 9%
Potassium 50mg 1%
Total Carbohydrates 75g 25%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 38g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin A 14%
Calcium 2.2%
Iron 11.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I’m joining this party late, but I just had to comment …cuz this is AMAZEBALLS! I’m totally addicted! Since I’m one of those annoying people who never gains weight (Thanks, grandma, for the DNA), I find myself making this, probably way too much. It’s just THAT,good!. The texture is perfect. The sweetness ust right. The streusel is…to die for. I always use the same base recipe but play around with flavors… banana, berries, apple, pear, oatmeal in the topping. So much mug cake, so many possibilities….so little time!

    Reply

  2. Sorry, we did not care for this. I felt like I could taste the flour. We won’t make this one again. ☹️

    Reply

  3. Thanks for the great recipe!

    I wonder what the wattage of your microwave is? Mine is 1400W and it seems it needs double the time you specified in the article.

    BTW, the background music in the video should be.. um.. background. 😉 It’s a little so loud sometimes that it obscures some words.

    Reply

  4. I really want to try this recipe. But everytime I try to print out this recipe, the 5 boxes off to the side (the ones that have P, f, y, a symbol and the email symbol) print on top of the list of ingredients. What do I do to get rid of these so that the recipe prints out clearly? Thanks for your help.

    Reply

    • Thanks for letting me know! I just sent it over to my tech guy to figure out and hopefully he’ll have it resolved soon!

      Reply

    • I’ve never tried baking this and it’s only formulated for the microwave so I’m not sure it would work. If you end up trying it, let me know!

      Reply

  6. Hi Heather —
    I realize it’s been 5 years since you 1st posted your Coffee Cake in a Mug recipe, but it’s been reposted since then, so you now have a whole new bunch of folks trying it out! I just came across it today & I’m going to try it soon, but also wanted to grab the Pumpkin version, since you know — all the stores are so subtly hinting to us that it’s already Pumpkin Season!
    Sadly, however, your Pumpkin Coffee Cake in a Mug recipe link doesn’t work anymore. Can you get a webmaster kind of person to fix it? Hey — maybe that person is you? I’d really appreciate it — and I saw that at least one other person wants to access the recipe too, so she’ll appreciate it as well!
    Thanks in advance,
    Sandi J.

    Reply

  8. I like a tangier coffee cake (and wasn’t feeling like apple-y cake this morning), so I subbed 1:1 sour cream instead of applesauce. It took 60 seconds in my microwave, and this was PERFECT. I’d dare say even more moist than my regular coffee cake recipe. Definitely going to be my go-to when these prego cravings demand cinnamon baked goods in the morning. Printed, pinned, will be loved forever.

    Reply

  10. I have tried quite a few different mug cakes, and this is by far my favorite. I usually add part of a package of instant oatmeal (Maple Brown sugar) in place of some of the flour in the topping. Soo good. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  11. I have tried many mug recipes and they all turned out to be disappointing, BUT not this one. It is delicious, so glad I found your recipe!!

    Reply

  12. I ❤ coffee cake! I tried this for me & my boyfriend. I was surprised he loved it & so did I. I substituted almond flour for white flour & added chocolate chips. A healthier version with a kick of chocolate. ( So I don’t feel as bad) I will share this with family members since it’s quick, fun, and hits the sweet spot! Many more yummy adventures for you & happiness!! ?❤☕

    Reply

  13. This was absolutely delicious! I’m a cinnamon lover, so this I just had to try. I will probably never make biscotti again, when this recipe exists! Thank you for sharing it.

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  14. It gives me a laugh how many people don’t know what coffee cake is! They must be very young . I can’t wait to try this.

    Reply

  16. I just did this recipe to the T. Used the whole 80 seconds and it was real gooey. I checked every 10 seconds.
    What did I do wrong?
    The coffee cake in a mug.

    Reply

  18. I’ve tried a lot of different microwavable mug cakes and they’ve been bland, dry, or tasted too much like eggs. This recipe is delicious and very easy.

    Reply

  19. Hi, I love coffee anything ! Please tell me how much coffee you use in this coffee cake. Not sure if I am missing something. Thank you
    Melanie

    Reply

  22. I hadn’t been feeling like turning the oven on, so I thought I would try this recipe for my husband when he came in for coffee ( he was in the field cutting hay )he was excited to try it, when he did he said it was good .
    Thanks for sharing! ! ☺

    Reply

  23. I tried this today as was craving something sweet and easy. Oh my goodness!!!!! I used 1 tablespoon less of sugar in the base and topped it with dollop of whipped cream. I was amazing!

    Reply

  24. Is this an ironic coffee cake? Or does it mean you’re supposed to eat this cake with coffee? I can’t see any coffee in it?
    You’ve got butter, sugar, applesauce, vanilla, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon… but no coffee? Am I missing something?

    Reply

  25. We are doing extensive renovation of our house currently and are living in a tent (!) in the meantime. I have an electric skillet and microwave to cook with. We have long ago used up any baked goodies I made ahead but I have been longing for something tasty and bread-y. This hit the spot SO perfectly! Thank you for sharing this and bringing a nice bright spot of sunshine into extremely difficult situation! PS, I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free flour with a teeny bit of xanthan gum.

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  28. So, the streusel came out white and spongey for me? How can I fix that? I feel like I missed something?

    Reply

    • Hmm, that’s odd. Did you add the whole amount of butter and sugar? Sounds like there was too much flour to me.

      Reply

  29. Sounds great. I am also not a big fan of chocolate. Gasp! People look at me funny. Then I tell them I am a huge fan of sugar. That make it o.k. This recipe sounds perfect for a mom trying to stream line the time spent cooking in order to spend more time with her kids.

    Reply

    • They are definitely great when you want to share something sweet with your kiddos but don’t have a lot of time!

      Reply

  30. We didn’t have any applesauce, so instead I used 1/4 of a banana and it worked perfectly! Definitely a success in my book!

    Reply

  33. When I originally left a comment I seem to have clicked on the
    -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and
    now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment.
    Is there a way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!

    Reply

  34. Hi,
    I really like this recipe, so I thought about making the pumpkin…but I can’t get the page to come up —is it no longer available ??
    Thanks

    Reply

  35. Heather, thanks for this nifty recipe! It works like a charm! I sometimes add a few drops of almond extract as well as vanilla and occasionally I’ll add a layer of raisins between the cake and streusel layers (but tonight I added fresh blueberries). To cut down on some of the fat, I omit the butter in the cake part, and just have it in the streusel. The possibilities are endless!

    Reply

  37. I’ve made this many times and it’s so good. Today, I didn’t have any applesauce so I subbed half of a small very ripe banana and it is amazing!!

    Reply

  39. I generally make the 3-2-1 mug cakes (3 tbsp. cake misture, 2 tbsp. water, 1 minute in microwave) BUT I use other cake mix flavors that just chocolate; I can mix a box of white, pineapple, red velvet, devilsfood – you name it – with a box of angle food cake mix and stove in ziplock bags, readh whenever I want to indulge. Chocolate is at the bottom of the list of flavors I’d make.

    Reply

  40. I would like to serve 12 of these at one time and let my guests keep the mugs. Do you have a recipe for making a batch of these coffee cakes?

    Reply

    • I would just multiply the recipe by 12 and split it up evenly amongst the mugs. Good luck, that’s a fun idea to have them keep the mugs!

      Reply

  44. Thanks for the recipe!
    For some reason, I’m going through the mug cake/cookie phase.
    I will try this soon!

    Reply

  45. Just read my name and you’ll know me 🙂
    Dark Chocolate is one of my faves.
    I can’t wait to try this recipe.

    Is it fine if I add like 1/2 tsp of espresso powder ?

    Reply

  49. I’m allergic to wheat–can you think of a wheat-free flour that might work? Maybe some of my gluten free pancake mix?
    I’m fantasizing about adding 1 tsp of rum instead of the vanilla–too much?

    Reply

    • Honestly I’m really unfamiliar with gluten free options but I imagine a GF flour mix would work well. You’ll have to let me know how the rum turns out, too!

      Reply

  51. This is probably the best (tasty and easy) and worse (calories) thing I have discovered on Pinterest! I have reduced the sugar and butter. Any other recommendations for making it healthier? Do you think whole wheat flour would work? What is a viable butter replacement?

    Reply

    • I made this with unbleached white whole wheat flour and it came out perfectly! Didn’t have any of that heavy whole-wheat flavor that happen in some baked goods.

      Reply

  52. I just made this with only 1 tbsp splenda, and sub’ almond flour. I used oil instead of applesauce and I still felt this was too sugary/sweet. I am thinking about trying some xanthan gum next time so it isn’t as crumbly- and playing around with less sugar. I can’t lie, this was still one kick butt recipe and allows a lot of room for play- you rock! Thanks for the idea!

    Reply

  53. Bless you, my friend! My 8 year old decided she wanted coffee cake for dessert, 30 minutes before bedtime and we had no eggs. This is easy, REALLY yummy, and your recipe is fun to read on top of that. From one Heather to another: Thank you!! Definitely want to try out the pumpkin one next!

    Reply

  55. Just made these for me and my boyfriend. He now wants me to make them every night!

    Was out of applesauce – substituted chopped apple and Honey greek yogurt. Threw a dollop of pecan icecream on top. Heaven. ^^ Nom Nom Nom

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  56. I tried cutting the measurements in half- it was delicious!! Next time i am going for the full recipe… One question: does margarine work just as well?

    Reply

  58. This is DELICIOUS!!!! I am a baker and just didn’t feel like actually baking and my 3year old and I wer having a sweet tooth moment so decided to give it a go and just the perfect serving size to share it with her 🙂 (she wants me to make it again lol)

    Reply

  59. I was a bit skeptical on this whole microwave cake in a cup thing, but I decided to give it a try. I will have to say… it came out quite yummy.

    Reply

  60. Wow! This is perfect. I didn’t have applesauce so I used 1/4 of an apple, diced, and 1 tbs of plain greek yogurt. Microwaved for 1 min 15 sec and came out perfectly cooked and moist. Thanks!

    Reply

  61. This came out beautiful for me. Not doughy at all unlike other cakes in the mug. I subbed the white sugar in the cake part with brown sugar and it was just enough sweetness for me. Perfect and dangerous for that late night cravings!

    Reply

  62. I found this to be really sweet :O
    But I had run out of Vanilla extract earlier in the week so I tried it with Almond extract. I had thought that the almond would make it more coffee-like but it just made it too sweet.

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  63. I screwed it up unfortunately, it smelled doughy and didn’t look dark brown on top like the pictures (now assuming you used dark brown sugar vs. light) and so I overlooked it. It was chewy and inedible, totally my fault though. Oh well.

    Reply

    • Oh no! The top doesn’t brown, it just stays the color of the brown sugar. I used regular brown sugar, though the picture might look a little dark. It’s totally worth a try again! 🙂 Good luck! It doesn’t take much longer than a minute.

      Reply

  64. Just saw this on Pinterest and tried it immediately. Loved it! This was my first cake in a mug because I’ve heard mixed reviews on others. This was dynamite – thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  67. Oddly enough the cake was good, but the crumble was way too wet! I will tweak that next time and lessen the sugar as I found this really sweet. GREAT base cake, tasty and not rubbery! So excited to have found a ‘cup’ cake that isn’t chocolate!

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  68. My 10yr. old daughter cooked this one cup cake and we all love it. It very easy for children to make and it satisfies a sweet tooth. I did add the flax seed and I like it even better. thanks for this great recipe.

    Reply

  69. Loved it! I have made it two mornings in a row, hahaha, there goes my diet! I did cut it in half the second time around, and I used my homemade yogurt for the applesauce. It turned out a little more doughy than a real coffee cake, but definitely better than most microwave cake recipes. Thanks!

    Reply

  70. Just tried this…. couldn’t hold a candle to my grandma’s coffee cake, but is BY FAR the best mug cake I’ve ever eaten! Thanks!

    Reply

  71. How perfect that my visit coincides with your announcement that you’re not a big fan of chocolate. I can’t stand the stuff! Which is no big deal, except that 3 out of 4 recipes out there dabble in it. This looks perfect for helping get Hubby out the door in the morning. I’m wondering if I can make the mugs, put them uncooked in the fridge and then let him pop them in the microwave in the morning. If I put them in canning jars, all he has to do is take the lid off. Hmmmmm, much to think on. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us. It’s truly a winner.

    Reply

    • You’ll have to let me know how it works to keep them in the fridge before cooking. My only concern would be that the baking powder would be activated for too long and loose it’s effectiveness, but maybe not. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  72. Oh this was delicious! I’ve been looking for an instant breakfast food I can make and this is perfect. I just softened the butter a little longer than you suggested and waited until my struesel topping looked like wet sand. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Sorry, just saw this! You can soften it a little bit if it makes it easier to come together. But the cold butter with create better streusel. You can use two forks and kind of cut it up to make it easier.

      Reply

  74. I am a lover of ALL things chocolate, but the 2 minute chocolate mug cake I cannot eat, it’s so rubbery and just not-so-nice. And that is a lot coming from me, I eat pretty much anything.
    So I made this one today and it was delicious. I made a half quantity and it worked perfectly, soft and yummy and delish 🙂

    Reply

  75. DO NOT USE CANOLA OIL! The cake just stays in dough ball at the bottom of the mug. When trying to cook it longer in hopes that it would turn into a more cake like texture, it just ended up burning.

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  76. Since I do like chocolate, I tried this with switching out a tablespoon of flour for cocoa powder and adding a tablespoon of pb morsels. (Left off streusal again.) It was fabulous. This is not desperation cake, like so many mug cakes. This is treat cake.

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  77. Tried this with a couple minor substitutions. Didn’t have applesauce so I pureed some pear pieces that come in juice. Also added a heaping tablespoon of mini chocolate chips and left off the streusal. Smelled a bit doughy but tasted delicious!

    Reply

  78. I tried this by substituting the apple sauce for nonfat blueberry yogurt and got a delicious blueberry coffee cake!! Way to go- this cake recipe also cooks better than a lot of the others I’ve tried. Great job (:

    Reply

  79. Made this with 2 1/2 year old. He enjoyed the process and the product. We made it in one of those clear glass Irish coffee mug type glasses. After 50 seconds, it was done and the glass itself was still cool enough for my little one to take out of the microwave. we did take it out of the mug to cool quicker for eating right away – as toddlers aren’t know for their patience. We did use a little less sugar and whole wheat flour. This is a good recipe to experiment with a bit for little ones. Thank you for posting.

    Reply

  80. I made this. It was goooood. I didn’t have applesauce and used an equal amount of greek yogurt instead. I didn’t have vanilla (I know, weird right?) but I used brown sugar instead of white sugar and it tastes just fine. Mine took about a minute and five seconds in my mysterious dorm microwave. I’ll probably make it again, and next time I might mix it up after cooking. The streusel to cake ratio was too low on the last bites. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    • I’m thinking it probably wasn’t cooked long enough. I would try adding 10 seconds at a time, checking between intervals until it’s where you would like it. Too much applesauce might be the culprit to, but if you kept it at 2 tbsp. you should be good.

      Reply

  82. I am a fan of chocolate, but the microwave chocolate cake left a lot to be desired (at least the one I tried a few years ago). However, I am also a fan of cinnamon, and this looks pretty fantastic.

    One question – I don’t routinely have applesauce in my house, can I substitute canola oil?
    (You may be weird not liking chocolate, but I’m weird by not liking anything make from apples…. applesauce, apple juice, apple pie – YUCK. Give me a REAL apple any day!)

    Reply

    • Haha, I’ve never heard of an aversion to all things apple! Love it. I’ve never used canola oil, but I have used sour cream and greek yogurt with good results. I don’t see why the canola oil wouldn’t work, I’ve just never tried it. If you do give it a go, let me know how it works!

      Reply

  84. YES! Thank you! Finally a mug cake that isn’t some sort of chocolatey – I’m kinda with you on the chocolate thing. Too much of it is pretty boring to me. Plus, the texture of this actually does look baked. Pinning this one for sure!

    Reply

    • That sounds wonderful. Can’t wait to try it.
      Have you ever heard of the 3-2-1 minute cupcake? In a gallon bag -Mix 1 dry cake mix any flavor you like with 1 angel food cake mix. (you must use 1 angel food mix) To make one serving, mix in a cup or ramekin – 3 tbsp cake mixture with 2 tbsp of water, stir well and bake in microwave 1 minute. Serve with ice cream and your favorite topping. Whenever you need a quick dessert in a minute try this. (Sometimes I stir in a few white choclate chips.)

      Reply

      • I make 3-2-1 Microwave cake all the time. I live alone so making a big cake is out of the question because I would feel obligated to eat it before it got funny. I do like chocolate, so I’ve made 3-2-1 with chocolate cake mix last winter, but for the warmer weather I’ve made it with lemon cake and topped it with fruit or ice cream.

        It’s also great when I have unexpected guests. It means I always have something quick I can serve and people have fun adding their own toppings.

        I haven’t got adventurous enough yet to try making microwave cakes from scratch yet, but this one looks easy and yummy. So I’ll make sure I get the needed ingredients the next time I grocery shop.

        Reply

  85. Thanks Heather.
    I too dislike chocolate, and I like that you make it from scratch. I usually don’t like sweets, but I have a nostalgic twang for coffee cakes, because it was something I enjoyed as a kid.
    That said, I will take your recipe and deconstruct it, try almond meal and stevia and try to incorporate some ground flax seed into it… healthy(ish) can be tasty too
    Thanks for the recipe and inspiration<3

    Reply

    • I hope your deconstruction works–I can’t use regular flour, being gluten-free, so I need to deconstruct, too. Maybe coconut flour would work as well?

      Reply

      • So how did the deconstruction go? 13 weight watchers points total- I am searching for a healthier alternative 🙂

        Reply

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