This Coffee Cake In A Cup Recipe is the perfect remedy for a sugar craving! If you've tried other coffee 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 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 coffee 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 coffee cake in a cup 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 mug cake turned out.
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If you've been following the blog for a while, you know that I posted this coffee cake in a cup recipe a long time ago-- 5 ½ 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 Cup 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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Tips for Making Coffee Cake In A Cup:
- 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 cook this cake in a cup 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 in a cup 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 Coffee Mug Cake Recipes?
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📖 Recipe
{2 minute} Coffee Cake in a Cup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons applesauce
- vanilla extract few drops
- ¼ cup All Purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a mug soften 1 tablespoon of butter in microwave, about 5 seconds. You don’t want it melted, just soft. Stir in 2 tablespoon 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.
- Want struesel? Of course you do! In a separate, small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 tablespoon of flour, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon 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.
- 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!
Jennifer W says
Has anyone ever made this in an oven? We don't own a microwave.
Chocolate Lover ^.^ says
Thanks for the recipe!
For some reason, I'm going through the mug cake/cookie phase.
I will try this soon!
Peg says
Totally want to try
Marie Shanahan says
Bravo!! 🙂
Nan J. says
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?
Lucy says
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.
Fabelicious says
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!
Kathleen says
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.
Dee says
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!
Kendall says
Were you supposed to soften the butter for the struesel?
Mary says
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.
Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau says
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!