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Vanilla Birthday Mug Cake

7 min

Dessert

10 ingredients or less

One-bowl / one-pot

Nothing says 'birthday party' quite like a classic funfetti cake. A birthday isn't required to enjoy this treat though - this size is perfect for anyone who just wants to celebrate any day of the week with a piece of cake.

Servings

Total

7 min

Prep

5 min

Cook

2 min

Contains

Gluten symbol

gluten

Swap out

Soy symbol

soy

Free from

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Ingredients

Optional toppings

Make your own

Directions

  1. In a microwave-safe mug, combine the flour, sugar, sprinkles, baking powder, and salt. Then add in the milk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
  2. Microwave on high (800 - 900 W) for 2 minutes*, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cooking time may vary depending on your microwave and settings. If the cake isn't cooked through yet, simply place it back in the microwave at intervals of 15 seconds until done. The mug might be quite hot, so take care when removing it from the microwave.
  3. Top with vegan whipped cream and sprinkles if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

  • * If preferred, bake it in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 15 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Just be sure to use an oven-safe baking dish.

Storage

  • Best if enjoyed immediately.

Let us know what you think

Watch it step-by-step!

Nutrition info

Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.

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More for the eyes

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Discussion & Rating

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Samantha Norita - June 26, 2024, 9:01 p.m.

I love your mug cakes! One of the mugs I used happened to be not microwave safe (oops), but I scooped out the cake and it was delicious! Can you make some quick, easy no-bake (or just air fryer) recipes that kids can make?

PUL small logo PUL Team - June 28, 2024, 4:55 a.m.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the mug cake and recipe request, Samantha! In the meantime, in case it helps, you can search "kid" on the recipe page for some inspiration :)


Alexis S - June 17, 2024, 6:59 a.m.

This is delicious! However, it only needs 1 minute in the microwave; when I microwaved it for 2 minutes it came out hard and burnt in the middle on the recommended setting.

PUL small logo PUL Team - June 18, 2024, 10:58 p.m.

Hey Alexis, glad you enjoyed the taste. If your microwave tends to be on the powerful side it can indeed be best to reduce the cooking time. Happy cooking 🤗


angelica - June 15, 2024, 4:42 a.m.

Excellent!! I only had to heat mine in the microwave for one minute. If I had done longer it would have been too hard. I checked to make sure the toothpick came out clean.


Shayda - May 23, 2024, 6:23 a.m.

Perfect


Alex - March 18, 2024, 9:50 p.m.

Vanilla is such a classic flavor I might like this one more than the chocolate mug cake recipe. Might did turn out a bit more pink than what is shown in the picture but I think that's just the sprinkles used.


Mila - Feb. 28, 2024, 4:26 p.m.

Really helpful and i will definitely use this again!


Catherine C.Papadimitropoulou - Feb. 26, 2024, 8:01 p.m.

So fast and good when in need of a cake slice.
I actually didn't had run out of plant based milk. Funnily my only "milky" thing was some store bought iced latte. And it workeddd!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Feb. 27, 2024, 10:03 p.m.

Ooo what a fun twist to use an iced latte! Thanks, Catherine 😊


Nicole Mostofa - Feb. 2, 2024, 12:32 a.m.

Really tasty. To minimize measuring spoon usage, I did use 1 tbsp of oil instead of 2 tsps. Not as soft as the banana mug cake or the peanut butter jelly mug cake.


Tom - Sept. 5, 2023, 12:57 p.m.

Wasn’t expecting much since mug cake usually aren’t really a success for me but this one is a winner ! Taste good and is very fluffy


R. Lynn Epps - July 17, 2023, 2:35 a.m.

Made this tonight and swapped out the sprinkles for dark chocolate and walnuts. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!


Baba - April 4, 2023, 3:10 p.m.

Would it also work with 750 W? I don‘t know how to set my microwave🥲
All your recipes are great!!

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 4, 2023, 6:36 p.m.

Hey Baba, yes! You might just need to microwave the mug cake for a tad longer (such as 15-30 seconds). We'd recommend adding intervals of 15 seconds if needed until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean 😃


Lillith Walker - March 23, 2023, 6:16 p.m.

Another great one from PUL! When I made it I omitted the sprinkles and added a pineapple ring and some brown sugar to the bottom and a good pinch of cardamom and some pineapple chunks to the batter. It turned out really well and was a great way to make a quick and easy pineapple cake! Thanks for another gem!

PUL small logo PUL Team - March 23, 2023, 8:14 p.m.

Oh my goodness what a delicious idea, Lillith! Thanks for taking the time to share. Can't wait to test it out 🍍

Lillith Walker - March 28, 2023, 9:36 p.m.

We've made this several times now with different flavor profiles. Today was a Spice Cake! Instead of the sprinkles we added: cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, ground cloves, and substituted some of the sugar for molasses. And, of course, I had to add a few chocolate chips to mine. :) It tasted just like the German Sugar Glazed Lebkuchen Cookies that I can only find in the stores at Christmas time! I am in HEAVEN!

PUL small logo PUL Team - March 28, 2023, 11:53 p.m.

Mmmm okay this is a next-level twist! Thanks, Lillith 🙌


Martunia - March 8, 2023, 7:37 p.m.

It's my birthday today and I decided to make this one just for myself. So sweet and satisfying 😌

PUL small logo PUL Team - March 9, 2023, 5:29 p.m.

Wishing you a very happy birthday, Martunia! 🥳 💛


Sonia - Feb. 9, 2023, 11:05 p.m.

This was the first mug cake recipe I've tried that actually worked. I made this with some kids I babysat and it was a big hit!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Feb. 9, 2023, 11:25 p.m.

Mmm best babysitter ever, Sonia!


Shalini - Jan. 21, 2023, 4:48 p.m.

Huge hit in our house, kids make it themselves. Just needs 1.5mins in the microwave. Great with various choc chunks lodged into the middle.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Jan. 21, 2023, 8:58 p.m.

So happy to hear, Shalini, it means so much!


Rachel - Jan. 18, 2023, 9:24 p.m.

I've given the recipe a 4*, although I don't know if it was my fault or not.
I made a non vegan version (changed to cows milk although all measurements were the same). It didn't rise as much as we thought and 1.5 mins were enough for mine. I tried 2 mins for my partners one and it burnt on the bottom.
It was nice though.


Ca - Jan. 4, 2023, 4:06 p.m.

Made all of the PUL mug cakes various times- they are UNFAILABLE*!
Even replacing the wheat flour for rice or corn flour or mixing up the taste-giving-ingredient (chocolate, berries, banana) for whatever else is at hand - it still works perfectly and tastes glorious.
*(correct word infallible)


Katie B - Sept. 17, 2022, 12:29 a.m.

This is a fun and easy dessert, perfect for kids (and adults!). My nine year old loves to help make this! Sometimes we throw in some chocolate chips too :)

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 17, 2022, 10:28 p.m.

Aw love that your family gets involved with it! Chocolate is a lovely idea, Katie 🙌


Vivari - Aug. 16, 2022, 8:29 a.m.

I've made mug cakes before and they were all below par so I thought that's just how mug cakes were meant to be but this recipe blew me away! I substituted half brown sugar half white sugar and topped it with some icing, it was so quick and delicious!

Unrelated side note: I'm a uni student and every single one of your recipes are insanely good! It helps so so much that you use the same ingredients again and again (my cupboards are now stocked with tahini, lentils etc because I know you have such a variety of recipes that include them). Love you PUL team ♡

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 17, 2022, 2:15 a.m.

Oh it means so much that the mug cake and other PUL recipes are being enjoyed! Thank you, Vivari, for sharing your love and light. Wishing you all the best with your studies 📚


Chhaya - Aug. 13, 2022, 12:41 p.m.

PUL teams, thanks for the mug recipes. I've made a couple of variations by now and not only is it very quick and easy, you get yourself (and friends) a dessert in no time! I made them during short vacation stays and it's very pleasant to be able to have a cake-base dessert without using all the normal bake equipment!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 14, 2022, 6:04 a.m.

We're so thrilled that the mug cakes are being enjoyed! Thank you, Chhaya ☺️


Belle - June 17, 2022, 3:11 a.m.

Followed instructions EXACTLY. It came out like a hard rubber ball. Absolute waste of ingredients.

PUL small logo PUL Team - June 17, 2022, 8:03 a.m.

Hi Belle, so sorry to hear about the unexpected texture. If the listed ingredients and portions were used, we suspect the rubbery texture may have come from overmixing the batter or overcooking.

All-purpose flour when overmixed promotes more gluten to develop which creates a tougher and gummy-like texture. It can be suuuper tempting to mix more, but only mixing the ingredients together until just combined is key to avoiding this. Baking the cake for too long can also lead to a rubbery texture. If you end up giving the mug cake another try and your microwave tends to be on the powerful side, we'd suggest starting with less than 2 minutes to start and then trying intervals of 15 seconds until done. We hope this helps for now, Belle 😊


Sydney - May 4, 2022, 6:33 p.m.

Am I able to use almond flour instead

PUL small logo PUL Team - May 6, 2022, 12:21 a.m.

Hi Sydney, yes we've heard positive reviews with almond, oat, and chickpea flour in our mug cakes. It may just impact the texture and taste a bit. Do let us know if you give it a try 😃


Liudmyla - March 17, 2022, 8:17 p.m.

I've been looking for some easy to make and fast desert recepy. So grateful for the microwave version, which takes half less time comparing to the regular oven. And saves electricity. Also good, cause one gets various deserts throughthout the week. These recepies made my day :) Thank you!

PUL small logo PUL Team - March 18, 2022, midnight

We're so thrilled the mug cake was enjoyed, Liudmyla! The kind words made our day 😃


Caresse - March 10, 2022, 1:45 a.m.

Added 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice & a few white chocolate chips. Microwaved for 1 min 30 seconds. Slightly dense- will try again with less time.

PUL small logo PUL Team - March 11, 2022, 1:11 a.m.

Hey Caresse, thanks for sharing your experience with this one! Overmixing the batter can also lead to a dense texture. All-purpose flour when overmixed promotes more gluten to develop which creates a tougher and gummy-like texture. It can be suuper tempting to mix more, but only mixing the ingredients together until just combined is key to avoid this in case it helps 😊


NewBaker - Jan. 3, 2022, 6:25 a.m.

So! Yum! So I tried substituting 1/2tsp with 1/4th tsp rose and 1/4th vanilla, and it was so good it's our new favorite! Thank you for the recipe PUL!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Jan. 3, 2022, 6:52 a.m.

Hi there, NewBaker! Thanks a bunch for sharing the modifications with us - we're so glad it was enjoyed :)


Karina - Nov. 8, 2021, 9:13 p.m.

I usually help myself to the chocolaty-chocolate-one. Today I tried this recipe and added pumpkin spice instead of vanilla. Ist's good. But it misses something - maybe a little more of the spice.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Nov. 9, 2021, 2:47 a.m.

Pumpkin spice sounds delicious, Karina! Thanks a bunch for taking the time to share 🤩

Karina - Nov. 13, 2021, 9:51 p.m.

Did try it again. This time with ⅜tsp pumpkin spice, an additional tbsp of ground almond.

Karina - Nov. 13, 2021, 9:54 p.m.

Oh, and swaped the sugar for muscovado sugar


jean - Sept. 24, 2021, 1:27 a.m.

I just made this and it was delicious. Instead of sprinkles I added a bit of shredded coconut, toasted pecans and a few dried cherries. Turned out well.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 24, 2021, 7:20 p.m.

Mmm sounds lovely, Jean, thank you!


Janine - Aug. 16, 2021, 12:20 a.m.

I just want to say, my 6 year old daughter came into the room when I was watching this on YouTube. She said that she loved your voice and how you talk. I think it's just very upbeat and calming. Anyways, we HAD to make these mug cakes and they were more delicious than I even thought they would be. Thank you for sharing. Keep up the good work!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 16, 2021, 3:42 a.m.

Aww so lovely you and your little one made this one! We're so happy the mug cake was enjoyed, Janine. Thank you 😊


Marloes - Aug. 5, 2021, 3:18 p.m.

Great for a quick snack! You can make this easily with ingredients you already have.


Megha - July 24, 2021, 10:18 p.m.

Best cake that could be enjoyed in under 10 mins. Loved it!


Lisa - July 11, 2021, 11:06 p.m.

When we watched your mug cake video on YouTube we immediately tried all of them and it's an absolute game changer for us.
Super delicious and we have them so often now. It's really having a cake on demand. We love to put some vegan ice-cream on top of the Vanilla Birthday Mug Cake. I can highly recommend them :)

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 16, 2021, 2:47 p.m.

We're so thrilled you're enjoying the mug cakes, Lisa! Thanks a bunch for the wonderful review 🤩


lucy - July 11, 2021, 5:32 p.m.

so festive and cute 🤍 loved it


Marilynn - July 8, 2021, 10:59 p.m.

Our teenagers love the birthday cake recipe! Quick and easy treat! Thanks for sharing!!!


Laksh - July 8, 2021, 6:02 p.m.

I tried this out for my daughter and her friends and they utterly loved it!! It's super easy, I end up making these almost everyday.
Love from India

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 10, 2021, 3:02 p.m.

Thank you for the review, Laksh! Hugs to India 🤗


Martyna - July 8, 2021, 5:49 p.m.

I love this recipe! It's now my go-to recipe for a mug cake <3


Fatima - June 3, 2021, 5:26 p.m.

I appreciate the note you have by the nutrition info!
Also, this little cake was super yummy and easy to make!

PUL small logo PUL Team - June 5, 2021, 8:13 p.m.

Thank you for the wonderful review and feedback, Fatima!


Sina - May 20, 2021, 12:35 p.m.

We don't have a microwave...how long would you think it has to be in an oven??? Same as ordinary cupcakes maybe???

PUL small logo PUL Team - May 22, 2021, 9:14 p.m.

Hey there, Sina! You can bake it in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for around 15 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Just be sure to use an oven-safe baking dish 🤗


Jennifer - April 28, 2021, 3:28 a.m.

Hello! My niece and I watched the mug cake video and we’re excited to try this out on dessert night! Was the sugar used in this birthday cake mug sugar in the raw? Have you ever tried it out with alternative flours? Thank you and I’m looking forward to learning more and trying out some of the delicious recipes I’ve seen you make. I’m glad I found your channel! Have a wonderful day! -Jennifer, Texas USA

PUL small logo PUL Team - May 1, 2021, 6:55 p.m.

Oo dessert night sounds fun, Jennifer! We indeed used raw sugar in the video 🤓 White granulated sugar in the Netherlands is vegan, but some white granulated sugar in North America is not, so to avoid confusion we use raw sugar for our recipes. We haven't tested this recipe with other flours. If you experiment with different flours, do let us know how it goes! We hope you and your niece have a lovely day as well 🤗


Sina - April 20, 2021, 4:41 p.m.

Loved the video on mug cake variations! However, since I don't own a microwave I was wondering if it would be advisable to bake them in a regular oven. Any suggestions?

Also, congrats on the new awesome website!

Greetings from Germany, Sina

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 22, 2021, 2:41 a.m.

Greetings, Sina! You can bake it in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 15 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Just be sure to use an oven-safe baking dish 🤩