How To Make Vanilla Mug Cake With Ingredients Already In Your Kitchen

Putting together a vanilla mug cake for yourself or your guests takes mere moments when you use ingredients already in your kitchen. The whole idea revolves around mixing together basic items like flour, sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla extract. All-purpose flour gives the cake its body while sugar brings the sweetness. Using melted butter adds a layer of richness and keeps the cake from getting dry. Whole milk gives the liquid base needed to create the batter, and vanilla extract brings that warm, sweet taste we've come to expect in a classic vanilla cake. Since these ingredients are fairly common in most people's pantry, it makes for a nice, quick dessert.

If you're like me, you probably have tons of microwavable coffee mugs at home, which is great because you'll put all the ingredients right in it. You'll want to put the dry ingredients (flour and sugar) first, then the wet items –- melted butter (let it cool down a bit first), milk, and vanilla. Give it a quick stir to bring everything together and get rid of any chunks. Once you've stirred it all together, put the batter into the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. You'll know the cake is done when the top looks cooked through. Letting it sit for a minute after taking it out lets the warmth inside finish heating up. Since there's no baking powder, you'll notice your mug cake will be a tad heavier than regular cake. This denser texture is part of its character when sticking strictly to these five pantry-staple ingredients.

You can switch the taste of your mug cake by swapping vanilla extract for something different, like almond, coconut, lemon, or maple extract. To bring in another layer, adding spices like cinnamon or nutmeg works too. Putting in some unsweetened cocoa powder changes the base from the standard vanilla into a chocolatey treat. You can also tweak both the texture and flavor by mixing in chocolate chips, Oreos (for a vintage cake feel), bits of nuts, or sprinkles. Since a lot of these ingredients can be found already in your kitchen, the customization still shouldn't have you running to the grocery store.

Not only can you play around with the toppings and mixes, you can also use different types of milk like oat milk or macadamia nut milk (which would be delicious with coconut extract or coconut flakes). While butter is the best option for a deeper taste, you can also swap it out for vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oils. Instead of regular sugar, use brown sugar (or a brown sugar substitute) to bring a hint of molasses. To avoid any messes and ensure the cake is heated all the way through, be sure to watch the cake in the microwave to help make sure everything is heating up properly and not overcooking.