Our gluten free mug cake recipe takes just over 1 minute to cook in the microwave. Perfect for little chefs or as a single-serve cake!
This Easy Vanilla Mug Cake is the perfect dessert for kid chefs to create. It is simple to assemble and “bakes” in just over a minute. All the classic flavors of vanilla cake in the mug plus sprinkles, you can bet on your kids enjoying each and every bite.
As parents, we can be thankful that this recipe provides both an engaging activity and tasty treat for our kids. This recipe is meant for kids to make all on their own – no help required! It teaches them independence in the kitchen while we finish up any last-minute tasks around the house.
But to make sure we are all on the same page, this vanilla mug cake is to be enjoyed by parents too! Kids can create a mug cake for each member in your home. Makes for a great afternoon snack for the whole family to enjoy together!
If you and your family love this microwave mug cake then you have to check out our Microwave Mug Pizza Recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon confetti sprinkles optional
- whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or frosting for serving optional
How To Make An Easy Vanilla Mug Cake
Start by prepping a microwave-safe mug by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Then, follow the remaining step-by-step instructions to make cake in a mug.
Separate the yolk from the white
Crack the egg over a small bowl. Break the shell in half, carefully pouring the egg yolk back and forth into each half of the shell letting the white fall into the bowl. Put the yolk into the prepared mug.
Combine the wet ingredients
Add the sugar, oil, applesauce, milk, and vanilla to the mug. Using a fork, stir to combine.
Ingredient Swap: If you don’t have applesauce, you can add an 1 tablespoon of additional vegetable oil instead.
Combine the dry ingredients
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients in the mug. Stir in confetti sprinkles.
Vanilla Cake Mix-Ins
Confetti sprinkles are just one of the numerous mix-in ideas that can be added to this vanilla cake. Have your kids search the pantry to see what they can come up with! Here are a few ideas to inspire them to get creative:
- Chocolate chips
- Blueberries
- Coconut
- Lemon zest
- Orange zest
- Cinnamon
- Peanut butter powder
Bake the cake
Microwave the mug on high power for 1 minute and 20 seconds or until the batter is cooked. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the mug from the microwave and let cool for 1 minute.
Garnish the cake
Top with our Make-Ahead Whipped Cream, ice cream, Almond Buttercream Frosting, fresh fruit or additional sprinkles if desired then serve!
FAQ
Microwaving the mug with the cake batter will cook the ingredients to create a cake that is completely safe to eat.
Over-mixing can result in a tough cake that tastes rubbery. Encourage kids to stir the dry and wet ingredients together for only a few seconds.
Replace the 1 tablespoon milk with 1 tablespoon dairy-free of soy, coconut or almond milk for a dairy-free version.
More Quick Kid-Friendly Recipes
- Mango Slushie
- Fruit Salsa
- Dirt Pudding Cups
- Frozen Cheesecake Bites
- Yogurt Parfait For Kids
- Microwave Mug Pizza Recipe
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Gluten Free Mug Cake
Equipment
- microwave-safe mug
- 2 small bowls
- fork
- oven mitt
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract ✅
- 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder ✅
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon confetti sprinkles ✅optional
- whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or frosting for serving ✅optional
Instructions
- Prep the mug. Prepare the microwave-safe mug with nonstick cooking spray.
- Separate the yolk from the white. Crack the egg over a small bowl. Break the shell in half, carefully pouring the egg yolk back and forth into each half of the shell letting the white fall into the bowl. Put the yolk into the prepared mug.1 large egg yolk
- Combine the wet ingredients. Add the sugar, oil, applesauce, milk, and vanilla to the mug. Using a fork, stir to combine.2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce, 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients in the mug. Stir in confetti sprinkles.1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon confetti sprinkles
- ⭐️Bake. Microwave the mug on high power for 1 minute and 20 seconds or until the batter is cooked. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the mug from the microwave and let cool for 1 minute.
- Garnish. Top with whipped cream, ice cream, or frosting if desired, additional sprinkles then serve!whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or frosting for serving
Notes
Nutrition
If you enjoyed these recipes make sure to leave a comment and a star rating below!
Then follow us on social media and tag #createkidsclub if you make the recipe. We love seeing what you come up with!
Ted Johnson says
The vanilla mug cake looks soo satisfying! Thank you for sharing. I wish to try this recipe in my style. I want to substitute vegetable oil with clarified butter. I personally prefer using the clarified version of butter in my recipes.