Snickerdoodle Mug Cake
Snickerdoodle Mug Cake bakes up in the microwave in just one minute, yielding a warm, cinnamon-sugary treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth!
How many times have you had a sugar craving, only to discover that there's nary a cookie nor a cupcake nor a candy bar in the house? Now that's not always a bad thing, mind you. Sometimes the only thing that prevents me from ingesting too much sugar is the fact that I made a point not to buy or make sweets in the first place. 😉
Mug Cake Love
But other times, IneedsomethingsweetandIneeditrightNOW! And in those instances, spending a few minutes throwing together a microwave mug cake seems a bit more refined than scarfing chocolate chips straight out of the bag.
Did y'all happen to catch the One-Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake that I posted last spring? Because it is, to put it bluntly, awesome. In fact, I've had quite a few comments from people declaring it the best mug cake recipe they've ever tried. And while it's hard -- nay, impossible -- to top chocolate and peanut butter, sometimes I'm in the mood for something vanilla-based instead. So I decided to take my Chocolate Peanut Butter M.C. and attempt to remove the chocolate...and the peanut butter. And would you believe my efforts were a success?!
Cinnamon Sugar Mug Cake
I clearly have a thing for snickerdoodle treats, seeing as how I've already shared cinnamon-sugary variations of popcorn, candied pecans, quick bread, muffins, and coffee syrup. So what would be more natural than a cinnamon sugar mug cake that ends up tasting like a soft, warm, snickerdoodle cookie?
Snickerdoodle Mug Cake is just that...a moist, tender cake, spiced with cinnamon and layered with cinnamon sugar. And y'all...it can be crossing your lips in under five minutes from start to finish! Just a few basic ingredients are mixed, poured into a mug, and microwaved. And then, before your very eyes, the batter transforms into cake, rising up to the top of the mug and then collapsing a bit once the baking stops.
Most mug cakes end up having a less-than-desirable texture...dense and gummy and just kind of weird. But not this one! I feel like the secret to a light, tender, amazing texture in a mug cake comes from leaving out the eggs. That's right! No egg in this mug cake recipe (or any of my others). It's not only easier to make a mug cake without an egg, but it turns out so much tastier!
(Oh, and I realize that y'all are smart enough to figure out how to layer the batter with cinnamon sugar, but I was playing around with baking one of these in a clear mug...so you get a photo. It was actually fun to watch the batter transform into cake, like some nerdy food blogger science experiment.)
This recipe is perfect for those there's-nothing-sweet-in-the-house sugar cravings. But since making it does require minimal effort, it's easy enough to stop at one. And one batch can even be shared! I actually make a couple of mug cakes for dessert sometimes and split them between our family of five.
Tips & Tricks
- The strength of individual microwaves can vary, so the first time you make this recipe, you'll need to experiment a bit to make sure that 1 minute is the perfect length of baking time. The nice thing about this treat is that even if it is undercooked, you don't have to worry about raw eggs!
- My Snickerdoodle Mug Cake was done to my liking in one minute and 15 seconds. This is slightly longer than I bake my Chocolate Peanut Butter version, since I prefer that one to have a molten center.
- Unsalted butter will work just fine in this recipe, but I find that using salted butter (or adding a tiny pinch of salt) adds a small flavor boost.
- A tall, cylindrical mug with straight (not angled) sides will ensure that the cake bakes evenly. I found a 14-ounce mug to be the perfect size to allow the cake to rise up while baking without overflowing. (I filled my mug to the top with water and then transferred the water to a measuring cup to determine its capacity.) If you use a smaller mug, you may want to bake the cake on top of a plate or paper towel to catch any possible overflow.
- I also advise you to place a plate under your mug the first time you make this treat to catch any potential spillage.
The bottom line is that this recipe is pretty darn flexible. Experiment with what you've got and you'll quickly figure out the winning formula!
If you like cake...if you enjoy snickerdoodles...if you're a fan of instant gratification...if you own a mug...this Snickerdoodle Mug Cake recipe was made for you! Please say that you'll try it and let me know what you think? And then go ahead and try the chocolate peanut butter version and let me know which one you like better.
Because for me? Honestly, it's a toss-up at this point. They're totally different but equally scrumptious. Guess I'll keep making them both until I can decide a clear winner. <insert fake sigh> Food blogging is a tough job, but somebody's got to do it... 😉
More Effortless Mug Cakes
Snickerdoodle Mug Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup milk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For layering/topping:
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon until thoroughly, completely combined, with no streaks of any ingredients remaining. Blend in milk, butter, and vanilla until batter is smooth. Into a 14-ounce (or larger) microwave-safe mug with straight sides, scoop a big spoonful of batter, then sprinkle with a spoonful of cinnamon sugar. Alternate layers, ending with cinnamon sugar.
- Microwave on high for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, or until cake is done to your liking. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- A tall, cylindrical mug with straight (not angled) sides will ensure that the cake bakes evenly. I found a 14-ounce mug to be the perfect size to allow the cake to rise up while baking without overflowing. (I filled my mug to the top with water and then transferred the water to a measuring cup to determine its capacity.) If you use a smaller mug, you may want to bake the cake on top of a plate or paper towel to catch any possible overflow.
- The strength of individual microwaves can vary. The first time you make this recipe, be prepared to experiment a bit to make sure that 1 minute is the perfect length of baking time. The nice thing about this cake is that even if it is undercooked, you don't have to worry about raw eggs!
- Unsalted butter will work just fine in this recipe, but I find that using salted butter adds a tiny flavor boost.
Nutrition
Adapted from One-Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
Originally published on January 15, 2015
Nice flavor and texture i had to cook for 2 min and next time I'll add 2 tablespoon of sugar before I think it needed to be sweeter. I'm 14 and made this while babysitting siblings so i wasnt paying 100% attention to this and there was sugar on the side so that could be my fault will definitely make again.
This is such a great recipe! The only thing is it says to cook it for 1 minute but what I found was I had to cook it for 2 minutes until it was fully cooked all the way through.
So quick and easy! Did a minute and a half and it came out super fluffy- would recommend adding some vanilla ice cream!
The original recipe is so good already. The cake is the perfect texture- so moist. Add peanut butter though, and you'll never go back. The saltiness of my peanut butter goes so well with the cinnamon sugar. I drop a tablespoon onto the cake before sprinkling the last layer of sugar so that theres a molten center of peanut butter, and sometimes add a little on top after it bakes. Turns into an ooey gooey cinnamon sugar masterpiece. I promise you its worth the extra step!
I had to swap the vanilla for almond extra because that's all I had on hand. It turned out well, but unfortunately i didnt cook it long enough and the bottom is still raw. Overall it was really good though, and super easy to make.
My new favourite mug cake recipe hands down! Love that it’s vanilla based instead of chocolate and the texture of the cake is so good. I made it 2 days in a row because I couldn’t get enough. Perfect ratios!
it so good even made gf and vegan
WOW! Wasn't expecting this to work but it was SO delicious!! Highly recommend, thanks for the recipe!
Best texture from a mug cake I've experienced in a LONG time! Took 1.5 minutes, delicious!
Amazing recipe. I gotta say I wasn't expecting much from a michorwae snack but it was better than regular cake! The batter was so good itself i had to make 2. One to eat th batter and one to eat the cake! Over all I give it a 10/10 for sure!
It turned out super yummmy. Light and fluffy and sweet. I added a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and it was overly satisfying. First time a mug cage turned out so light.
This is the only mug cake I’ve ever made that has a genuinely good texture and flavor! I had begun to give up hope that I would find a go-to mug cake recipe, but I definitely found it! Another great thing about this recipe is that if you take out the cinnamon it’s a delicious white cake recipe that you can add other flavors to if you would like something different
My family loved this mug cake. I doubled the recipe and cooked in a bowl. It was enough for the family of 4 children and 2 adults to share with ice cream. One of my daughters asked me to please make it again soon.
Thank you!
For me it's ok and I used wheat flour because you now I want to be healthy or at least try and be healthy and it was ok but it was not worth in AT ALL for the amount of calories!!!! IT WAS 500 CALORIES!!!!!
It tasted good, but the texture was off and in order for it to be fully cooked, i had to microwave it for many minutes. It also turned out smaller then the picture looked. I followed the instructions fully so, not sure what happened.
I followed this recipe to a T and it taste floury? I’m unsure if there’s something up with my brand new flour, or what exactly happened. The flour is overpowering the flavor of anything else? Even the cinnamon. Could have been good... but wasn’t.
Quick, easy dessert (snack). I almost ate all of the batter because I kept tasting it lol! I've used mugs in the past and went with a microwavable bowl this time around. Had no baking soda so I used baking powder (tripled the amounts). I didn't have have the topping because I'm having hot raspberry tea with honey. Next time I'll either add the topping or add a touch more sugar. That was delicious! Thanks!
Made this today and it came out perfect! Thank you!