Easy Snickerdoodle Mug Cake Recipe

What better dessert to indulge in than a warm serving of freshly prepared cake? The problem is that most cakes take a bit of time and effort to prepare. It's not like you can simply decide you want a piece of cake and whip up an entire dessert in a matter of minutes. Well, that's actually not the case when you turn to a brilliant microwave classic: the mug cake.

This mug cake recipe we're serving up is, in fact, so easy to make, and you'll be enjoying it before you know it. This easy snickerdoodle mug cake is sweet on the palate, charming to the eye, and so easy to make even when you're having a busy week. Chef and recipe developer Autumn LeAnn says of this quick and simple dessert, "This is a fairly easy recipe that anyone can make, regardless if they have experience baking or not."

As for whether or not you tell people it took less than seven minutes to prepare this sweet little cake? That sweet little secret is safe with us.

The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, ground cinnamon, melted unsalted butter, granulated sugar, whole milk, vanilla extract, and an egg yolk ... all of which you probably already have in your kitchen, which is an added bonus to this treat!

As for the hardware you'll need in order to cook up your little mug cake, that's pretty simple stuff, too. As a matter of fact, all you'll need are two small mixing bowls, a fork, a microwave-safe mug, and, of course, a microwave in which to do the cooking.

Start by measuring out all of your ingredients, especially if you are making several servings of this cake, as you'll want to work fast once you have each one going into the microwave.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon in one bowl (not in the mug — more on that later), and stir to mix these dry ingredients.

Next, melt the butter in another small bowl, then combine it with 2 tablespoons of sugar, the whole milk, vanilla extract, and the egg yolk. "Make sure the melted butter isn't too hot when adding in the egg yolk, as you may end up with little scrambled egg pieces in your cake," says LeAnn, adding, "You can do this by adding the other wet ingredients and mixing before adding the egg yolk."

Next up, grab a microwave-safe mug, and spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray. Pour your wet ingredient mix into the mug, then slowly mix in the dry ingredients, stirring a bit in, then adding more, until everything is nicely combined.

Next, mix together your remaining ½ tablespoon of sugar and ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon, and sprinkle this blend on top of the cake batter in the mug. Then, microwave the mug cake for one and a half minutes and ... you're done! Now, wasn't that easy?

Okay, so you probably have the same question a lot of people do. Since everything ends up being combined in the mug anyway, you're likely wondering, "Can I skip mixing the ingredients in other bowls first, and simply mix them all together in the mug?"

According to LeAnn, you totally can — but there's a catch. "Mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately first yields a better mug cake," she says. So, you may want to spare the extra minute here to make the best mug cake possible. Trust us when we say it's worth it. 

With that done, LeAnn has a mouthwatering pairing suggestion. "This mug cake would pair well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I'm a sucker for hot and cold desserts," she says. Then, dig in!