This Mug Coffee Cake recipe uses just a few simple ingredients and cooks in a mug right in the microwave. It's super moist, loaded with cinnamon sugar, gooey, and delicious.

This recipe is perfect on its own for breakfast alongside your cup of coffee or even as a sweet snack or dessert! For some other favorite mug recipes, try this Apple Crisp in a Mug Nutella Mug Cake, Hot Cocoa Mug Cake, Molten Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug, or Sugar Cookie in a Mug.
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⭐Why I Love It:
- Single Serve Coffee Cake - Perfect when you want a sweet breakfast treat, without making a whole pan. This recipe is great when you want something quick in the microwave, also try this recipe for Single Serve Coffee Cake that is baked in the oven and has a streusel topping!
- Ready in 5 Minutes - This coffee cake in a mug doesn't get any quicker to make!
- Cinnamon Sugar Swirl AND Topping- The moist coffee cake has both swirled cinnamon sugar and a little extra on top.
🥘Ingredients:
- Butter - Salted or Unsalted
- White Granulated Sugar
- Milk - I use low fat or nonfat milk, but you can use any milk you like.
- Vanilla Extract - this is essential to add flavor!
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt - you can omit if using salted butter
- Cinnamon Sugar - blend of white granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. You'll sprinkle on half of this, give it a stir to swirl, then sprinkle on the rest.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔪Step by Step Instructions:
Only a couple minutes to prep and just a minute to cook!
Photo 1 - Start by melting the butter in the mug then stirring in the sugar. Stir in the milk/vanilla and tenth dry ingredients. Sprinkle on half of the cinnamon sugar, give a swirl, then sprinkle on the rest of the cinnamon sugar.
Photo 2 - Microwave for 40 seconds to 1 minute until just set. Enjoy!
💭Recipe Tips:
- Cook Time Varies - Microwaves have different strengths which will impact the cook time. I recommend you check after 40 seconds then add more time, as needed. If you make it in a more shallow dish vs the mug, then it will also cook faster.
- Mug Size - Use a standard size (8oz or larger) microwave safe mug. If you don't have a mug, you can use another microwave-safe dish to cook it - such as a large ramekin.
👩🍳Recipe FAQs:
This recipe is written for one cake in a mug, but you can easily double it to make two! You can mix them up separately in two mugs or mix up the batter before adding cinnamon sugar, divide between two mugs, and then add the cinnamon sugar to both. It’s best to microwave them separately, though.
Any standard size coffee mug works! I used mugs that were at least 8 ounces to leave room for the cake to puff up and rise while ‘baking’. The most important piece is to use a mug that is microwave safe!
Because you eat the coffee cake right out of the mug, you do not need to grease. Although, if you want easier clean up you could spray with cooking spray before cooking. I do not grease and instead just soak the mug in some warm soapy water for a few minutes before cleaning to remove any cooked on cake.
If you overcook a mug cake, then it can get a hard and tough texture vs being light and moist. The key is to watch and check the mug cake closely. I like to check at 40 seconds and then microwave in 5 second intervals until done. Better to undercook by 5 seconds than overcook by 5 seconds!
🥞Related Breakfast Recipes:
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PrintRecipe
Mug Coffee Cake
This Mug Coffee Cake recipe uses just a few simple ingredients and cooks in a mug right in the microwave. Perfect for a single serving breakfast or sweet treat. It's moist, loaded with cinnamon sugar, gooey, and delicious.
- Prep Time: 4 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Microwave
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Coffee Cake
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - if using salted butter, omit salt.
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk - nonfat, 2%, or whole.
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Small pinch of salt - omit if using salted butter
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, make the cinnamon sugar. Mix together the 1 tablespoon of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Set Aside.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe mug. Microwave for about 30 seconds.
- Add the sugar to the melted butter, stir to combine.
- Stir in the milk and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar on the batter. Give a quick stir - not enough to fully combine but just to make a big swirl.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar on top.
- Microwave 40 seconds to 1 minute until just set.
- Allow to cool a couple of minutes and enjoy!
Notes
Cinnamon Sugar - If you don't have cinnamon, you can substitute 1 big tablespoon of brown sugar (light or dark) for the cinnamon sugar topping/swirl.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mug
- Calories: 336
- Sugar: 27.7 g
- Sodium: 113.8 mg
- Fat: 11.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.2 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 31.4 mg
Ally says
This was AMAZING! I definitely recommend it! 50 seconds was great for mine. I had it for breakfast!
Kathleen says
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Robin Hansen says
I love “mug” recipes and I’ve tried too many to count! This is the BEST one ever! Exactly 44 seconds in my microwave to perfection!!!
Kathleen says
Yay!I'm so glad you like it. Thank you for your comment 🙂