Cake Mix Mug Cake

Craving cake but don't feel like baking a whole one? This easy Cake Mix Mug Cake comes together in minutes with just a few pantry staples and gives you a sweet single serving dessert whenever the craving hits!

Jump to:

• 💜 Why this recipe works
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🧁 Recipe tips
• 🎉 Variations on recipe
• 🍪 More cake mix recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Is there anything better than a cake that's ready in just minutes? And that's perfectly portioned for you?

Mug cakes are literally the best! And while they're all pretty easy, this cake mix mug cake uses very minimal ingredients, takes just minutes to prep, and only one minute in the microwave.

Any flavor cake whenever you want it? Sign us up!

💜 Why this recipe works

Boxed mix keeps ingredients minimal: because this mug cake is made with cake mix, you don't have to mix flour, sugar, salt, and leaveners. And you're always going to get consistent results!

So many flavor options: you can this mug cake in any flavor you want, including vanilla, chocolate, funfetti, strawberry, or lemon... If you can find it in a boxed cake mix, you can make it!

Optional moistness boosters: I like to include Greek yogurt (or sour cream) in my cake batter because they make the cake extra moist. But if you don't have them, you can simply use a little more oil and milk.

Single serve: this treat is perfect for anyone who wants dessert, but wants to keep it at a single portion. The mug cakes are the perfect size for one, but it's also easy to make two or three if your family wants a treat, too.

Quick and easy: obviously, the best part about mug cakes is that they are super quick and easy. And when you make them with cake mix, they're even quicker and easier!

🗒 Ingredients

Here's everything you need for these easy cake mix mug cakes (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Cake mix: in the flavor of your choice
• Neutral oil: like canola oil or avocado oil
• Milk: I recommend whole, but you can use any kind
• Greek yogurt or sour cream: these will add more moistness, but can be replaced with a little more milk and oil
• Salt: optional, but recommended for a bit more flavor depth

🧁 Recipe tips

• I use 8 oz. mugs for my mug cakes and I recommend using anywhere between 8-10 oz.

• If you want to make these as easy as possible, you only need cake mix, milk, and oil. If you want to add extra moistness, add Greek yogurt or sour cream, too.

• You can include add-ins in your mug cake (sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc.), but be sure to use sparingly so the cake doesn't get weighed down.

• Every microwave is different, so while my mug cakes take 60 seconds to cook, you may want to start at 45 seconds and check. If more time is needed, add another 15 seconds and keep checking and repeating as needed.

• Let the mug cake rest for at least 30 seconds after microwaving as the texture will continue to improve as it cools.

• Top your cake with a dollop of frosting, sprinkles, or the toppings of your choice!

Can you believe we just made a delicious serving of funfetti cake in just minutes? This is both heavenly and extremely dangerous.

🎉 Variations on recipe

Of course, it's really easy to change up this recipe by using different flavors of cake mix, but there are also some other ways you can mix up these little cakes. Here are some ideas:

• Stir 1-2 teaspoon mini chocolate chips into the batter
• Add rainbow sprinkles to the batter (I did this for some of my mug cakes!)
• Fold crushed Oreo or chocolate chip cookies into the batter
• Swirl a dollop of peanut butter or frosting into the batter. Or simply top the cake with them
• Stir in a little strawberry jam
• Add a pinch of instant espresso powder to your chocolate cake mix
• Swirl cinnamon into vanilla or yellow cake batter
• Replace 1 tablespoon of cake mix with protein powder for a little protein boost
• If you want your mug cake to have more of a rise, add a tiny bit of baking powder to the mixture

Honestly, when it comes to cake in 2 minutes flat, you can't really go wrong!

🍪 More cake mix recipes

While baking completely from scratch is fun, I love finding ways to use cake mix in your favorite recipes for days when you need a quick sweets fix or when you run out of flour.

You can check out all my boxed mix recipes (including muffin mix, pancake mix, and brownie mix!) and below are some of my favorite easy cake mix recipes:

Do you ever get cravings for sweets where you want a fix as quickly as possible? If so, this cake mix mug cake is definitely for you!

📖 Recipe