Q&A for How to Make Cake in a Mug

Yes, though it's not necessary. It will get stirred into the batter along with the other wet ingredients.

Yes, you can make the cake any size you want. All ingredients should be scaled appropriately.

Yes, you can use all-purpose flour. However, the cake will not rise and won't be as fluffy as it would be with self-rising flour.

No.

It might be because you didn't beat the egg properly, or because you didn't let the cake cool down before eating it.

Yes, you can eat the cake from the mug. Let the mug cool first so that you do not burn yourself.

Substitute a creamy substance like yogurt for some of the wet ingredients. Or just add frosting afterwards.

Yes but it is a good idea to melt the chocolate before and then put it into the cake. Only a small portion of your cake will have chocolate that way.

You can use all-purpose flour, but you have to add things such as baking soda to ensure that it rises effectively.

You can find the amounts for each ingredient, including water and oil, listed under 'Ingredients' at the top of the page.

Use any kind of oil.

It will melt if you add it while the cake is still hot. Add it once the cake is cooked and cooled.

When it starts to bubble over, do not open the microwave. It is rising, just let it, and put a plate under it to catch the batter that foams over like stated above. If you open the microwave when it's rising and spilling over, it will sink and be like a cracker at the bottom.

It's possible your microwave settings are too high or you microwaved the cake for too long.

You could have used expired ingredients or cooked your mug cake too long, causing some of the ingredients to burn.

When you say "regular sugar," you are probably talking about granulated sugar. It's the same thing.

Yes.

Yes, but you will have to figure out how long and what temperature you need to bake it effectively and, most importantly, use a mug that is oven safe. Keep in mind that safe for the microwave does not always mean safe for the oven.

Pat the mug on the counter a couple of times before you put it in the microwave to remove air bubbles.

Yes.

No you cannot. Cake mix is meant to be baked in the oven.

Consider adding homemade frosting, sprinkles, chocolate chips, and nuts.

No, you can't. It will give the cake an unpleasant flavor, and your cake will deflate after cooking.

No, that's optional for taste.

You could make the lemon mug cake, or look up a recipe for a vanilla mug cake instead.

Vanilla extract doesn't make a cake sweet; that comes from the sugar.

You can use vegetable oil or coconut oil.

You don’t have to have baking powder if you have self-rising flour, if you only use all-purpose flour without the baking powder it won’t rise and will not cook properly. I’ve done this before and it tasted really bad, so I don’t recommend it.

Did you cook it long enough? If a cake is undercooked, a telltale sign is that the inside is still a mushy/liquid-like substance. Try to cook it in 10-15 second intervals until finished. To test the cake and see if it's fully cooked, dip a toothpick or skewer into it. If the batter sticks, then it still needs time. If the majority of the stick is clean, then it's ready.

Yes. You can eat the cake hot if you wish. Just be careful not to burn yourself while doing so; it should be cooled down to a safe warm temperature first.