Gluten Free Vanilla Mug Cake

A gluten free vanilla mug cake recipe with no egg for a moist and tender single-serving yellow cake in your microwave in just minutes.

A gluten free vanilla mug cake recipe with no egg for a moist and tender single-serving yellow cake in your microwave in just minutes. Welcome to your new go-to recipe for a delightful, quick, and simple treat – our eggless gluten free vanilla mug cake.

This heavenly dessert is perfect for those sudden sweet cravings or when you want to whip up a quick dessert for unexpected guests.

Why you'll love this recipe

This gluten free mug cake is an absolute gem. It's a quick and convenient dessert, ready in just minutes using simple pantry ingredients. The vanilla base is incredibly versatile, ready to be customized with your favorite add-ins.

The single-serving size makes it perfect for a guilt-free indulgence without the need for storing any leftovers. Plus, it's just plain fun to make, offering an instant reward for your minimal effort.

Anyone can make this cake as it's just so simple, and it's something everyone will enjoy. Who says gluten free baking needs to be difficult?!

Ingredients for vanilla gluten free mug cake

1. Unsalted Butter: This is the backbone of the recipe. It provides the fat necessary for a rich, moist cake and also enhances flavor.
2. Applesauce: Serving as an egg replacement, applesauce brings moisture and natural sweetness to the cake. It also provides a nice, tender texture to the final product.
3. Pure vanilla extract: Vanilla extract offers a classic flavor to our mug cake. Its sweet, creamy, and rich notes create the backbone for a delightful dessert.
4. Granulated sugar: Sugar not only sweetens the cake but also contributes to the tender texture by retaining moisture. It helps add even a little browning, giving your cake even more flavor.
5. Kosher salt: A small amount of salt is crucial in sweet recipes to balance flavors and enhance the sweetness.
6. Gluten free flour blend: The blend of rice, potato, and tapioca starch mimics the texture of regular flour, maintaining a light and fluffy cake texture.
7. Baking powder: As a leavening agent, baking powder helps the cake rise quickly in the microwave, ensuring a light and airy texture.
8. Edible gluten free confetti or sprinkles: While optional, these add a fun, festive touch to the cake, making it visually appealing and more exciting to eat.

Essential tips for perfect gluten free mug cake

Mug cakes are really simple, but there are still a few things that can go wrong and cause your cake to come out rubbery. So follow these top tips for almost-instant, light and fluffy gluten free cake in a mug every time.

Choose the right flour

Not all gluten free flour blends behave the same way in recipes. Ensure that you choose a high-quality blend that already contains xanthan gum or a gum-free blend as suggested in the recipe for best results.

When I was first developing this recipe, I used a more traditional all purpose gluten free flour blend that already contains xanthan gum in the blend (I used Better Batter original blend). It made a lovely, high-rising cake and tasted good. You can use it in this recipe with success.

I prefer to use my gum-free gluten free flour blend, which is made with 3 simple flours: 66% superfine white rice flour + 22% potato starch + 12% tapioca starch/flour. It's such a useful blend that I think it's worth committing those percentages to memory, but I've done the math for you in the recipe card below.

Without the xanthan gum in the mix, though, the cake made with the gum-free flour blend doesn't rise quite as high in the mug, but I don't mind that at all. If you'd like to have the best of both worlds, try using the gum free blend, and adding a scant 1/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum.

Most of all, let's try not to make this overly complicated! It's a mug cake.

Balance your wet and dry ingredients

Achieving the right consistency is crucial. Ensure you measure your ingredients accurately to keep a balance between wet and dry ingredients for the perfect cake texture.

Don't overcook

Overcooking your mug cake can make it rubbery. Always start with the minimum suggested microwave time, then add more in small increments if necessary.

Don't overfill your mug

Be careful with how much batter you fill your mug with. Aim for filling your mug no more than half way, however big or small your mug. If you only have regular-sized mugs, but really, really love this quick sweet treat, don't overfill your mug. Just make two, instead.

Adjust for microwave wattage

Different microwaves have different wattages. Make sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly to prevent over or under cooking.

This cake is developed to be made in a microwave that is approximately 1000 watts. It isn't for the oven. That's where we make regular cakes!

This is just to make a quick-fix for your sweet tooth's desire for a “little something.” Maybe late at night? Maybe you just don't feel like sharing. No judgment.

Please don't email me to tell me that the microwave is going to kill us all. Or comment that below. Your feelings are private, and your own business. Sharing them with me is mine. Thank you for coming to my motherhood TED talk.

How to program your microwave for a gf mug cake

My microwave is oddly powerful at 1200 watts. I need to use a reduced power percentage to approximate 1000 watts. For me, that means using 80% power because 1200 watts x 80% = 960 watts (that counts as “about” 1000 watts).

It just requires the simplest math. I know some of you hate math, and I'm so sorry. At least you don't have to do it on an abacus.

You'll only have to do the math once, though. And then you'll be able to make vanilla mug cake, and chocolate mug cake with success. And you'll maybe understand your microwave a bit better.

If you're not sure how many watts yours is, and you can't find the information on the appliance itself, just google your microwave brand and the word “wattage,” and you'll find the information.

Customize to your preference

While our vanilla mug cake is delicious on its own, part of the fun is customizing it with various mix-ins and toppings. Here are a few of my top picks.

Mix-ins:

1. Chocolate chips: Add in a tablespoon of dark, milk, or white chocolate chips before microwaving for a gooey chocolate surprise.
2. Berries: Fresh or frozen berries can add a pop of sweetness and tang. Try raspberries, blueberries, or chopped strawberries.
3. Nuts: A tablespoon of chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds can provide a lovely crunch and added flavor.
4. Spices: For an aromatic twist, add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to your batter.

Toppings:

1. Whipped cream or ice cream: A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream can make your mug cake an extra decadent treat.
2. Fruit compote or jam: Top your cake with a spoonful of your favorite fruit compote or jam for added fruitiness.
3. Nut butter: A drizzle of almond, peanut, or cashew butter can add a deliciously nutty touch and pair beautifully with the vanilla base.
4. Powdered sugar: A simple dusting of powdered sugar can add a lovely visual touch and a bit of extra sweetness.

Let it cool

Give your mug cake a few minutes to cool before eating. This will allow the cake to set and the flavors to fully develop.

Learn to make vanilla mug cake!

But the texture wasn't quite as tender as I'd like it to be. It was also a bit more dry, since that flour blend (like most all purpose gluten free flour blends) absorbs a lot of moisture.

Gluten free vanilla mug cake: Substitutions

Here are my best recommendations for ingredient substitutions when you need to tweak this gluten free microwave mug cake for other dietary preferences.

Gluten free dairy free mug cake

The only dairy in this recipe (unless you're using Cup4Cup as your flour blend, which contains dairy) is the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. You can easily replace that with your favorite vegan butter. I bet even Earth Balance buttery sticks would work.

Please don't use oil, though. You might be tempted since you're melting the butter anyway.

In a simple recipe like this with such a neutral flavor profile, oil will steal flavor away from the cake, and leave it with an oily taste.

Gluten free mug cake made sugar free?

There are only 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in this recipe. I've also made it with 3 tablespoons, and I thought it was too sweet, even with my sweet tooth.

I really don't recommend reducing the sugar in this recipe. It's just 25 grams of sugar, and it helps to tenderize the cake (sugar isn't just for sweetness in baking!).

If you'd like to try using an alternative sugar, try Lankato brand monkfruit granulated alternative sugar. It will probably mean a more stiff batter, so consider adding another teaspoonful or two of applesauce to compensate for the drying effect of alternative sugars.

About the pretty edible decorations in this gluten free vanilla mug cake

For full information on gluten free edible confetti, please see our recipe for gluten free “Funfetti” cupcakes. I love baking with edible confetti, but it can be a bit difficult to source because some companies make it, and then stop. I'm looking at you, AmeriColor! But you can find it, and it's worth the effort.

Gluten free vanilla mug cake recipe, step by step below