Baking doesn’t always have to be serious – sometimes it’s good to have a bit of a lark – you can certainly get that with a cake in a mug! It’s tongue in cheek baking – a quick whip up in the office kitchen or something just to amuse the kids with.
Your own personal cake in a mug from start to finish in just over three minutes.
I came across this thanks to the Just Milk Team (one of the partners for National Baking Week) – they had been baking cakes in mugs with little success and wondered if I could do any better? Heck, yes! The recipe that is all over the net is yuck, if you use it you’ll end up with a cross between a cake and scrambled egg and that’s so not a good taste.
Here it is in all its yucky glory – it looks like a bath sponge!
My recipe in fact makes two cakes in mugs – one for you and one to share. You can always put the second in the fridge, uncooked and save it for later if you’re feeling mean.
I spent an hour fiddling about, welding cake mixture to fifty mugs, filling the house with the terrible smell of burnt microwaved cake and ended up with twenty cakes in mugs to eat/feed to the husband/children/chickens/cats….. I exaggerate but you get my drift. So here’s to Just Milk and Cake in a Mug!
Ingredients:
Jam Sponge
4 tbsps sunflower oil
2 tbsps milk
1 egg
5 tbsps sugar
6 tbsps self-raising flour
2 tbsps jam
Chocolate
4 tbsps sunflower oil
2 tbsps milk
1 egg
5 tbsps sugar
4 tbsps self-raising flour
2 tbsps cocoa powder
You need a mug and a tablespoon measure. (Do they have these in office kitchens? – take one in with you)
Into the mug place the ingredients – oil, milk, egg, sugar, self-raising flour and cocoa (if using).
Mix them up. I’m imagining in an office kitchen you’d only have a teaspoon to mix with but forgive me for using a little whisk (I am a proper Baker……no, really….)
Tip half of the mixture into a second mug
If you’re doing the jam sponge add a tablespoon dollop of jam to each mug, just don’t stir it up.
Microwave each for two and a half minutes on full power (based on an 800W microwave, adjust up or down slightly depending on your wattage).
Messy messy messy – see the fifty mugs?!?
Serve (with a dollop of custard if you can lay your hands on some!)
A few important points to note –
- Eat these warm, they’re not sophisticated in taste, or texture and aren’t overly nice when cold!
- Make sure you’re using microwave safe mugs.
- Have fun – it’s not serious baking – amaze the office with a ‘look what I whipped up’ or get the kids in the kitchen giving it a go – heck make it yourself for a late night treat!
Cake in a Mug
Ruth Clemens, Baker Extraordinaire

Looks like fun. I’ve made micro steam puds but never a cake in a mug.
What a fab idea! Might have to have a go! Loving the new look blog too!xx
I love your new layout – was wondering why there had been no new posts lately! Now I know. Cake in a mug – what a fabulous idea I’m going to try them tomorrow.
Loving the new look website Ruth. Been meaning to try the `cake in cup` for a while now, glad I waited – will definately be giving this a go in work. It will be sure to brighten Monday afternoons xx.
hi ruth, your new look blog looks fab !
definately will be giving the cake in a mug a try thanks x
Like the new look website Ruth. The cake in a mug will be great fun to bake with my grandsons !
i have tried the other recipe that is floating around and it was not very good. i’m glad you decided to improve on it, can’t wait to try it 🙂
I love cake in a mug, I always cook it when my husband is away on business! Great, quick comfort without leaving the house when children are asleep upstairs. I’ll try this recipe next time, which happy is not for over a month.
that’s good news Sally! x
This’ll be great for those long days in the office that end at 7pm!
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Haha, these look fab for those 3pm office cravings, someone in my office has an emergency chocolate bar but I think emergency cake is much better! Might have to stash some ingredients in my drawer. Loving the new look blog too!
Thanks Kim, yes I think emergency cake is a great idea! x
Well I know what I’ll be making next time I stumble in from a night out!
We made some of these after school this afternoon – two chocolate and two with jam. I think the chocolate were better! Anyway, my younger daughter loved the idea and thought they were great. Only problem was that I was so full I didn’t want to eat my dinner!!!
hey, how did you re-design your blog? It looks far better than any of the templates I have on mine. 🙂 x
Hi Minnie – I had is specially designed for me x
Just made these as a quick pudd for the kids after tea. They worked a treat and were really quite yum! x
Thank you for this great idea! I write a mug blog so we might include this recipe for our readers!
Pingback: Sainsbury’s Cuppa Cake Review « Tales of pigling bland
Pingback: Emergency Pudding – Cake in a mug | www.kungfoodie.net
Pingback: Chocolate mug cake « The Diary of a Cake Maker
Just made the chocolate sponge in a mug as fancied a bit of dessert, and poured on a bit of cream to serve. Yummy!
Love it! Only just seen this but love it…obviously. Thanks Ruth!
Pingback: The Final Strawberry: Low-fat Trifles « bakearama
Amazing I tried it tastes good
You have really saved the day for me i have a stomach problem and this is a complet meal for me,with gratitude many thanks.
Pingback: Chocolate mug cake | The Diary of a Cake Maker