Pumpkin Mug Cake
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This Pumpkin Mug Cake is perfect for when you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to bake an entire cake. It’s ready in just a few minutes, making it an ideal single-serving dessert for fall.
Just like Banana Chocolate Chip Mug Cake, it requires only a few ingredients and is incredibly delicious.
I love that mug cakes require minimal cleanup. Everything is mixed and cooked in one mug, so there’s hardly any mess to clean up afterward.
And they’re great if you have kids, too! Since they’re simple to make and don’t require an oven, this recipe makes for a great baking project or for quick after-school snacks.
I’m excited to hear your thoughts and hope you love this one as much as I do!
Why this recipe works
- Fast: Ready in just about 5 minutes!
- Simple ingredients: Likely already in your pantry.
- Perfectly spiced: Full of fall flavors with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice.
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use the 100% pumpkin puree and not the pumpkin pie filling.
- Oil: (or butter!) Provides richness and makes the cake moist. You can choose oil for a more neutral flavor or butter for a richer taste.
- Milk: Helps to blend the ingredients together and adds moisture, making the pumpkin mug cake soft and tender.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle, sweet, and fragrant flavor that complements the spices and pumpkin.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the cake, giving it a soft, fluffy texture.
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar, but feel free to use brown sugar or a mix of both. Use 2 Tbsp. sugar for a less sweet mug cake.
- Toppings: Feel free to get creative and use your favorite toppings! Chocolate chips, flaky sea salt, and whipped cream are yummy ideas.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Mix wet ingredients
Spray a microwavable safe mug with spray, and whisk together the wet ingredients.
Add dry ingredients
Mix in the dry ingredients, careful not to overmix. Microwave for 1 minute, and then in 20 second increments after that until it is cooked.
Top & enjoy!
Top with mini chocolate chips, whipped cream, and flaky sea salt, and DIG IN!
Success Tips
- Use a Microwave-Safe Mug: Choose a microwave-safe mug or cup that can hold at least 12-14 ounces.
- No eggs needed: I tested this recipe multiple times. In my testing, I found the cakes using eggs turned out very dense and really was unnecessary. Save your egg for breakfast!
- Mix enough…but not too much: Be sure to mix well along the edges and the bottom of the mug to get everything combined, but also be sure not to over-mix because that may cause the mug cake to be dense or tough in texture.
- Cook in Intervals: Cooking times can vary based on microwave so I like to recommend to start with 1 minute. Then after than you can microwave in short 15-20 second intervals or bursts until the cake has a glossy top with a few moist crumbs. Be careful though…you don’t want to cook it too long because it will be dry.
- Enjoy pretty much immediately: mug cakes are not meant to be prepped in advance to enjoy later. They are a quick fix to a craving and should be enjoyed right when you make it. You can let it cool a few minutes and to allow the residual heat to finish cooking the cake a bit, but other than that, enjoy straight away!
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Pumpkin Mug Cake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. 100% canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 Tbsp. oil (canola or vegetable) (or melted butter)
- 1 Tbsp. whole milk
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- pinch pumpkin pie spice
- for finishing: mini chocolate chips, flaky sea salt, whipped cream
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Spray a 12-14 oz. microwavable safe mug with nonstick spray.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together in the mug.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, being sure to get all flour pockets and being careful not to over mix.
- Microwave for 60 seconds, check for doneness. Microwave if needed again in 20 seconds after that until the cake is set. A slightly shiny top is OK. It’s better to under bake a mug cake so be careful not to over cook.
- Allow to cool slightly, top with mini chocolate chips, flaky sea salt, whipped cream, etc. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage: Mug cake is best enjoyed right away. But if for some reason you do have leftovers, you can store for up to 1-2 days; just cover it with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
The cake was really good and easy to make! I added some cream cheese frosting on the top!