The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Spoon University.
With finals, assignments, meetings, and extracurricular commitments, college students’ schedules are swamped, and it can be difficult to find time to do the things we enjoy outside of school. As a foodie myself, I know the struggle of trying to keep up with my passion for food and cooking, which is an expensive and time-consuming hobby to say the least. However, after a recent craving for a late-night sweet treat, and realizing the dining hall baked goods simply wouldn’t do any longer, I took matters into my own hands. That’s when I realized mug-cakes (a childhood favorite of mine) could be the perfect solution!
A Brief Background
For those who haven’t experienced the joy brought on by the bite of a sweet, moist, single-serving cake made in a mug, let me quickly explain. Put simply, mug cakes are exactly what they sound like and, through the science of baking, require even fewer ingredients. Additionally, with even less cooking time than a regular cake, they’re just as open to the dessert’s variety of possibilities.
So, all you have to do is pull up Pinterest for some inspo and get cooking with the tools available to any college kid: a mug, a microwave, and some creativity. Lucky for those reading, I sought to streamline this process for you; after testing out some different recipes and flavor combinations, I put together this easy guide to mug-cakes which anyone can master!
Step 1: Gathering Ingredients
First things first, you’re going to have to spend a little money. I know that’s not something easy to come by for many students, but trust me, it won’t be too expensive and the ingredients you purchase will last a long time, so you can continue crafting this microwave dessert whenever the craving arises. Pro Tip #1: I used my convenience points to get most of the things I needed at our convenience store, stole some tasty mix-ins from the dining hall, and only paid out of pocket for a few things.
For the basis of any mug cake you create, here is what you’ll definitely need: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter or oil, milk (or a milk alternative), and vanilla extract. With just this, you’ll be able to make a basic but delicious vanilla cake base, but I suggest experimenting with some additional ingredients like cocoa powder, peanut butter, banana, chocolate chips, jam, nuts, or sprinkles.
For the purpose of this article, I’ll be using images from when I made a double chocolate chip peanut butter mug cake (inspired by this amazing recipe), but keep in mind that the basic recipe I’ll provide remains the same for any style mug-cake you create!
Step 2: Becoming a Baker
Once you’ve done your ingredient shopping (or scavenging in some cases), go ahead and grab your cutest mug to start mixing everything together. I would also recommend a measuring cup or a kitchen scale to make sure your proportions are correct, but honestly eye-balling it is not a problem either—just make sure the finished texture of the finished dough is fluid but still slightly thick and holding together. Pro Tip #2: Add more flour if it’s too runny or add more milk if it’s too stiff.
Okay, at this point, I’ve done enough rambling (what can I say, I’m very passionate about my mug cakes!); here’s how you do it:
- Mix your dry ingredients (⅓ cup flour, 2 tbsp sugar, ¼ tsp baking powder, pinch of salt)
- Add in your wet ingredients (¼ cup milk, 2 tbsp melted butter, dash of vanilla extract)
- Get creative with mix-ins (Pro Tip #3: most things can be added at the end, but if you go for something like banana or cocoa powder, just make sure to keep the dry with the dry and the wet with the wet)
- Microwave for 1 minute (depending on the strength of your microwave, you might have to go for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer)
- Check your cake to make sure it’s cooked through and let it cool (Pro Tip #4: try the jiggle test—your cake should be bouncy to the touch at the center, yet have minimal jiggle when you shake it)
Step 3: Enjoying Your Creation
Now, it’s the moment of truth: time to taste test your mug-cake and see if your hard (but honestly not that hard) work paid off! If you followed this guide, I have no doubt that it’ll be delicious and exactly what you dreamt of, so dig in and be proud of yourself for what you made! After all, it’s not always easy finding time, resources, or motivation to do something rewarding for yourself as a college student.
Nevertheless, it’s extremely important so go ahead and have some fun with this! My favorite part is how truly customizable mug-cakes can be: you can literally add anything you’re craving. You can try to replicate other popular flavor combos like peanut butter and banana, strawberries and cream, or chocolate and caramel, for example. Or you can just walk around the grocery store and pick out random ingredients that appeal to you. The possibilities of mug-cakes are as endless as your imagination and as delicious as anything!