A gingerbread mug cake is bliss in under 5 minutes: moist, gooey, with rich, woody, and warm aroma of gingerbread spices perking up the cake. Loaded with chocolate chips and crunchy from nuts, it takes even less time to devour it.
Reminiscent of lights, jingle bells, and Christmas carols in the air, the ginger-spiced mug cake is the perfect way to say hello to the approaching holiday season.
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What is a mug cake?
The name literally says it all. It’s a cake made in a mug (or a cup, or a shallow bowl, or a ramekin). They’ve become insanely popular in the last few years because mug cakes satisfy cravings right away, are ridiculously easy to make, and are single-serving. And, oh, you don’t even need to touch the oven. They’re made in a microwave.
How to make gingerbread mug cake?
It really does bear repeating: there’s nothing easier than making a mug cake. You lazily sift and stir the batter right in a ramekin (if you want no clean up) and then bake.
Mix
- Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking salt, and a pinch of salt with cinnamon powder and ground ginger.
- Add brown sugar and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk almond milk, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract.
Bake
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and then whisk well till you have a thick, soft-dropping consistency batter.
- You can bake the mug cake at this juncture, but I chose to add some oomph to mine and fold in chopped walnuts and dark chocolate chips.
- Microwave it for 1.5 minutes.
Eat
- Let it cool enough to handle, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Then dig in immediately while it’s still warm. This is the most important rule for mug cakes! Cold mug cakes simply don’t have that cant-get-enough quality.
- A scoop of ice cream or some whipped cream would be lovely with it.
Answering all of your mug cake questions
How to check if a mug cake is done?
If you’re baking a mug cake for the first time, I recommend nuking it for a minute. Then insert a toothpick or skewer in the center, and if it comes out with batter attached, microwave for 30 seconds more.
Can you make the gingerbread mug cake in the oven?
The beauty of mug cakes is that they can be made in a microwave (and under 2 minutes). Perfect to nip a sudden yearning in the bud without turning on the oven or racking up a pile of dirty baking dishes.
That said, you can make the ginger mug cake in the oven. It will take longer, and the texture will be denser, more like a muffin, and less gooey. Bake at 180° C for 10 to 12 mins.
Which type of mug to use to make mug cakes? Can I make them in glass?
A coffee mug, a teacup, or even ramekins are great options, as long as they are microwave safe. Ceramic is also a good choice, but not glass.
Why is my mug cake rubbery (or chewy or hard)?
Your mug cake can be rubbery because you overcooked it or added too much baking powder. Less is more with mug cake, so use a little baking powder. It’ll still rise well and be super soft and moist.
Also, don’t microwave the cake for too long. If yours cooks faster than normal, then reduce the time.
How to make a vegan gingerbread mug cake?
Typically, gingerbread recipes use molasses as a sweetener. I didn’t have any, so I made do with honey. To make the recipe vegan, replace honey with molasses.
What else can you use in this recipe?
Flour: Whole-wheat flour or gluten-free, like ragi (finger millet flour), work really, really well. For the latter, use my chocolate cherry mug cake recipe. Or you can try it with quinoa flour, like in my pumpkin mug cake.
Milk: Try regular or plant-based milk you prefer.
Oil: Don’t have coconut oil? Stick to any vegetable oil.
Sugar: Instead of brown sugar, coconut sugar is also a superb choice.
Spices: Nutmeg will add all that jazz to this mug cake.
Add-ons: For an intensely chocolatey flavor, include a teaspoon of cocoa powder in the batter. For a nice crunch and pretty finish, top it with any nuts or dry fruits. Or you can leave everything out, even the chocolate chips, and enjoy just the slightly fiery, hot bite of ginger.
All the reasons you’ll fall in love with gingerbread mug cake
Mess-free
5-minute prep
Instant dessert
Made with regular pantry items
Perfect portion-controlled cake
Easy, ideal weeknight and holiday dessert
More simple mug cake recipes
More Christmas recipes
Gingerbread Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/8 tsp Baking soda
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp Ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 2 tbsp Coconut oil
- 4 tbsp Almond milk
- 1/2 tbsp Honey
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp Dark chocolate chips (Optional)
- 1 tbsp Walnuts, roughly chopped (Optional)
Instructions
- Combine all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, ginger powder, and cinnamon powder in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork to break up all lumps.
- Stir in the wet ingredients - coconut oil, milk, honey, and vanilla extract. Mix well. You should have a thick batter. If the batter seems too dry, add another tablespoon of milk.
- Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.
- Transfer the batter into a microwave-friendly mug. Place a plate underneath ( to catch any overflow).
- Cook for 1 minute 30 seconds. You may have to cook for another 15- 30 secs, depending on your microwave.
- Let the cake cool down for a few minutes and then serve it warm, with or without whipped cream or ice cream! Enjoy!
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