This Pumpkin Mug Cake is super easy to make and comes together in minutes! With just the right amount of pumpkin spice, it’s a simple fall dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth with hardly any effort.
It’s been a hot minute since I shared a mug cake recipe, and if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time you know I do love my mug cakes. They’re just so convenient and easy to make, plus they let me satisfy a spur of the moment sweet tooth craving without committing to making an entire cake.
Another bonus? Mug cakes let you accomplish the previously impossible task of allowing everyone in your family to choose their own dessert. I often make mug cakes for family movie night and just spend a few minutes in the kitchen making whatever variety each person wants. Everyone is satisfied and happy, including me.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Mug Cake Recipe
- Easy. You’ll only need a can of pumpkin puree plus a few other pantry staples.
- Comes together in minutes! Go from no cake to a mug full of fluffy, warm pumpkin cake in 7 minutes.
- So tasty. This recipe makes a moist and tender pumpkin cake that is incredible with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Or both!)
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick roundup of what you’ll need to make this mug cake, along with notes where needed. Scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
- Egg yolk
- Milk – Any kind of milk works, including plant milk
- Oil – Vegetable oil or olive oil are my go tos
- Vanilla Extract
- Pumpkin puree – Not pumpkin pie puree
- Brown sugar – The amount you’ll use will depend on how sweet you want your cake to be. Light or brown sugar works. You could also use regular white sugar but I think the brown sugar gives this mug cake a caramel undertone that is quite lovely.
- All purpose flour
- Baking power
- Kosher salt – Just a teeny tiny pinch. You can skip this if you like but I think it gives the cake a bit more dimension.
- Pumpkin pie spice
How to Make Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Add all the wet ingredients to a large mug and mix well. Make sure your mug is at least 15 oz and that is microwave safe.
- Add the dry ingredients. Mix well, ensuring no dry bits of batter are left along the edges of the mug.
- Microwave for 2 minutes 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Cook time will vary according to your microwave so start with the lower time.
- Test the mug cake by gently pressing on the top. If it springs back slightly and is not wet, the cake is done.
- Allow the mug cake to cool for a few minutes. It will be HOT.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Add some milk chocolate chips on top if you like! They will get all gooey if you mix them into the warm cake and I’m a big fan of melted chocolate with pumpkin!
Tips for Success
The tips for this mug cake are pretty much the same as all my other mug cakes. Once you know how to make one mug cake, you can make a lot of variations without learning too many new tricks. That’s win if you ask me.
- Use a LARGE microwave safe mug: Make sure your mug is at least 15-oz and that it is safe to heat in the microwave. This cake will rise a lot so you want to make sure the batter doesn’t pour over the edges of your mug.
- Mix well, but don’t over mix. It is very easy for dry bits of batter to get stuck along the edges or right in the middle of the mug. Be sure to mix well, but stop as soon as everything is incorporated. If you mix too much your cake will be chewy. Mug cakes are both an art and a science.
- Let it cool. Your mug cake weill be very HOT when it comes out of the microwave so give it at least 5 minutes to cool! I know it’s hard. Your patience will be rewarded.
- How to tell when it’s done? Your mug cake is done cooking when it is firm to the touch and springs back slightly if you press it with your finger.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving this pumpkin mug cake with vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips and whipped cream. You can pile these on top of the cake in the mug itself (another good reason to use a large mug!) or you can scoop the cake out into a bowl and add your toppings there. The benefit of this approach is that your cake will cool faster!
More Mug Cakes to Try
Here are few of my other mug cake recipes. I hope you give them a whirl!
Pumpkin Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon oil, vegetable or olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar, depending on how sweet you want it to be
- 4 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking power
- Teeny tiny pinch of kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Add all the wet ingredients to a large, microwave-safe mug (at least 15 oz). Mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mug. Mix well, ensuring no dry bits of batter are left along the edges of the mug.
- Microwave for 2 minutes 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Cook time will vary according to your microwave so start with the lower time.
- Test the mug cake by gently pressing on the top. If it springs back slightly and is not wet, the cake is done.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes. It will be HOT.
- Serve with your desired toppings and enjoy!
Nutrition
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