This microwave mug cake recipe is just the thing to make when it’s too hot to turn on the oven or you want a dessert that makes just enough cake to share with whomever you love most with no leftovers to taunt you. It yields a classic upside down cake and is lovely with ripe plums but just as memorable with sliced nectarines or peaches. (The most critical thing is that the stone fruit you use be ripe and crazy juicy.) And the entire cake, start to finish, takes less time than it does most conventional ovens to preheat for an entire cake. We’re talking 3 minutes, folks. That’s 180 seconds. Think about that. And thank us later. Granted, this little cake makes sorta a big mess. But it’s just a couple bowls and measuring spoons—nothing that can’t easily be washed and dried in the time it takes the cake to bake in the microwave.

To make more portions of this microwave mug cake, simply double or triple the quantities of the ingredients and bake each portion separately in individual mugs.–Hannah Miles

How To Make Upside Down Microwave Mug Cake (It’s SOOOOOOO Easy)

How to Make a Microwave Mug Cake 1 Toss some sliced plums in a mug.How to Make a Microwave Mug Cake 2 Sprinkle the plums with sugar and spice to make them nice.How to Make a Microwave Mug Cake 3 Spoon the cake batter into the mug and nuke it for 3 minutes. That’s it.

A microwave mug cake upside-down plum cakeon a floral plate beside a glass pitcher of heavy cream.

Microwave Mug Cake

5 / 2 votes
This microwave mug cake recipe is an upside-down plum cake that takes just 3 minutes to bake. Quick and easy dessert.
David Leite
CourseDessert
CuisineAmerican
Servings1 to 2 servings
Calories747 kcal
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time20 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 large (12 to 16 ounces) microwave-proof flat-bottomed mug

Ingredients 

For the plum topping

  • Unsalted butter, for the mug
  • 1 1/2 to 2 ripe, juicy plums or pluots, pitted and cut into wedges (may substitute ripe peaches or nectarines)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the microwave mug cake

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 to 7 tablespoons self-rising flour*, sifted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/2 egg (2 tablespoons or 20 grams), lightly beaten (yes, it’s an odd amount, but just save the leftovers for scrambled eggs the next morning or, even better, for a second mug cake)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Heavy cream or ice cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions 

Make the plum topping

  • Cut a piece of baking parchment into a rectangle that’s about 2 inches (5cm) taller than your mug and slightly wider than the circumference of your mug. Slick the mug with some butter and form the baking parchment inside the mug in a cylinder so the paper lies flat against the sides of the mug with the parchment overlapping on the bottom of the mug and extending a couple inches above the rim of the mug.
  • Arrange the plum quarters in the bottom of the mug. (If you can’t fit all the plum slices in the mug, that’s okay. Just nibble the ones that won’t fit.) Sprinkle the plums with the sugar and cinnamon. If desired, toss the plums with the cinnamon and sugar to coat. Arrange the plum slices with a cut side lying flat against the bottom of the mug.

Make the microwave mug cake

  • Place the butter in a heatproof bowl in the microwave and heat on 50% power until melted, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Let cool slightly.
  • Add the flour, sugar, milk, egg, and cinnamon to the melted butter and whisk until everything is incorporated, making sure there are no lumps. The batter may be thick but that’s okay. Scrape the batter over the plums.
  • Place the mug on a microwave-safe plate in case the cake overflows. Cook in the microwave on full power until the cake springs back when you gently touch it, 3 minutes in a 850- to 1000-watt microwave and 2 minutes in a 1100-watt microwave. (The cake will probably rise above the sides of your mug during baking and then promptly deflate. Don’t worry. This is to be expected. The cake may end up a little lopsided but looks don’t matter nearly as much as taste.) Remove the mug from the microwave and let the cake cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
  • Remove the paper liner and still-warm cake from the mug and invert the cake into a shallow bowl so the plums are revealed. Discard the paper. Serve the mug cake warm with a dribble of cream or a scoop of ice cream, if desired. (The cake should be eaten on the day it is made and preferably while warm.)

Notes

*How To Make Self-Rising Flour

This microwave mug cake recipe requires self-rising flour. You can find this in most grocery stores in the baking aisle next to the all-purpose flour. But if you don’t have a trip to the store in your near future, can also DIY it. To make 1/2 cup self-rising flour, which is just slightly more than you’ll need for the recipe below, simply stir together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour with 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Microwave Mug Cakes! Cookbook

Adapted From

Microwave Mug Cakes!

Buy On Amazon

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 747 kcalCarbohydrates: 96 gProtein: 9 gFat: 38 gSaturated Fat: 23 gMonounsaturated Fat: 10 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 176 mgSodium: 49 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 64 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2016 Hannah Miles. Photo © 2016 Clare Winfeld. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

I love plums but the rest of my family aren’t fans so this recipe was perfect for me. I loved the combination of plums and cinnamon and the ease with which the cake came together. The cake was a good texture—just the right amount of loft. It was not at all rubbery or dense like some microwave cakes can be. The cake was nicely sweet which contrasted with the tart plums. I used a 12-ounce mug, which was just barely big enough. My parchment paper stuck out about 2 inches above the edge of the cup and supported the rising cake, but it might have overflowed if I hadn’t had as much extra parchment. I checked the cake after 2 minutes, but it started to collapse, so I quickly closed the door and started the microwave again. After 3 minutes, the cake was set and sprang back when I touched the top. I let it cool about 5 minutes before I tasted it, but it was still hot. After 10 minutes it was the perfect temperature. I drizzled the warm cake with heavy cream, which added a nice bit of richness and creaminess. Ice cream would have been good, too, but it would have added more sweetness, which would have been too much for me. I would like more fruit, maybe even twice as much. (Next time, I might use twice the plums and divide the mixture between 2 mugs to make a couple smaller cakes.) I had some cake left over and ate it the next day. The texture was a little denser than it had been when the cake was warm, but it was still very good.

This yummy mug cake recipe is the perfect solution for when you need a quick fix for that sweet tooth. It’s a quick and easy recipe that has you eating cake in 12 minutes! It’s also a good basic mug cake recipe—you could leave out the plums and add any other fruit or chocolate to accommodate whatever it is you may be craving. I ended up making two mug cakes so I could use up the extra egg. The plum cooked nicely in the microwave. I do think it could be mixed with the cinnamon and sugar to get it more incorporated. I did get some crispy bits of pure sugar that didn’t dissolve or mix in with the plum.

This upside-down plum cake is a fantastic option for dessert on a warm summer evening. You don’t have to turn on the oven to enjoy it and you can enjoy it all summer long with different stone fruit as the season progresses. I liked that it was pretty quick to put together and only takes 3 minutes in the microwave to bake. My microwave is 1050W so it may have been done sooner than that, but it wasn’t rubbery or overdone when I took it out after 3 minutes. I let the cake cool for 5 minutes, but probably should have let it cool for 5 more minutes. (It was really hot! But we were impatient and didn’t want to wait.) The cake had a soft, springy texture and a simple flavor that complemented the sweet, juicy plum topping. We ate the cake unadorned, though whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would have been lovely. I would also, most likely, share this cake with my husband instead of making 2 next time and add a scoop of ice cream to each. It was quite a large portion for me, though he would probably rather have his own.

Freshly “baked” warm cake just for you—if that doesn’t sound delightful, I don’t know what does! I couldn’t have tested this upside-down plum cake recipe at a better time as beautiful stone fruits had just become available at the market and the hot weather was making me reluctant to turn on the oven. I love experimenting (and cake!) so I tested the recipe twice, following the recipe exactly the first time, and with some adjustments the second time. I found that 3 minutes was too long in my 1100w microwave oven; 2 minutes was just perfect. Letting the cake cool for good 5 minutes made a better presentation; the fruit started to slide off the cake immediately when too warm. Lastly, I completely omitted the sugar for the plums the second time. The fruit was plenty sweet and didn’t need any additional sugar. I used 2 black plums and the mug was able to accommodate all the slices.

The word “cake” conjures up a different picture for different people. For many, the word is synonymous with “birthday cake” and this picture consists of two layers and thick frosting. In my family, however, birthday cakes were different. I had the good fortune to be born in early May, so strawberry shortcake was usually my birthday cake of choice. For my mother, however, celebrating a late August birthday meant plum cake. We were lucky that her birthday coincided with the very limited time when tiny Italian prune plums were available in the local market. And even though it meant heating up the oven in summer, plum cake was the order of the day. She would have loved having a recipe that would allow her to have her favorite cake in less time than it would take to preheat the oven. The sponge-like consistency of this cake would let it successfully compete with the more time consuming big cake. And the size is perfect for one or two. I have a 1100-watt microwave. My cook time was 2 minutes, 20 seconds on high power. At that point the cake had shiny damp spots on top but was firm, not liquid. The damp spots disappeared during cooling. This makes 2 servings, especially if served with ice cream.

We ABSOLUTELY loved this little microwaved gem of a mug cake. It takes just a couple of minutes to make and works surprisingly well. It has GREAT flavor. Remember this is a cake baked in a microwave and made in well under 10 minutes, so don’t expect a bakery-quality masterpiece. But we found it to have a fine texture and it feeds 2 people nicely. I made this in a 12-ounce ramekin and it was a perfect fit. I finished it with a little homemade whipped cream. The entire affair was delightful!

So easy to make and the perfect recipe for just one! The mug cake is a light sponge with a cinnamon flavor and juicy plums give it a fresh taste. Eat it right after you bake it (just let it cool for a few minutes first).




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I loved this cake. I make mug cakes for my husband and myself a lot and I was very interested to try this recipe because of the plums. The texture of the cake was a surprise. It has the same texture as a baked sponge cake whereas I have found with some microwave cakes the texture is more coarse. I like that after you invert the mug cake onto the plate you get to see the glistening plums. It would be a good recipe for company. I love that it’s so different than other mug cakes. I used the 1/2 egg that was left over for scrambles the next morning. I liked using the parchment paper. There was less mess and easy clean up. The time in the microwave was spot on. I always rotate my mugs halfway through the stated timing as that seems to work best for my microwave. One mug of this plum goodness would be plenty for a snack or a light dessert. Personally I would serve this warm with just a little cold fresh cream. Yummy!

  2. Thanks David…of course, you whisk it first, then divide! I knew that! 🙂
    I do see small eggs at the store once in awhile but mostly from my neighbor’s very young chickens, which I do use sometimes when I don’t want something too eggy!
    I have a plum tree, so can’t wait to try this cup cake…I mean mug cake! 🙂

    Thanks again…also making your Thai Chicken Skewers today! Yum!

  3. Ok, I’m a little dense here…cakely speaking (: but how does one half an egg? Obviously you can’t cut one in half without breaking the yolk into itself…do you just use small eggs?
    Thanks!

    1. Christina, two small eggs don’t equal a large egg. You can certainly buy small eggs, although I’ve never seen them at the store. For this, all you need to do is break the large egg into a small bowl, whisk, and then spoon out what you need.