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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Gingerbread Mug Cake

    Published: Nov 9, 2021 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links

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    gingerbread mug cake with whipped cream and sprinkles and text box at top
    collage of gingerbread mug cake with sprinkles and whipped cream and text box in center
    gingerbread mug cake with whipped cream and sprinkles and spoon on the side

    A quick and easy gingerbread mug cake that will give you a cozy wintery feeling without all the work! This moist mug cake is seasoned with molasses and an assortment of warm spices.

    gingerbread mug cake with saucer and spoon on the side

    Note: this post was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2021 with new photos and improved instructions.

    This gingerbread mug cake recipe will bring the holiday cheer in a flash! All you need are some basic (mostly pantry!) ingredients, a mug, and a few minutes. This delicious gingerbread dessert will have you feeling oh-so-cozy on a cold night, and without a whole sink of dishes to wash!

    This mug cake has all the warm cozy flavors of more traditional gingerbread: molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground ginger. But it's really easy to make and in a convenient singe serving size. So you can make it any time you are craving a delicious holiday dessert!

    (If you love mug cakes as much as I do, be sure to check out my chocolate berry mug cake and strawberry shortcake mug cake recipes too!)

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through the link, it won’t cost you more but I may earn a small commission. I only recommend products that I personally use and love!

    Recipe ingredients

    recipe ingredients with text labels

    Ingredient notes

    • Butter: unsalted if you've got it. If not, just don't add the extra pinch of salt the recipe calls for.
    • Milk: I've made this with both whole milk and low-fat milk and they both work well, so use whichever you prefer.
    • Salt: as mentioned, omit if you want to use salted butter.

    Step by step photos

    1. The first step is to melt the tablespoon of butter in a large, microwave-safe mug. This should take about 30 seconds on high.

    melted butter in mug

    2. Next, add in the molasses, granulated sugar, and milk to the melted butter in the mug. Whisk everything together with a fork, or use my favorite mini whisk! (Affiliate link.)

    collage of adding molasses to the mug and whisking wet ingredients in mug

    3. Mix together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a separate small bowl. Then, gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, until the batter is fully incorporated and mostly free of lumps.

    collage of adding dry ingredients to wet ingredients in mug and whisking batter together

    4. Finally, microwave the mug cake for 1 minute 15 seconds on high. Check the top of the cake; if it's still a little wet, microwave again in 10 second increments until the top of the cake is just set.

    finger touching top of cooked gingerbread mug cake

    Tips and tricks

    • If you want to unmold your mug cake after it's cooked, swirl the melted butter around the sides of the mug before adding the other ingredients. This will help it from sticking as much!
    • If your baking powder is a little pebbly, break the lumps apart with your fingers or a fork before adding to the other ingredients. Any unmixed chunks of baking powder will taste bitter in the finished cake. 
    • To avoid a lumpy batter, add the dry ingredients into the wet gradually, whisking with a fork (or mini whisk) in between. I had good results by adding in 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients first, whisking until most of the lumps are gone. Then I added the second tablespoon and whisked again. After that, I just added the rest of the dry ingredients and whisked until everything was evenly combined. You may still have one or two little lumps, but that's ok.
    • If the bottom of your mug is narrow, tilt the mug a little to the side when mixing. This will give you more space to maneuver the fork or mini whisk around so it's easier to mix.

    Recipe FAQs

    What kind of mug should I use?

    You will need a microwave-safe mug that holds at least 12 ounces (355 ml). This will ensure there is enough space for the cake to expand without overflowing!

    If you're curious, the exact mug I'm using here is the 13 ounce Gladelig mug from Ikea.

    What if I don't have all of the spices? Can I make substitutions?

    Yes, you can make a couple spice swaps if you don't have or don't like some of the spices in the cake. To recap, this recipe calls for ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If you don't have all of these spices, here's what you can do:

    - If you don't have ground ginger or cinnamon: try pumpkin pie spice instead! I would avoid just doubling up on the cinnamon or ginger though, because it may overwhelm the cake, resulting in a bitter aftertaste.

    - If you don't have nutmeg: this recipe only calls for a pinch of nutmeg, so you can just leave it out. Or, substitute a pinch of allspice or cloves.

    Alternatively, you can create your own spice blend with whatever warm holiday-type spices you have in your cabinet. This recipe calls for a total of ½ teaspoon (plus a pinch) of spices. So, throw together whatever warm spices you have to equal that amount. You can try cloves, allspice, mace, and pumpkin pie spice.

    How do I serve gingerbread mug cake?

    This mug cake tastes great on its own, but if you want to make it an even more indulgent experience, try the mug cake topped with powdered sugar and/or an extra dusting of cinnamon, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or festive sprinkles!

    gingerbread mug cake with scoop taken out and spoon with cake on it on the side

    Related recipes

    mocha mug cake with raspberries and spoon
    Mocha Mug Cake
    Oreo mug cake in white mug with black spoon
    Oreo Mug Cake
    snickerdoodle mug cake on white plate
    Snickerdoodle Mug Cake

    If you’ve tried this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or review in the comments section below, I would love to hear from you! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And sign up for my weekly newsletter to get recipes delivered straight to you!

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    Gingerbread Mug Cake

    Gingerbread mug cake FI
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    5 from 7 reviews

    An easy to make single serve holiday dessert that's delicious topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

    • Author: Kate
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 1 minute 15 seconds
    • Total Time: 6 minutes
    • Yield: 1 serving 1x
    • Category: dessert
    • Method: microwave
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 2 teaspoons molasses
    • 2 tablespoons (23 g) granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup (59 ml) milk
    • 5 tablespoons (57 g) all-purpose flour
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • pinch nutmeg
    • pinch salt

    Instructions

    1. Place butter in a microwave-safe mug and microwave 30 seconds on high or until melted.
    2. Add molasses, milk, and sugar to the melted butter and whisk together with a fork or small whisk until evenly combined.
    3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the mug gradually, whisking in between each addition, until smooth.
    4. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 15 seconds. If the top of the mug cake is still wet, microwave in 10 second bursts until the top of the cake is just set.

    Notes

    If you would like to substitute salted butter for the unsalted butter, omit the pinch of salt from the recipe.

    Be sure to use a microwave-safe mug that holds at least 12 ounces (355 ml) to make sure the batter doesn't overflow while it cooks. You can also place the mug onto a microwave-safe plate to catch any potential drips. 

    If you want to unmold the mug cake after it's cooked, swirl the melted butter around the sides of the mug before adding the other ingredients. This will help it from sticking as much!

    If your baking powder is pebbly, break it apart with your fingers or a fork before adding to the other ingredients. Any unmixed chunks of baking powder will taste bitter in the finished cake. 

    The nutrition information below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 mug cake
    • Calories: 407
    • Sugar: 35.4 g
    • Sodium: 196 mg
    • Fat: 12.8 g
    • Saturated Fat: 7.9 g
    • Carbohydrates: 69.3 g
    • Fiber: 1.5 g
    • Protein: 7.1 g
    • Cholesterol: 35 mg

    Keywords: gingerbread mug cake

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. roze albina ches

      September 17, 2020 at 8:35 pm

      Oh my gosh. I was in the mood for something gingery. I found this recipe and believe me, it is fabulous! This is a keeper and I think it will do the double and triple next time so I can have extra. Wow. This is amazing. Best ginger cake recipe ever! Thank you for this one!






      Reply
      • Kate

        September 18, 2020 at 12:29 pm

        Roze I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed this recipe, you made my day 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!

        Reply
    2. Emily

      October 16, 2020 at 9:59 pm

      Best mug cake I’ve ever made, and I’ve made quite a few! Such a moist, fine crumb!






      Reply
      • Kate

        October 18, 2020 at 8:23 pm

        I'm so happy that you enjoyed the mug cake Emily! That makes my day 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Naomi

      November 15, 2020 at 10:31 am

      I made this today and can attest that it is lovely. Delicious






      Reply
      • Kate

        November 15, 2020 at 12:39 pm

        Naomi thank you so much for sharing, I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the mug cake! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kathy

      January 12, 2021 at 9:00 pm

      Super easy, moist, and tasty. Perfect for a cold Winter's night. I added just under a quarter cup of raisins. That was fun.






      Reply
      • Kate

        January 13, 2021 at 12:30 pm

        Oooo raisins! That sounds like a great addition Kathy, thanks for sharing! I'll have to try it that way next time!

        Reply
    5. Penny

      March 07, 2021 at 9:06 pm

      delicious...I like cake to be moist and this is perfect.






      Reply
      • Kate

        March 08, 2021 at 10:09 am

        Thank you for sharing Penny I'm so glad you enjoyed the mug cake!

        Reply
    6. Ayne

      March 15, 2021 at 9:25 pm

      I just made my first mug cake. This is amazing. I added a 1/4 cup of diced crystallized ginger to oomph up the ginger impact. Thank you for the recipe,

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 16, 2021 at 12:43 pm

        Ooo that crystallized ginger in there sounds like it would be so tasty! I'm really glad you enjoyed the recipe Ayne!

        Reply
    7. Annie

      June 02, 2021 at 4:06 am

      Best mug cake recipe I've made. I had to make some subs as I am vegan. Almond milk and coconut oil instead of butter, also used golden syrup as I don't have molasses.






      Reply
      • Kate

        June 02, 2021 at 2:02 pm

        Yay I'm so happy you enjoyed it Annie! And thank you for sharing the modifications you used, I'm sure other vegan readers will be interested to try your version! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Urmom

      June 15, 2021 at 7:02 pm

      Delicious and good for snack time.






      Reply
      • Kate

        June 16, 2021 at 10:05 am

        I'm so happy you enjoyed it Urmom, thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    9. DIANE A PERKINS

      November 16, 2021 at 12:51 pm

      This sounds very interesting, will def try. was curious if you have done this with other flavors as well. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
    10. DIANE A PERKINS

      November 16, 2021 at 12:53 pm

      Silly me, just saw that you have other recipes of this kind, very excited to try

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 17, 2021 at 9:42 am

        Hi Diane! I'm happy you like the recipe, if you end up trying it please let me know how it turns out for you! And yes I have a lot of other mug cake recipes, some of my favorites are mocha mug cake (with a gooey mocha sauce at the bottom!) and apple cinnamon mug cake. Have a great day!

        Reply
    11. Tara

      November 09, 2022 at 8:18 pm

      If I wanted to make this into a dry mix for gifting do you think I could just use brown sugar?

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 10, 2022 at 9:07 am

        Hi Tara! Making this into a dry mix for a gift is such a cool idea! I haven't made the mug cake with brown sugar instead of molasses, but I did some research and it looks like you can replace molasses with a slightly lesser amount of brown sugar. So perhaps you could try using 1 1/2 teaspoon packed brown sugar instead of the 2 teaspoons molasses and see. To be sure you could always mix up one of the mug cakes yourself that way as a test (and then you get a bonus dessert for yourself!). If you try it please let me know how it turns out 🙂

        Reply
        • Tara

          November 10, 2022 at 9:28 am

          Thank you very much for the reply and doing some research! We have a snow day here today. I have everything on hand so I’ll have to try it and let you know!

          Reply
          • Kate

            November 10, 2022 at 2:46 pm

            A snow day how nice! (I love a good snow day, perfect time for a cozy dessert!).

            Reply

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    Hi there, I'm Kate! I create quick and easy recipes for people who like to cook but are short on time and energy (like me!). I love comfort food, family recipes, and anything with cheese.

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