This easy, single-serving birthday cake cooks in the microwave and is ready in about five minutes. It only needs two pantry staples to make. The cake is light and fluffy and you can customize with other flavors.
There are a lot of spring birthdays coming up, including mine and my husband’s, which will be celebrated a little differently this year. We don’t plan on doing much celebrating but I don’t want to be without cake.
This got me thinking about a quick and easy birthday mug cake. You can easily make one or a few of these.
Many people are having difficulty finding flour and eggs. So I created this mug cake using cake mix and sparkling water.
Ingredients
- Cake Mix
- Sparkling Water
For the cake mix, I used funfetti because that always reminds me of birthdays. But any flavor cake mix will work. Funfetti is definitely festive but it is also very sweet, especially in this more concentrated dose, so if you want something less sweet, I would choose a different cake mix flavor.
The sparkling water can also be replaced with a neutral flavored soda like Sprite. You just need something that is carbonated, which is key to the cake rising.
Cake Texture
This cake comes out very light and fluffy. However, since there is no egg, the crumb is a bit looser. It won’t stand on its own and is best consumed inside the mug.
If you like chocolate flavored cake, I also have a 3 ingredient chocolate cake mix mug cake that is made with applesauce and water and comes out super fudgy.
2 Ingredient Birthday Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp boxed cake mix
- 2½ tbsp sparkling water
Instructions
- Add ingredients into a microwave-safe mug that can hold at least 8 oz of liquid. Whisk vigorously with a small whisk until batter is smooth and no cake mix lumps remain.
- Cook in the microwave at full power for about 1 minute and 10 seconds or until cake is cooked. Let cake cool a few minutes before decorating and eating.
Notes
- You can make this with any flavored cake mix. I chose funfetti because of how festive it is. Funfetti is very sweet though and this cake is a little more concentrated than when baked the traditional way so if you want something less sweet, I recommend choosing a different flavor.
- Sparkling water can be substituted with a carbonated neutral-flavored soda. The key to the cake rising is the carbonation so make sure your drink is carbonated. If you use soda, it will make your cake sweeter and it is already quite sweet which is why I chose sparkling water.
- The cake will rise about 2/3 in an 8 oz mug. It is about the size of an unfrosted cupcake.
- I tested this in 1000 watt and 1100 watt microwaves. If you have a microwave with significantly lower or higher wattage, you may need to adjust cooking time or power.
- The cake crumb is looser than traditional cake. It is best eaten in the mug.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Simple and quick to make and eat while it was warm even without any toppings.
Excellent recipe for single person so you can have a fresh piece of
cake as often as you wish.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely AMAZING!!
I’m so glad you liked it!
you should make a boston cream mug cake! i haven’t been able to find any.