Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake
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This Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake could not be easier to make! Light and fluffy with just eight simple ingredients. Every bite is filled with buttery cinnamon and sugar flavor making it the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet cravings.
Be sure to try some of my other cinnamon and sugar recipes like my Snickerdoodle Blondies and Snickerdoodle Latte! OR branch out with your mug cake flavors and try my easy lemon mug cake recipe!
Recipe Features
- Five Minute Dessert: This recipe, from start to finish, takes less than five minutes to whip up!
- Single Serve Treat: Cake for one? Yes, please! This is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth without making an entire cake.
- Family Favorite: We’ve made many mug cakes, but this one is by far our favorite!
This cake is INSANELY good. Cinnamon swirled through a buttery vanilla cake, topped with the most perfect glaze, and all made in minutes in the microwave! Easily one of our go-to quick sweet fixes, and for good reason. The texture of this cake is so light and fluffy, just like a cake baked in the oven. There’s also the added bonus of a swirl of cinnamon and brown sugar that melts in your mouth with every bite. SO. DANG. GOOD.
While this isn’t quite like a rise cinnamon roll with yeast, it’s even better and the perfect way to get your fix. In just minutes, with items you most likely already have in your pantry, you can have this cake ready to enjoy. If you have a sweet tooth, and love cinnamon, this recipe is for you.
Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose or self-rising flour will work best. If you opt for the later be sure to adjust the baking powder as needed.
- Sugar: Just a touch to give your cake that added sweet finish as well as a hefty dose of brown sugar for that classic cinnamon sugar swirl.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is an inexpensive way to add flavor to any dessert! This spice is used inside the cake as well as the topping.
- Baking Powder: Be sure to double check the expiration date. Leavening agents tend to sit in the pantry far too long and start to go bad. Pick up a fresh box if you aren’t sure how long you have had it open.
- Milk: Stick with 2% milk or higher. Low fat milk won’t give you quite the same texture.
- Butter: Ok, so technically you can substitute this for oil or applesauce. Will it work? Yes. Should you do it? In my opinion, no. Butter is key with cakes and gives you that perfectly fluffy and moist texture we’re looking for.
- Vanilla extract: Always opt for pure vanilla and not it’s imitation cousin. Imitation vanilla will leave a chemicals aftertaste.
Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake Recipe
- PREP: Mist the inside of your mug with baking spray to help keep the cake from sticking to the sides.
- DRY INGREDIENTS: Add the flour, sugar, and baking powder and cinnamon to the mug. Gently whisk with a fork until combined, roughly 10 seconds.
- MIX: Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir with the fork to fully incorporate, making sure to get the bottom of the cup.
- SPRINKLE: Mix 1 tablespoon of brown sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle directly on top of the batter. Use the tip of a sharp knife to gently swirl into the cake, not mixing fully.
- COOK: Microwave 45 seconds to 2 minutes, or until the cake has cooked fully.
Helpful Tools
- Mug: This recipe doesn’t need anything fancy, you can actually use almost any mug. But I really love this mug set (affiliate).
- Mini Whisk: Mixing the batter fully is key to a good cake. I love these mini whisks (affiliate). I also use them for hot chocolate, carnation, and even whipping eggs for scrambles.
- Baking Spray: You can use cooking spray, like avocado or Pam, but we prefer a baking spray (affiliate). They leave little to no flavor and let the cake flavor shine.
Helpful Recipe Tips
I get this question a lot and thought it might be a good one to answer! Mug cakes are individual serving sized cakes that are made entirely inside of a mug! In this case, it is cooked in the microwave making it a super speedy treat idea.
This mug cake should not be chewy. After cooking you should have a light cake that is just slightly denser than the real thing. IF your cake is chewy the result is most likely due to overcooking.
Each microwave will be different due to the different wattages. They range from 600 to 1200 which means your microwave could take a little longer or cook quicker. My microwave is 950 watts and it takes me 45 seconds to 1 minute to cook this cake.
This recipe will not require a large mug, however if you decide to double the recipe keep a close eye as it will rise over the top of your glass.
Swap the sprinkles for chocolate chips for a fun twist.
Serve topped with fresh berries and whipped cream (my favorite) for a quick treat.
This recipe is not oven safe. Please do not try to bake this recipe.
If your cake does not rise, be sure to check the expiration date of the baking powder and make sure it hasn’t passed.
Lower the amount of sugar from two tablespoons to one for a less sweet cake.
Substitute nut milk or soy milk for a dairy free mug cake.
You can also substitute the butter for a flavorless oil like coconut or avocado or applesauce.
For larger mugs, or for sharing, you can easily double this recipe.
More Must Try Mug Cake Recipes
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Easy Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1½ tablespoons butter (melted)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese (softened)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons milk
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mist the inside of your mug with baking spray to help keep the cake from sticking to the sides.
- Add the flour, sugar, and baking powder and cinnamon to the mug. Gently whisk with a fork until combined, roughly 10 seconds.
- Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir with the fork to fully incorporate, making sure to get the bottom of the cup.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of brown sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle directly on top of the batter. Use the tip of a sharp knife to gently swirl into the cake, not mixing fully.
- Microwave 45 seconds to 2 minutes, or until the cake has cooked fully.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Stir until well mixed and somewhat smooth.
- Pour in the milk and vanilla extract. Stir all ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
- If the cream cheese is still a bit lumpy, microwave the mixture for about 10 seconds and then stir again. This will help achieve a smoother texture.
- Drizzle the glaze over your freshly made cinnamon roll mug cake while both are still warm, allowing the glaze to melt slightly into the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Delicious and smooth. After trying a lot of different mug cakes, this is finally one that turned out good.
I’m so glad to hear that this cinnamon roll mug cake was a hit, K! It’s always great when you find a recipe that really works, isn’t it? Thanks for sticking with it and giving this one a try. If you have any more mug cake adventures, keep us posted!
Excellent! Just what I needed on this cold winter day❤️
Hi. I would like to bring this to family reunion at a cottage this fall. Is there a way to make large quantities and have individuals scoop out the amount needed when they want to have one? I am happy to make ahead all the step one and two ingredients and put them in a container and do the same with the glaze. What I hope I could tell them is scoop xx amount from one and xx amount from the other. If this is not possible I think I will have to go with some kind of cinnamon roll cake. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Karin, Are you wondering if you can pre- measure a certain amount of each individual ingredient for them to mix and microwave themselves? If so, how many people are you hoping to serve?
Thanks for your reply. Yes I would like to make most of it ahead so individuals could make their own whenever they want it. I think a recipe for twelve would be appropriate.
Just to be clear I want to do as much ahead as I can so perhaps they are just missing wet and dry ingredients. Is that possible ?
I was wanting a cinnamon roll for breakfast so I googled mug cakes. I hit your recipe and decided that I would give a try. I tripled it and put in a silicone pan I had. In 3 minutes, I had a cinnamon roll cake. I had whoopie filling leftover so I used that as the glaze. So moist, fluffy and delicious. We are camping soon and I will make this for a morning coffee break
Ok, this just became the best comment. I can’t wait to test this!
This was delicious and I definitely will be making this again. I love cinnamon rolls and this mug cake hit those flavor notes. That cream cheese glaze is divine!
Question – how do you make “the most perfect glaze” that is mentioned at the beginning of this article?
Added to the recipe card.
Thank you for your help, Jessica. Can’t wait to try it
I hope you love it as much as we do, Gayle.
After making a mug cake before and being so dissatisfied with the taste. I can say that this one has saved my opinion of mug cakes. Delicious! I added a bit of ice cream, choc flakes on top and it was so yummy! 😍
yummy yummy yummy!!!! the texture is lovely and it’s not too sweet 😋😋😋😋
I love to hear that, Tonia! This is one of my favorite mug cakes. I’m glad you enjoy it
First time leaving a comment on a recipe. But I just have to say, me and my partner make lots of mug cakes, and this one has the best texture out of the probably 30+ recipes we’ve tried. It is tender, soft, fluffy, and not rubbery or mushy the way a lot of mug cakes are. thanks!
Hi Julie, this comment literally made my day. I work really hard on these recipes and it is so exciting when someone loves them as much as me!
did you use unsalted or salted butter?
Hi Jessica, I like to use salted butter but unsalted will work as well. If you use unsalted I recommend a pinch of salt in the dry ingredients.
bummer! whatever happened to the quantities?
Hello, the quantities are listed in the recipe card just above the comments.
Very good !!!
A great tasting cinnamon mug cake.
I will definitely make again.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!