This pumpkin mug cake is absolutely perfect for the times when cravings hit but you don’t want to commit to baking a giant cake!
I took a day off work today to hang out with my girl for the last day of a half-term break. Did you know that British kids have breaks from school every 6 weeks? Bliss for happy kidlets, nightmare for working parents.
Anyway, I was hoping to spend some quality time with her but ended up doing a whole bunch of work from home. Sigh.
One of those days I will master that work-life balance but right now I am leaning heavily on the work side of things. Help!! Any great tips you would like to share?
Anyway, my only claim to fame is I made her this Spiced Pumpkin Molten Mug Cake. I wanted to spoil her a bit and had intentions to bake these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes or these Toffee Honeycomb Pumpkin Muffins.
I was realistic enough about not having enough time to bake this Spiced Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake with Maple Cinnamon Mascarpone Cream.
I might be too late to the mug cake party but they are new to me, so I thought why not try and share with you, friends.
Why mug cakes are great
I had leftover canned pumpkin in the fridge that needed to be used pronto. The beauty of a mug cake is in its streamlined, uncomplicated process .
You could be stuffing your face with cake 3 minutes after you thought you wanted one. It is however not that bad for you because this pumpkin mug cake comes with a built-in portion control!
The pumpkin mug cake takes 2 minutes to mix and 1 minute to cook in a microwave. And that is why even being short on time I could still test the recipe a few times to perfect it.
The one you see is version 3. There is one more after that but it was definitely a step backwards although Mitchell didn’t know it and happily gobbled it up when he got home from school.
How do you make a mug cake that tastes like cake?
There are two types of mug cakes out there.
The ones with an egg and the ones without. I tried both and I can vouch for the recipe without an egg.
Adding an egg makes the cake tastes like pumpkin pie flavoured, stodgy cooked eggs. Not at all what I was looking for. So no egg.
What you should include however, is a spoonful of Biscoff spread. If you are not too familiar with it, imagine delicious biscuits pulverized and blended with caramel.
Yup, that’s Biscoff spread. If you are not a fan, feel free to swap it out for Nutella or even Peanut Butter.
What you will end up with is a sweet and spiced pumpkin cake with a gooey middle. I also topped mine with a Bourbon spiked whipped cream.
How do I whip a small amount of cream without a mixer?
To whip a tiny amount of cream to top your mug cake pour 1/2 cup of double/whipping cream with 1 tsp of icing sugar and any flavouring of your choice in a jam jar, pop a lid on a shake for a minute. Done!
I am not sure if I am delighted or disturbed that I discovered this shortcut to happiness. Mug cake path is a dangerous one! Only indulge in case of emergency!!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp mixed spice or pumpkin spice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp canned pumpkin/cooked pureed pumpkin
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp Biscoff spread
- whipping cream or cool whip optional
Instructions
- Mix all dry ingredients in a microwavable medium sized mug with a fork.
- Add pumpkin, oil and milk and mix till well combined.
- Drop a tablespoon of Biscoff spread right in the middle.
- Microwave on high for 70 seconds.
- Top with a dollop of whipped cream.
Leslie Little says
October 11, 2018 at 12:02 pmJulia! Just had this for breakfast! Another winner! I’ve never heard of or seen Biscoff Spread so made it with Nutella as you suggested. Neither have I ever made a mug cake. What fun! My girls are all grown up now but I think mug cakes would be a fun thing to teach young girls. INSTANT (almost) deliciousness!
vikalinka says
October 11, 2018 at 12:05 pmI am so happy you feel that way, Leslie! I thought the same. A mug cake can never replace the real thing but it’s fun to make once in a while!
Nickki says
October 6, 2018 at 4:30 pmOh my goodness…this looks so delicious I think Iām going to have to make this tonight! Love the idea of adding Biscoff! I will report back š
vikalinka says
October 6, 2018 at 4:34 pmPlease do, Nickki!! I would love to know how it turned out as microwaves vary so much.
Alan Steinberg says
October 6, 2018 at 12:18 pmCould a mug cake be made with apple slices?
vikalinka says
October 6, 2018 at 12:55 pmApple slices probably won’t be cooked all the way through but you can try if you don’t mind crunchy apples, Alan. In any case, it’s a low investment of time and resources.
Louise | Cygnet Kitchen says
November 17, 2015 at 4:43 pmMug cakes! I have been seriously missing out!! I am almost glad that our microwave has broken, I would be making these all the time and definitely a few pounds heavier… x
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
November 5, 2015 at 9:38 pmWhat a heavenly mug cake! I love that surprise of Biscoff in the middle, too. Divine! š
Hannah Hossack-Lodge says
November 4, 2015 at 12:58 pmI have resorted to mug cakes a few times in the past when I’ve needed emergency cake, I’ve never put Biscoff in one before though, that’s just a dangerous combination! I think I would end up eating nothing but mug cakes…
Alona says
November 4, 2015 at 2:26 amLove your website.
vikalinka says
November 4, 2015 at 6:59 amThank you so much, Alona!
Oana says
November 3, 2015 at 5:25 pmThis looks so moist and gooey. I’m gonna try this with some Nutella – Biscoff spread seems to be impossible to find in Romania yet. Thanks for sharing!
Lucy Parissi says
November 3, 2015 at 10:21 amPumpkin + Biscoff spread? We are basically the same person! This looks amazing and I have all the ingredients (fancy that) so I may break glass in case of dessert emergency!
Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect says
November 3, 2015 at 10:07 amMug cakes are deadly Julia! I’ve made a few in my time and it’s scary how much calorific damage you can do in such a short space of time.