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This coffee mug cake makes the perfect single serving treat that takes less than a minute to make. It’s fluffy, moist, and topped with an easy streusel.
I’m all about healthy single-serving desserts, especially if they are quick and easy. Mug cakes are one of my favorites, like a protein mug cake, almond flour mug cake, and keto mug cake.
After sampling the delicious classic coffee cake from Starbucks, I wanted to recreate it and give it a single-serving treatment.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this coffee mug cake recipe
- Perfect texture. Fluffy on the inside, tender on the outside, and topped with a delicious streusel topping. It tastes of cinnamon and vanilla and was instantly one of my favorites!
- Healthier. It’s made with grain-free flours and uses just a little maple syrup to sweeten it.
- Quick and easy. This one takes seconds to prep and just a minute in the microwave to cook.
- Single serving dessert. This is the kind of dessert you make when you crave coffee cake but don’t want to put in the effort to make a full recipe!
Ingredients needed
for the mug cake
- Almond flour– Blanched almond flour is best, not almond meal. The blanched variety yields a fluffier and lighter cake.
- Coconut flour– Gives the mug cake the cakey texture, and with no coconut flavor.
- Baking powder– Gives the mug cake some rise and fluffiness.
- Maple syrup– Adds sweetness while also keeping the middle of the cake moist and fluffy. Honey or agave nectar work.
- Cinnamon– A must for the traditional coffee cake flavor!
- Egg– Room temperature eggs.
- Milk of choice– Any milk can be used. I used unsweetened almond milk.
For the Streusel topping
- Almond flour– Again, try to use blanched almond flour.
- Sweetener of choice– I like brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Almond butter– Gives a buttery crumble topping, minus the butter or oil. Peanut butter or cashew butter also work.
- Cinnamon– Adds cinnamon flavor.
- Milk– To mix everything together to make the crumble.
- Powdered sugar– Optional, but if you like a glaze.
How do you make a coffee mug cake?
- Prep. Lightly grease a small, microwave-safe bowl or ramekin.
- Make the batter. In a small bowl, add your dry ingredients and stir well. Add your wet ingredients, and mix until a smooth batter remains. If the batter is too thick, add extra milk.
- Make the streusel. In a small bowl, add your streusel ingredients and mix until combined.
- Microwave the mug cake. Transfer the cake batter into a mug and spoon the streusel topping over it and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until cooked. Allow cooling for 1-2 minutes before enjoying!
Tips to make the best coffee cake mug cake
- Microwaves differ based on make and model. Start with microwaving it at one minute, and if it is not cooked, continue microwaving it in 20-second spurts until it is done.
- Use a microwave-safe cereal bowl or shallow container instead of a mug. This will ensure the cake is fully cooked through.
- Do not omit the coconut flour or try to substitute it. It is key to include it to ensure the mug cake is fluffy and tender on the outside.
- As all coconut flour brands differ, you may need more than half a cup of milk (the suggested amount). Continue adding more milk to the batter until it is smooth and thick.
- To reduce the fat and calories, you can use an egg white instead of a whole egg.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Mixing bowl. To make the coffee mug cake batter.
- Spatula. To evenly mix everything together.
- Microwave-safe mug. My go-to mug that microwaves everything perfectly!
More mug cake recipes
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no coffee in this recipe?
Coffee cakes, including coffee mug cakes, are designed to be enjoyed with coffee. There is no espresso or coffee in the actual cake batter.
Can I make this in the oven?
The quickest option is to make the coffee cake in the microwave. However, not everyone has a microwave, so this mug cake can be made in the oven.
Simply replace the microwave-safe bowl with an oven-safe ramekin or similar. Bake at 180C/350F for 10-12 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Coffee Mug Cake
This coffee mug cake makes the perfect single serving treat that takes less than a minute to make. It's fluffy, moist, and topped with an easy streusel.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup adjust to desired sweetness
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk * See notes
For the optional streusel topping
- 1 tablespoon almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon almond butter can sub for any nut or seed butter
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the maple syrup, vanilla extract, milk, and egg and whisk lightly. Add the mixture to the dry mixture and mix until just combined.
- Prepare the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine the almond flour with the cinnamon and sugar and mix well. Add the almond butter and mix well until a thick, crumbly mixture is produced. Add a dash of milk if desired.
- Grease a microwave-safe bowl or ramekin and pour the batter in it. Top with streusel and microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a large ramekin and set aside.
- Follow directions as above and once ready, bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
* Start with 2 tablespoons of milk then adjust accordingly. If the batter is too thick, add more.
Coffee mug cake should be eaten fresh and enjoyed warm. Do not refrigerate or freeze for later.
Nutrition
Serving: 1mug cakeCalories: 188kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 9gFat: 10gSodium: 345mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 273IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 214mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 9g
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!
Ahhh! I just stumbled upon your site randomly and it’s so awesome. I’ve honestly been drooling over your recipes for about 10 minutes now. Keep up the good work dude! 🙂
YES! 😀 Thanks so much, Katerina!
Oh this looks sooo good Arman! I love any cake that I can make in one minute lol
You and me both 🙂
I’ll skip the coffee and just take one of these coffee cakes. How about trading it for a slice of my mum’s homemade eggnog cake ;)?
mmm that sounds delicious!
If I could get away with it, I would probably just eat streusel topping on it’s own and scrap whatever was under it. Love.that.stuff. And I’ll have my coffee cake with coffee… duh.
Seriously, struessel topping = LIFE
So, we actually can use an egg white instead of the whole egg! I love that! I wonder if I could do that for all your mugcake recipes, could I?
You could try!
This looks like a great college dorm dessert/snack! It looks even better than the real deal!
Thanks so much Cassie 🙂
Woah, man this looks SO GOOD. 🙂 It’s not breakfast time yet, but I may just have to make this for tomorrow’s breakfast. O_O And 1 minute in the microwave? You can’t beat that!
Please do, it’s delicious!
This sounds so good! I’ve actually never had the coffeecake from Starbucks but this looks even better than the one I’ve seen there!
Thanks Liz!
Wait, does coffee cake not have any coffee in it? Gah I must sounds so lame but coffee cake in the UK always has coffee in it! Not that this needs it, it sounds amazing and the idea of having the perfect cake to go with coffee sounds perfect!
Then again most Brits are obsessed with tea… And we do have tea cakes… That are more like English muffins than cake… We sure like to confuse people!
I was totally in the same boat- It’s designed to enjoy with coffee! 🙂
This looks amazing! I want to try it like now!!
Thanks Taylor!
No worries man, bring on the Starbucks (But wayyyyyy healthier and better) recipes!! All about it! 🙂
🙂 Thanks so much, Cailee!
Don’t fight it. Just embrace it and let the Starbucks fetish lull you!
Coffee with….. anything I guess. As long as coffee is involved I am all set 😉
You said it best!
I don’t think I have ever gotten a sweet treat at Starbucks, but I would be all over this coffee cake! No doubt your version is by far tastier
Thanks so much, Heather- I hope so 🙂
Well who needs Starbucks when we have your blog?!! 🙂 Lazy days do prevail sometimes though. But seriously, you are going to do me in with all this deliciousness! Wait, I forgot this is healthy…I’ll take two!
You said it- you CAN have two 😀
I am looking for an amazing pumpkin custard that is paleo.. (that I can eat instead of pumpkin pie) Do you have any recipes of this kind? I love your ideas, you are so creative. Thank you so much.
I have a pumpkin cookie dough which I love- It’s not custard like in terms of consistency, but is like pumpkin pie filling 🙂
Thanks to you Arman, I never have to spend $$ at Starbucks 🙂 I like my coffee best with a scone. I am addicted to them recently (as long as they have ‘chips’ in them, chocolate, cinnamon, white chocolate…) I like using ramikins for my microwaveable creations. Most of my mugs are too big for these cakes and they make the cake look like it’s for a baby
I use a large mug actually- Like the one linked. They are too small otherwise 🙂