Can You Use Boxed Cake Mix For A Mug Cake?

A delicious cake makes a wonderful dessert when shared with friends and dear ones. With that said, the saying still goes about having too much of a good thing. When you don't want to make an entire cake that can serve several, finding an easy way to enjoy an individual serving on the fly can seem like a dream. Using a mug intended for microwave cooking and heating, you can easily prepare your favorite mug cake in minutes. What's more, you can actually use any of the absolute best packaged cake mixes to effectively streamline your sweet treat. 

Making a mug cake from a box mix works well as the mixes contain all the proper leavening agents and ingredients you need. All you need is your preferred boxed cake mix, water, and oil if you choose to include it. From there, it's simply a matter of balancing ratios and maintaining accurate measurements.

Start with five to six tablespoons of cake mix and combine it with four tablespoons of water. If you wish, you can also add a couple teaspoons of a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or coconut for added sweetness and fat content. There are also a number of alternative ingredients swaps you can make for added nutrition.

The benefit of using a boxed mix for your mug cake is the ease of preparation and nearly unlimited possibilities in terms of flavor and additional ingredients. For example, if you'd prefer not to use oil, simply adjust your ratio of cake mix to water. You can also add pumpkin puree or applesauce to the cake mix and water for added moisture and fruit or vegetable nutrients.

It's worth keeping in mind that the mug you use must be microwave-safe and large enough to accommodate your batter mixture to prevent your mug cake from overflowing. Further, you should take care to level each spoonful of boxed cake mix to ensure proper proportions of all the ingredients. When mixing the batter, make sure everything is thoroughly homogenized before popping your mug into the microwave.

The cook time for a microwave mug cake should take no more than a minute, and you can tell your mug cake is ready to eat as long as the center isn't wet and it springs back to the touch. You should also exercise caution when retrieving the mug as it will be especially hot. Whether you prefer to dress your freshly baked cake with frosting, sprinkles, or ice cream or just indulge with a spoon or fork, remember that this is your individual serving — treat yourself and enjoy your dessert any way you wish.