A Doughnut…in a Mug!

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I need something sweet. NEED it. In a perfect world, I would always have doughnuts on hand, because, well, they are my favorite. It’s probably a good thing that they aren’t readily available to me, because my waistline would be in serious trouble if I had an endless supply. But, there is a time and place to indulge, and the other day I gave myself permission to do just that. It had been a particularly long day at work – I was up the night before with a hungry baby, battled a terrible stop-and-go morning commute, and had an afternoon full of meetings. I didn’t feel like making a fancy meal when I got home, so we made something quick and easy. After dinner, I still wanted something sweet for dessert, but didn’t want to go through the trouble of making a cake or cookies. I just wanted a doughnut! Thankfully, we had just finished developing recipes for mug cakes here in the Test Kitchens.

What’s a mug cake, you ask? Well, let’s put it this way- have you ever been in the same situation as I was? Wanting something sweet, but had no need to make a whole cake? That’s where mug cakes come in! They are single-serve cakes that bake in the microwave in a matter of minutes. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not. Although we have a few varieties to choose from, of course I chose the Doughnut Mug Cake. Let me show you how simple it is to make – you only need a few ingredients.

First, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. (Make sure to use a mug that holds at least 12 ounces – you don’t want the cake to overflow.)

Now, just add all the remaining ingredients to the melted butter. Seriously, it’s as easy as that!

Stir it all together.

Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds, or until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the mug and the top looks dry.

Be careful not to overcook the cake. You’ll have to experiment with the timing – it all depends on the wattage of the microwave you are using – if the wattage is higher, your cake will probably be done on the lower end of the time range, and vice versa.

Now, let the mug cake cool slightly. While it’s cooling, melt an additional teaspoon of butter, and drizzle it over the top of the cake.

Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

And voila, your very own doughnut mug cake.

Check out our mug cake collection, and next time you’re desperate for something sweet, try out one of our recipes – they’re sure to satisfy your sweet tooth in five minutes or less.