Red Velvet Mug Cake

Name: Red Velvet Mug Cake
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 3 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons milk; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar; 1/8 teaspoon red gel food color (do not use liquid color); 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon cocoa powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; 1 pinch salt; 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt; 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar

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Red velvet mug cake is ready in under 5 minutes! Incredibly soft, light, fluffy, tender, moist cake that pairs wonderfully with sweetened greek yogurt or cream cheese frosting. It is the perfect single serving dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth.

a spoonful of red velvet cake above a white mug.

If you are looking for a perfect dessert to try this Valentine's day then this recipe is for you. It’s one of our go-to treats when we are craving something sweet but don’t want to go through the trouble of baking a layer cake like an eggless carrot cake.

Often referred as the queen of cakes, red velvet cake gets it's name from the signature crimson color, but also because of its velvety texture. The combination of cocoa powder, vinegar and buttermilk in the batter creates a unique texture thats unlike any other.

It is dramatic, layered with silky smooth, tangy and undeniably creamy cream cheese frosting. The texture is ultra soft with a velvety crumb that melts in your mouth and is always a crowd pleaser!

This mug cake recipe like this black forest mug cake captures those amazing flavors and textures into a single serving dessert that can be made in less than 5 minutes. It is perfect for a date night or any day of the week. Kids love it too!

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Why you'll love this recipe?
Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations
How to make?
How to serve?
Helpful tips
Recipe FAQs
More mug cakes to try:
Red Velvet Mug Cake

Why you'll love this recipe?

Quick and Easy - Made with a few simple pantry ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and it cooks in under 2 minutes. Can't get faster than that!
Single serve - Perfect when you are craving a late night sweet treat or date night.
Amazing texture - It has the same soft, light and velvety texture as the traditional dessert.
Eggless - Hello, light and tender cake! This recipe is made without eggs since they have a tendency to make microwave cakes have a bit of a rubbery texture.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - This recipe calls for just a teaspoon of cocoa powder which offers a hint of chocolate without making it super chocolatey like an almond flour chocolate cake. Make sure to use natural cocoa powder and not dutch-processed.
Oil - It makes the cake moist and tender. Use a neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil.
White vinegar - The secret to making a ultra moist, fluffy cake. It brings out the red tones in the cocoa powder and makes it tangy.
Red food coloring — Make sure to use gel food coloring and not liquid, which might affect the dry to liquid ratio.
Greek yogurt - It is thick, tangy and tastes similar to cream cheese. Use plain thick greek yogurt and not any flavored variety.

Substitutions & Variations

Out of white vinegar? Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Skip food color and let cocoa be the star. The reaction of the alkaline cocoa and acidic vinegar gives the finished cake a beautiful reddish-brown color on its own.
Try fresh beet juice instead of the food color.

How to make?

You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.

Select a microwave safe standard coffee mug. Add 3 tablespoons of cold or room temperature milk.
Pour in 3 tablespoons of any neutral tasting oil such as vegetable or canola oil.

a hand pouring vinegar into a glass mug.

a small spoon with red food color above a glass mug.

3. Add ½ teaspoon each of distilled white vinegar and vanilla extract.

4. Add about ⅛ teaspoon of red gel food coloring.

glass mug with combined wet ingredients.

glass mug with flour, sugar and cocoa powder.

5. Using a spoon, stir all the liquids well until the gel has dissolved completely.

6. Now add ¼ cup all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt.

two hands stirring cake batter with a spoon in a mug.

a glass mug with red velvet cake batter.

7. Stir well until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain.

8. Cook in microwave for one minute and 45-60 seconds (wider mug will need about 1 minute + 45 seconds whereas a narrow mug might need about 2 minutes).

a hand topping yogurt with an ice cream scoop on a mug cake.

9. Carefully remove the hot mug from microwave and let rest on the counter for 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Stir plain greek yogurt with some regular granulated sugar, until the sugar has dissolved. Add a generous scoop of yogurt on top of the warm cake and dig in!

How to serve?

Microwave cakes are piping hot as soon as they are done cooking. So, let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes on the kitchen counter before serving (I like to make sweetened yogurt in the mean time).

We like to keep it simple and top with some sweetened plain greek yogurt or with cream cheese frosting for the classic taste.

Tip: Serve hot! Microwave cakes have a tendency to get a little dry if kept for too long.

Helpful tips

Use white distilled vinegar and not other any other type.
Stir the batter until smooth and no lumps remain.
Use only gel red food coloring and not liquid.
The mug will be very hot after cooking in the microwave. Allow it to sit for at least two minutes before touching or eating.

Recipe FAQs

What is the actual flavor of red velvet cake?

It's basically a vanilla cake with a bit of cocoa powder and red food coloring added to it. It does not have enough cocoa to make it taste chocolatey. Buttermilk and vinegar add a hint of tanginess which pairs amazing with the cream cheese frosting.

Does the cake taste the same without food coloring?

Yes it will be just as delicious. If you are concerned about dye, then add a few drops of fresh beet juice or simply omit in the recipe.

Is red velvet just a chocolate cake?

Though both have cocoa powder as a key ingredient, red velvet contains a very small portion of cocoa powder when compared to chocolate variety.

More mug cakes to try:

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