Get festive with this fun and healthy birthday mug cake. With sprinkles and sweet vanilla cake, it’s surprisingly gluten-free and high-protein too. A treat for any day of the year, not just birthdays! This birthday cake mug cake would also make a fun smash cake for a 1st birthday!
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Birthday Cake Mug Cake
Whether it’s your birthday or your un-birthday, you will love this birthday mug cake.
“There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know.”
The Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
With fluffy vanilla cake and fun rainbow sprinkles, it brings me back to the time when we were kids and birthdays were a huge, exciting deal.
(Some of us never left that place of birthday love!)
If you love vanilla cake, this vanilla mug cake has a creamy easy vanilla frosting – no mixer required! I like to make extra frosting and eat it by the spoonful. 😊
For another holiday-related recipe, try this fun Halloween eyeball mug cake!
Healthy Birthday Mug Cake Ingredients
almond flour (I like this almond flour for baking)
coconut oil (or butter)
granulated sugar (or monk fruit or granulated stevia)
vanilla extract (this pure vanilla extract is a great price)
sprinkles
an egg
baking powder
I love using natural sprinkles in this mug cake recipe. You can use whatever sprinkles you like, but if you’re looking for natural colored sprinkles, they have come a LONG way in the last few years.
You used to only be able to find really pale anemic-looking natural sprinkles, but now there are some super cute ones with deeper (natural) colors!
My favorite natural sprinkles for birthday cakes: these naturally colored sprinkles on Amazon. That shop also has a rainbow pancake mix, and bright pink and blue frosting kits, all naturally-dyed.
Also, whatever your favorite microwave-safe mug is. These are my 25 favorite mugs on Amazon – and all are under $25 too!
Tips for Making the Best Birthday Mug Cake
Here are my best tips for the yummiest single serving birthday cake:
For the cooking time – this can vary with different microwaves and also with different mug sizes.
It took my microwave 60 seconds to cook perfectly. The first time you make this birthday cake, watch your microwave.
Test doneness, and if it needs a bit more time, add on 15 seconds at a time until it’s fully cooked. The next time you make it, you’ll know exactly how long it takes in your microwave!
For sugar amounts, you can use between 1 and 2 tablespoons of whatever your favorite sugar is.
Regular white sugar, coconut sugar, monk fruit, erythritol.
My little 8-year-old taste tester and I all loved this mug cake with 1 tablespoon of sugar – we found it plenty sweet enough.
You know best just how sweet your sweet tooth is. Some people might prefer 2 tablespoons, so try either!
Birthday Cake in a Mug Variations
A few quick notes for common mug cake ingredient substitutions I get asked about.
You can substitute regular flour for almond flour if that’s what you have, or if you need a nut-free birthday cake. It won’t be a gluten-free birthday cake anymore but it will still be delicious. Just watch the microwave as it might take a bit more time to cook.
Keto Birthday Mug Cake
To keep this mug cake recipe keto, use monk fruit or granulated stevia for the sweetener. If it doesn’t need to be keto for you, use any granulated sugar you like!
I haven’t been able to find keto sprinkles, but unless you’re making it pour sprinkles on your mug cake, it should still be overall low carb.
Vegan Birthday Mug Cake
For a birthday mug cake with no egg and no dairy, use this funfetti mug cake recipe.
Gluten-Free Birthday Mug Cake
Made with almond flour, this birthday cake mug cake is naturally gluten-free.
Almond flour is my favorite gluten-free flour to use. It’s high protein and gives a natural sweetness and depth of flavor to any recipe you use it in.
For more gluten-free recipes, go here.
Let’s make this festive mug cake!
Birthday Mug Cake
With vanilla cake and sprinkles, this birthday mug cake is a fun treat if you're craving something festive. It's gluten-free, high protein, and kid-approved too. It also makes a fun single serving smash cake for a 1st birthday!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp almond flour
- 1 tbsp melted butter (or coconut oil)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (or 1 tbsp monk fruit or ½ tbsp granulated stevia)
- 1 tbsp sprinkles
- 1 egg (free range)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt butter or coconut oil right into your mug or use a small bowl.
- Add the egg, sugar, vanilla extract and baking powder and stir.
- Add almond flour and stir to break any clumps.
- Stir in the sprinkles.
- Microwave for 60 seconds on high, then check it.
- The mug cake should be cooked but not overcooked as it could end up not being soft enough.
- If it is too wet, cook it for another 30 seconds.
- Enjoy!
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