2 Minute Pineapple Upside Down Mug Cake
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If you love Pineapple Upside-down Cake and have about 2 Minutes, give or take, you’ll adore this Pineapple Upside-down Mug Cake! It has ALL the flavor of the traditional cake but is ready in a flash, in a single serving. But fair warning: It’s so irresistible that you might find yourself making two!
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Mug Cake Tips
I’ve made my fair share of mug cakes and tried many recipes. Some are utterly delicious, and some are not quite right. Over time, we’ve been able to pinpoint tips to help make these single-serve desserts fantastic.
We Skip the Eggs
If you’ve tried any of our mug cakes, you will not find a single egg in them. While I know there are die-hard fans of using eggs in mug cakes, I honestly don’t like them. I find the texture dense and even custardy.
Leavening
If you’re wondering how the mug cakes rise if we are not using eggs, the secret is baking powder. And only a small amount. Too much will affect the texture. The one exception is the Banana Bread Mug Cake. I use a pinch of baking soda instead of baking powder in that recipe. After many, many tests, I found that to work best in that recipe.
Moisture
Moisture is key in a mug cake for that moist and rich texture we expect in cakes. Often this is a combination of milk and butter or oil.
Don’t Overfill the Mug
Be careful not to overfill the mug. Most of our mug cake recipes use 12-ounce microwavable mugs. You can test the size by filling it with water and then measuring the water. If you overfill the mug, the cake will explode in the microwave—and it’s messy! If you want to make a larger size, double the recipes and microwave in a medium microwave-safe bowl. And then you have… bowl cake!
Enjoy Immediately
Best tip: Enjoy the mug cake immediately. The texture is affected by letting it sit and cool; it begins to harden. That’s why I often suggest a creamed topping (like vanilla ice cream). It helps cool the cake quickly, and let’s be honest… it’s utterly and completely delicious!
Ingredients for Pineapple Upside Down Mug Cake
The ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a quick list of what you’ll need.
- Melted butter: I prefer salted butter for flavor, but use whatever you have on hand.
- Sugar: We’re using a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar. Brown sugar is a traditional ingredient in Pineapple Upside Down Cakes as it gives the pineapple layer a rich flavor. Granulated sugar is used in the mug cake batter.
- Pineapple slice: drained and patted dry.
- Maraschino cherry with its stem removed.
- Mug cake batter: all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla extract.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Mug Cake
You will also find step-by-step instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a quick overview.
- Add butter and brown sugar mug and microwave until melted.
- Place a pineapple slice and cherry in the bottom of the mug.
- Mix batter in a small bowl until smooth and pour over the pineapple.
- Microwave on high for 1 minute—90 seconds or until the top is just set. It’s perfect in my 1000-watt microwave at 1 minute and 10 seconds.
- Gently release the sides of the cake with a knife and carefully invert it onto a small plate. Or… just enjoy it in the mug!
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2 Minute Pineapple Upside Down Mug Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 pineapple slice drained and patted dry
- 1 maraschino cherry stemmed removed
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- dash salt
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a 12-ounce mug, add butter and brown sugar and microwave until the butter melts. Stir together.
- Place the pineapple slice in the bottom of the mug and top with a cherry.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth. I like to use a whisk. Pour the batter over the pineapple in the mug.
- Microwave on high for 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes (90 seconds). The timing of the mug cake will depend on the size of your mug and your microwave. Be careful not to over-microwave. The top will be just set. In my 1000-watt microwave, it is perfect at 1 minute and 10 seconds.
- Using a knife, gently release the sides of the mug cake and carefully invert the cake onto a small plate or enjoy it in the mug. Serve immediately as is or with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I gave the earlier 3 star rating and it won’t let me fix it so I’m just leaving a 5 star rating to try and adjust. The cake was delicious thank you. I just tried it as is pouring the batter over the pineapple and it worked great. I was unsure because I would have though the butter had to be mixed in
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I love this easy version. Thank you for letting us know how it worked for you.
I’m not understanding. Is the pineapple on the bottom with the butter? Are you pouring the butter sugar mixture into the flour or leaving it on the bottom of the mug??