The New Twist on a Mug Cake That We Can't Wait to Try

Sometimes, I want cake, but I don’t want to commit to baking a whole one. Enter the mug cake: the perfect solution for a quick, single-serving dessert that doesn’t require dragging out the mixer or heating up the oven. It’s cake, but in a cup, ready in just a couple of minutes.

All you need are a few basic ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, oil and whatever flavors you’re craving. Mix it up right in the mug, pop it in the microwave, and in about 60 seconds, you have a warm, fluffy cake.

You can make endless variations—chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, Nutella or even a funfetti mug cake for when you’re feeling festive. Top it with whipped cream, ice cream or a drizzle of caramel, and you have a dessert that feels indulgent without a ton of work.

But what if cakes were only the beginning of the mug desserts you could whip up in the microwave? Baker and content creator Stefani Pollack (@cupcakeproject) shared a recipe for a microwave mug flan that immediately got my attention. Read on for all you need to know.

Related: The 90-Second Mug Cake Inspired by the Famous Depression-Era Dessert

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How to Make the Viral 10-Minute Microwave Flan

Flan is a creamy baked custard with a smooth, silky texture and a rich caramel topping that's popular in Latin America and Spain. It’s made with eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla, then baked in a water bath to achieve its signature consistency. Once chilled, it’s flipped out of its mold, allowing the caramel to drizzle over the top. Its rich yet delicate taste makes it a favorite comfort dessert, perfect for special occasions or just a sweet treat any time!

It's also not the easiest dessert to make—until now.

Stefani showed Mario, her Argentinian friend, making this dessert, which she says goes viral every time it's shared—and we can see why!

First, to make the caramel you put some sugar in microwave-safe mugs and add a splash of water. Microwave the cups for two minutes. Next, whisk eggs, milk, more sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl until creamy. (You can get the exact measurements on Stefani's TikTok page.)

Remove the mug from the microwave and swirl it around to coat the inside of the cup. Scoop some of the egg mixture into each cup and microwave for another five minutes, making sure it doesn't overflow. After the five minutes is up, a knife should go into the middle of the flan and come out clean.

Put the cups in an ice bath to cool the glass. This should take about five minutes. Then, put them in the freezer to set, or about another 20 minutes.

Once the mug flan is set, flip the cups over onto a plate, so the caramel layer is on top. Remove the cups and you have a microwave flan that takes a lot less time and effort to make than the classic dessert.

You can top this flan with some fresh berries, or leave it as is. While it isn't as fast and easy to make as a regular mug cake, the fact that you can make something as delicate as a flan in a microwave is amazing and we can see why this is so popular!

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