How to Make Cupcakes in the Microwave

How to Make Quick and Easy Cupcakes in the Microwave

Whether you're short on time or short on patience, learn how to make cupcakes in the microwave by following the simple steps.

Making cupcakes in the microwave should be everyone's dirty little secret. Imagine that you have a surprise visitor — or worse, maybe a surprise in-law — coming over, and you really want to impress them. Sure, it's easy enough to whip up a fancy pasta dinner and please their taste buds, but what about dessert?

With this technique, you're only ten minutes away from a hot, moist, single serving cake. We've also got some tips for taking a microwave cupcake from sweet to sublime with the addition of fillings, frostings, and other tasty ideas.

What Do You Need?

This trick can be done with any box-mix of cake that you like, so the flavor options here are absolutely limitless. This will make 4 - 6 cakes, largely dependent on the size of your coffee mug. Alternatively, if you don't want to make these cakes in a coffee mug, ramekins or microwave safe glass bowls work very well.

Basic Technique

In a separate mixing bowl—or alternatively, a large wet-ingredient measuring cup which makes for easy pouring later on — mix your cake batter according to the directions on the box. Pour your cake batter into your coffee mugs, taking care to pour the same amount into each one. Take care not to fill them more than 1/2 of the way full, as these little cakes tend to rise quite a bit. Microwave for 2to 3 minutes on high and remove immediately from the cup.

Important Side Notes

When you "bake" these, you can only do one cake at a time, so expect to set aside 12 to 18 minutes for a batch of these. Also don't forget to grease your cups before you begin, unless you plan on spending all your time trying to chisel the cakes out of the cups.

Super Speed Technique

Maybe you're missing the oil or the egg, or maybe you're just extra short on time. Grab a 12 oz can of soda (diet soda if you want a lower calorie version) and add it directly to the dry box mix of cake. Don't add any other ingredients. Mix well and make as usual. The flavor combinations are half the fun of it — one fun one is yellow cake and lemon-lime soda.

Gussy Up Your Cupcakes

Serving cake without an accent is almost a travesty, wouldn't you say? That's why you need to go the extra mile and dress up these tasty treats! And remember, presentation counts, so get creative with it.

One of the easiest and most elegant ways to elevate these little cakes is to cut them into small discs and serve them with powdered sugar on the top.

If you let the cupcakes cool completely, you can cut them in half and make two individual cupcakes which you can frost or top with whipped cream and share with a friend. Or keep to yourself, because really, whoever eats just one cupcake?

Want something more decadent? Adding a candy bar to the center of the cupcake before baking will result in a delicious, melted center, creating a perfect lava cake every time. After all, who doesn't love an ooey-gooey chocolate filling?

Now stand back and take all the praise as people are impressed with your baking skills and quick thinking. And best of all, you didn't even have to break a sweat.