Sometimes you just want cupcakes and not a mug cake. Did you know you can make cupcakes in the microwave? You totally can, and it’s very easy! This post contains affiliate links.
Everyone loves a cupcake! Need to give your kids a little pick me up? Make cupcakes! Need to give yourself a little pick me up? Make yourself some cupcakes right in the microwave.
Table of Contents
What do you need to make cupcakes in the microwave?
With this recipe, you can make about 9 cupcakes.
I use Jiffy Golden cake mix which is only 9 oz. You can usually find it at Walmart. But, if you can’t find that one, you can use a standard yellow cake mix and use about 1 1/2 of the dry mix from the box.
You will also need an egg, water, and vegetable oil (I prefer canola).
For the frosting, I like to use the Pillsbury pastry frosting bags because these cupcakes are all about making them quick and easy. These frostings come in chocolate, vanilla, and cream cheese, and they are already in a pastry bag with a tip and ready for frosting the cupcakes instantly.
You could also do colored frostings like these Wilton cake frostings. Or, make your own buttercream frosting.
Plus, what cupcakes aren’t completely without sprinkles? You can always add sprinkles and sanding sugar after frosting the cupcakes.
Lastly, you’ll need silicone cupcake liners. Those are the liners I use in the microwave for all kinds of things from cupcakes to corn muffins. They work great and are so easy to clean.
You could also use a silicone muffin mold and put paper liners inside each mold. I would recommend the 6-mold size as the 12-mold might be too large to turn inside the microwave.
How do you make Cupcakes in the Microwave?
Combine the cake mix, water, egg, and oil and mix until smooth.
I prefer to do this with a handheld electric mixer or often I use my manual hand mixer . You don’t have to plug it in, so it’s pretty quiet. It can be completely put in the dishwasher, and it does an awesome job making fresh whipped cream.
Place the liners on a flat surface you can put in the microwave, like a plate. Make sure they are spread apart by an inch or so. I made that mistake the first time I made these, and they cupcakes will rise and stick together.
Next, fill each cupcake liner about 2/3rd full.
The important part is cooking the cupcakes in the microwave.
You will want to cook 5-6 cupcakes at a time. Cook them in 1-minute increments for 3-4 minutes. Between the cooking times, let them rest for 15-20 seconds.
At the 3-minute mark, insert a toothpick or sharp knife in the center of a cupcake and check for doneness. The toothpick should come out clean. I found with a 1000-watt microwave, my cupcakes needed to go 4 minutes.
This is assuming you have a rotating turntable in your microwave. If you do not have one, turn the cupcakes after every minute.
This is the best method I have found that gets you perfectly tasty cupcakes. I have tried this all kinds of ways, and if you cook them straight through for 3-4 minutes without stopping, the cupcakes will burn inside and smell horrible.
When your cupcakes are ready, they will not turn golden brown like in a normal oven. They will rise up like cupcakes in the oven, but they will just look yellow. They should come out nice and moist.
Allow them to cool completely before frosting. I pop them in the fridge to cool a little faster.
Then, top with your favorite sprinkles or drizzle of chocolate ganache, syrup, etc.
How do you store microwave cupcakes?
I just kept these cupcakes on the counter in a sealed container for 24 hours, and with just 9 cupcakes, they were gone the next day. If keeping them longer than 48 hours, I would recommend storing in the fridge.
More Microwave Desserts
- Microwave 3-Ingredient Peach Cobbler
- How to Make a Microwave Cake
- How to Make Microwave Chocolate Cracker Toffee
- Lemon Mousse Cups with Microwave Lemon Curd
- Microwave Pecan Pralines
Microwave Cupcakes
Ingredients
- Jiffy Golden Cake Mix (or 1 1/2 cups of yellow cake mix)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Mix ingredients.
- Fill silicone cupcake molds 2/3rds full.
- Cook in 1 minute increments, stop and let it rest for 10-15 seconds and cook for up to 3-4 minutes.
- Test with a toothpick to see if done.
- Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 298Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 432mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 3g
Any nutritional information on justmicrowaveit.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.
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