Pioneer Woman Butterscotch Pecan Mug Cake

Pioneer Woman butterscotch pecan mug cake is a soft, buttery single-serve dessert with brown sugar, toasted pecans and butterscotch sauce that comes together in 10 minutes. Try this easy microwave mug cake for date night or late-night cravings, since it's a one-mug dessert with no oven needed.

Stir the batter until it is completely smooth and scrape the bottom of the mug, because hidden pockets of dry flour turn into chalky lumps. Skip that and you bite into dry flour pockets instead of tender cake.

The batter uses salted butter and brown sugar instead of oil and white sugar, so the cake tastes caramel-rich before the topping even lands. Stirring chopped pecans right into the batter also gives every bite crunch, which most mug cakes leave out.

Pioneer Woman Butterscotch Pecan Mug Cake

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

2

minutes

Calories

640

kcal

A tender, cinnamon-spiced cake steams up in a single mug, with chopped pecans running through the crumb. Once it cools for a couple of minutes, cold ice cream melts into the warm center.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. salted butter
  

• 3 tbsp. milk
  

• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  

• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  

• 3 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
  

• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  

• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  

• Pinch of kosher salt
  

• 2 tbsp. chopped pecans, plus more for topping
  

• Vanilla ice cream, for topping
  

• Butterscotch sauce, for topping
  

Directions

• Melt the butter: Put 2 tablespoons salted butter in a 12-ounce microwave-safe mug and melt it on 50 percent power for 10 to 15 seconds. Using lower power keeps the butter from spattering all over the microwave.
• Mix the batter: Add 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, then stir with a fork until smooth. Next add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt.
• Smooth and add pecans: Stir until no lumps of flour are left in the bottom of the mug. Then stir in 2 tablespoons chopped pecans.
• Microwave the cake: Microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Don't go longer than that, because an overcooked cake turns dry.
• Cool and top: Let the cake cool for 2 to 3 minutes so the center sets and the mug is safe to hold. Then top it with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch sauce and more chopped pecans.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set, Pyrex 2-cup glass measuring cup, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make this mug cake without a microwave?

A toaster oven works if you pour the batter into an oven-safe ramekin and bake at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean. Start checking at about 15 minutes, since the time depends on the size of your dish.

Can I swap the pecans for another nut?

Chopped walnuts or almonds work fine here, since they bring the same crunch next to the brown sugar. You can also leave the nuts out completely if you want a smoother cake.

Can I use a different type of milk?

Any milk you have on hand works, including 2 percent, whole or a plain nondairy milk like oat or almond. Whole milk gives the richest crumb, so I reach for it when I have it.

Can I make the dry mix ahead of time?

Yes, you can stir the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together and keep them in a jar. Then you only need to melt the butter, add the milk and vanilla, and stir in the dry mix when a craving hits.

Why did my mug cake turn out dry or rubbery?

Overcooking is the usual cause, since a microwave keeps cooking the cake after the timer stops. Check it at the low end of the time range, and add a few extra seconds only if the center is still wet.