Is a birthday party really a party if there’s no cake? What about a wedding? Isn’t cake pretty much mandatory at most celebrations? Nevertheless, we have taken one of the most iconic foods that traditionally brings people together and turned it into a single-serving item to enjoy quickly and -- don’t freak out but -- often alone. That’s the beauty of mug cakes. Even if you do find yourself alone indulging in a little cake in a cup, eating a bite of cake still feels like a celebration. Let’s face it though. Do you feel like making a cake just for you to enjoy alone? It can be time consuming, and if you're not getting together with a big group of people (and who is, these days?), then it feels like a lot of trouble to make a whole cake. (If you’re anything like me, I hate having a big piece of a cake left over at my house! I end up eating most of it  -- This is not good.) Lucky for cake lovers, when you’re feeling the urge to indulge, you can do so on a small scale that won’t break the calorie bank; get out a mug and whip up a quick, microwavable mug cake. The best part about a mug cake is that it's a no-bake dessert. You just pop it in the microwave and you get a delicious sweet, cakey treat/dessert practically mess-free and as easy as pie! 😉

Mug cakes actually work well within our current culture, considering that when it comes to modern-day priorities around food, efficiency is key. Rather than living life like we used to, say 30 years ago, where we organized our life around eating, now we have to figure out how to find time to fit eating into our time-starved lives.

For a full-time mom who needs a sweet at the end of the day or an anxious student craving a late-night snack, the beauty of the mug cake is that it can be created quickly almost anywhere, as long as that anywhere has a microwave. 

These 3 recipes are really classic cake-type flavors; of course we’ve “embellished” them with a little touch of Bellisari’s magic: 

• Italian Cream Mug Cake with Fig -- (https://bit.ly/30i6mUk) -- One of the best things about this recipe is that you start by making your “cake mix,” but you’ll only be using about a half of a cup for the little mug of heaven you’re making yourself now. Package up leftovers in ½-cup portions, put them in the pantry, and you’ll be able to have your treat even more quickly the next time the craving hits!
• Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake with Peach -- (https://bit.ly/3az3gNn) -- While this easy-peasy mug cake would be delightful at any time of the day or night, my favorite time to have it is for breakfast with my morning coffee. For me, there’s no sweeter way to start my day.

Do you want to make one of these ASAP? You probably have most, if not all, of the needed ingredients already in your house, so making a mug cake is not as difficult as you might think. All it really takes is a few basic ingredients, a mug, and a microwave. That's it. There are plenty of recipes all over Pinterest, and a quick Google search will yield hundreds of results for different recipes. 

There are no limits to everything you can create with a mug cake. Add some cookies, some cocoa powder, or some peanut butter. Even better, make them with your friends and you can each customize the cake to your own taste, since each cake is the perfect size for one person. If you aren't the baking or experimenting type, you can find pre-made mug cake mixes that taste great and are very easy to prepare in almost any grocery store. They come in flavors ranging from Brownie to Caramel Cake. Customizable to your taste and the perfect size for one, these cakes are the best idea for a Friday night in, an evening of Netflix and chill, or just a simple midnight-snack.