This Apple Mug Cake uses a clever technique to pack one whole apple in one mug cake! It is ultra-soft, and fluffy and is a must-try fall recipe.
Mug cakes like black forest mug cake or carrot mug cake are astonishingly quick to make. No creaming butter; it’s a dump-and-mix-with-a-spoon-in-one-mug-cake.
I have been working on several new recipes using apples to share with you this fall. Meanwhile, here are few from my existing apple repertoire apple cinnamon oatmeal, apple waffles or apple fritters.
My ideal apple mug cake is simple enough - a soft and fluffy cake that really tastes like apples like the apple muffins. I discovered that adding more apples into the recipe was both blessing and a curse. The abundance of fruit made for a really fruity treat, but the quick 2 minute cook time, wasn't enough to soften the apple chunks and it also weighed it down.
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Why this recipe works?
To maximise the apples in the recipe and also to cook them tender in the short microwave cook time, I knew I needed to pre cook them like this mango mug cake. This softens the chunks, gets rid of excess moisture (apples have a whopping 86% water content), and also concentrates the flavor.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Apple - Like in my air fryer baked apples recipe, I like to use Gala, Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious for baking, because they are sweet with a hint of tartness and hold their shape better when cooked.
- Flour - Regular all-purpose flour adds enough structure.
- Sugar - Not very much, actually! Only two tablespoons are needed since apples contribute an abundance of natural sweetness.
- Milk - Makes the apple mug cake rich and flavorful.
- Oil - A flavorless oil is the secret to making cakes with a moist crumb.
- Baking powder - It is always my go-to for leavening in eggless microwave mug cakes, like the red velvet mug cake.
- Vanilla - It makes it taste cakey like in apple cinnamon bread. However, ground cinnamon, ginger, and allspice will be just as delicious.
Variations
- Use cinnamon instead of vanilla extract.
- Use warm Fall spices like ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom instead of vanilla extract.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1.Wash, peel, core an apple and chop into ¼-inch cubes. Add chopped apple into a microwave-safe coffee mug. Microwave for 2 minutes.
Pro tip: Pre-cooking the apple chunks not only softens them but also removes excess moisture and enhances the flavor concentration.
2. Remove mug from microwave, stir in butter, until it is fully melted, and then mix in milk. This helps to cool down the apples slightly.
Tip: Use room-temperature butter! Cold butter reduces the temperature of apples drastically and affects the texture of the finished product.
3 & 4. Add remaining ingredients and mix very well, until thoroughly combined. Microwave for 1 minute and 50 seconds for a wide mug OR 2 minutes for regular mug.
Pro tip: After the cooking time elapses, refrain from opening the microwave for an additional 10 to 20 seconds before removing the cake, as this in preventing any shrinkage of the apple mug cake.
How to serve?
Like my air fryer apple crisp, enjoy apple mug cake hot with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or caramel sauce.
Helpful tips
- Mug size. Both large or medium size microwave safe coffee mugs work for this apple mug cake recipe. However, it is easier to mix the batter in a larger one.
- Cooking time. Cook for 1 min and 50 secs, if using a wide mug and 2 minutes, if using a medium mug.
- Best apples to use. I like to use Honey crisp, Golden Delicious, Fuji or Gala. You want to choose a fruit that is crisp, sweet, and tart.
- Sugar. It depends on the sweetness of the apple used. I used Gala, and 2 tablespoons of sugar was perfect.
- Stir batter until lump free. Using a spoon, stir the cake batter until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Best eaten hot. Enjoy this cake, because microwave cakes have a tendency to might dry a little when left at room temperature.
- The cake tends to shrink slightly when you remove it from the microwave. So, I prefer opening the microwave after 10 to 20 seconds after cooking.
More mug cakes
Apple Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped apples peel, core and chop into ¼-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash, peel, core an apple and chop into ¼-inch cubes.
- Add chopped apple into a microwave safe coffee mug (preferably a large mug). Microwave for 2 minutes. Pro tip: Pre-cooking the apple chunks not only softens them but also removes excess moisture and enhances the flavor concentration.
- Remove mug from microwave, stir in butter, until it is fully melted and then mix in milk. Tip: Use room-temperature butter! Cold butter reduces the temperature of apples drastically and affects the texture of the finished product.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix very well, until thoroughly combined.
- Microwave for 1 minute and 50 seconds for a wide mug or 2 minutes for regular mug (as shown in photos).
- Pro tip: After the cooking time elapses, refrain from opening the microwave for an additional 10 to 20 seconds before removing the cake, as this in preventing any shrinkage of the apple mug cake.Serve hot!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love your feedback! Please let me know by leaving a comment, a star rating or review below.
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Teri W
Made this just now, cooked apple and butter together because I couldn’t wait for the butter to soften 🤣 used 1 T sugar and maybe 1/8 t or so of cinnamon. Very good! Keeping this one! 🍎
Maria Doss
Hi Teri, Sounds great, glad you liked the mug cake, Maria
Andy
Any tips for using almond or coconut flour instead?
Maria Doss
Hi Amy, We wouldn't recommend using gluten free flours in this recipe. However, you can check out this Mug cake recipe using almond flour instead. Hope it helps - Maria