This apple mug cake is the easiest dessert for two! So quick to make and tastes deliciously decadent with gooey caramel sauce.
Mug cakes are how they sound, cakes cooked in a mug! They're whipped up super quickly and cooked in the microwave so there is no preheating of the oven and long waiting for the cake to bake.
This is an apple mug cake for two though the recipe can easily be doubled if you're wanting to make extra.

What is a mug cake
Mug cakes are single serve cakes, cooked in mugs, usually in the microwave. Now, a microwave isn't the ideal cake making tool but it does work very quickly and is a great solution for a dessert in a hurry.
A mug cake doesn't have quite the same texture as an oven baked cake will, as microwaves cook very quickly and remove moisture from foods. It's therefore important that you don't over cook the mug cake.
The batter for the mug cake needs to be measured correctly and not overmixed to ensure a fluffy and moist cake.
The caramel sauce
Caramel sauce is a key component in this mug cake. It brings flavor and moisture and is used in the batter as well as when serving.
Homemade caramel sauce is really easy to make and uses only 4 ingredients (sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt). You can however use store-bought caramel if you like.
The ingredients
Apart from the caramel, the main ingredients in this apple mug cake are pantry stapes. You will need -
- All-purpose flour
- Spices - Cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Egg
- Milk
- Diced apple
- Caramel sauce
- Whipped cream or ice cream to serve
The mugs
The mugs need to be microwave safe and big enough to hold double the cake batter as it will rise a bit as it cooks.
The batter
Some recipes for mug cakes will mix the batter in the mug itself. This recipes calls for mixing the batter seperatly before adding it to the mugs. This ensures there is consistency in the mixture and allows the addition of caramel sauce in between the batter layers.
Step by step instructions
In a bowl whisk the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla, and brown sugar.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold them together alongside the milk. Take care not to overmix it. Stir in the diced apple pieces.
Scoop ¼ of the batter into each mug. Add in a teaspoon of caramel sauce, then top with the remaining batter.
Don't worry if the cake batter doesn't spread out to fill the mugs. It will spread as it cooks.
Microwave on high for 90-120 seconds. The top of the cake will still be sticky when touched but the rest will be cooked.
If there is still a lot of wet cake batter after this you can place it back in for another 5-10 seconds at a time. Do take care as putting it in too long will dry out the cake.
Serve while still warm with extra caramel sauce and whipped cream or ice cream.
This recipe is written using grams as the main measurement.
If you don't have a kitchen scale US* cup equivalents are also included, however, using a kitchen scale to measure grams will give the best, and most consistent results. *US cup sizes are smaller than metric cup sizes.
Mug cake FAQs
Yes, you can bake these apple mug cakes too at 350°F for around 12-15 minutes until baked through.
A microwave is very powerful and good at removing moisture from food. Therefore it's extra important you do not over cook your mug cake and take it out as soon as the cake batter isn't wet anymore.
This could be due to overmixing the cake batter or if your baking powder is past its use-by date.
Apple Mug Cake with Caramel Sauce
This apple mug cake is the easiest dessert for two! So quick to make and tastes deliciously decadent with gooey caramel sauce.
Ingredients
- 80g (⅔ cup) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- pinch of salt
- 50g (¼ packed cup) soft brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon milk
- ½ small apple, diced finely
- 2 teaspoon caramel sauce
To serve
- Caramel sauce
- Whipped cream or ice cream
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla, and brown sugar.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold them together alongside the milk. Take care not to over mix it. Stir in the diced apple pieces.
- Scoop ¼ of the batter into each mug. Add in a teaspoon of caramel sauce, then top with the remaining batter.
- Don't worry if the cake batter doesn't spread out to fill the mugs. It will spread as it cooks.
- Microwave on high for 90 - 120 seconds. The top of the cake will still be sticky when touched but the rest will be cooked.
- If there is still a lot of wet cake batter after this you can place it back in for another 5-10 seconds at a time. Do take care as putting it in too long will dry out the cake.
- Serve while still warm with extra caramel sauce and whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
The cup sizes given are for US cups. Note that these are smaller than metric cup sizes. For best results, use grams.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 411Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 263mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 2gSugar: 34gProtein: 8g
Leave a Reply