Juicy, brown sugar and cinnamon apples are topped with a fluffy cinnamon vanilla cake. All cooked in a mug, this single-serve treat is ready in just 10 minutes. This cozy dessert is just perfect for fall (or any time of year!).
Note: This post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2020 with new photos and more detailed instructions. The recipe has also been improved based on user feedback.
This apple cinnamon mug cake takes the standard mug cake to a whole new level! It takes a couple more steps than a plain vanilla mug cake, but in my opinion, it is so worth it!
This apple cinnamon mug cake starts with chopped apples that are sweetened with brown sugar and seasoned with a touch of cinnamon, then cooked until juicy. After that, a layer of cake batter, flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, is added on top and cooked until perfectly moist and fluffy. Eat it straight out of the mug or top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In only 10 minutes, you will be in apple cinnamon heaven!
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- butter: this recipe calls for unsalted butter, but if you don't have it, just leave out the pinch of salt called for in the cake batter.
- apple: I used Gala apples, but feel free to use any type of apple you prefer. I think using an apple that holds its shape when cooked works the best however. For more tips on choosing an apple type, see the FAQ section below.
- milk: I like using whole milk because it gives the cake a richer texture. But, skim, 2% or non-dairy milk will also work.
Step by step photos
1. Mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
2. Melt the butter.
3. Add the butter, vanilla, and milk to the dry ingredients and whisk with a fork to combine. Set aside.
4. Add chopped apple, cinnamon, brown sugar and flour to mug, stir to combine. Microwave the apples until they are softened and juicy. Stir one more time.
5. Scoop the cake batter on top of the apples. Do not stir!
6. Finally, microwave until the cake is cooked through (there should be no wet batter on the top).
Tips and tricks
- If you want to unmold the cake onto a bowl or plate, swirl the butter around the sides of the mug before adding it to the batter. This will help the cake release more easily!
- If your baking powder is a little bit lumpy out of the canister, break it up in your fingers or with a fork before adding to the dry ingredients. It is hard to mix those in fully once you add it to the batter and they will taste bitter!
- don't use too much cinnamon in the apples and cake, otherwise it will taste bitter. Just a pinch is all you need!
Recipe FAQs
Make sure you use a mug that is large enough - it should be able to hold at least 12 ounces. If you want to be extra careful, you can also place a microwave-safe plate underneath the mug to catch any potential drips. And of course, please make sure the mug you are using is also microwave safe!
After cooking, you can either unmold the mug cake onto a plate or bowl, or eat it right out of the mug! As I mentioned above, if you want to unmold it, use the melted butter to swirl around the sides of the mug to keep it from sticking.
For a more interesting presentation, you can use a glass Ball jar, like I did here, so you can see the layers of apple and cake. I also recommend serving with either whipped cream or vanilla (or cinnamon!) ice cream to take it to another level of deliciousness!
Here I used Gala apple, mostly because this is a good all-around apple that is readily available. I found that the Gala apples held their shape pretty well after microwaving. I would probably stay away from apples that are known for falling apart when cooking, like Red Delicious and McIntosh. That being said, this is a matter of personal taste, so choose what you like!
I found this article on the best types of apples for apple pie pretty interesting, it discusses their properties after baking in a pie. So, if you need more info on how to choose an apple for cooking, check it out!
Related recipes
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PrintApple Cinnamon Mug Cake
A fluffy vanilla cinnamon mug cake with juicy brown sugar cinnamon apples.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 mug cake 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For apple layer:
- ½ cup peeled chopped apple
- ¼ teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 pinch cinnamon
For cake batter:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the cake batter: 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, pinch cinnamon and pinch salt. Set aside.
2. Place the 2 tablespoons butter into a large, microwave-safe mug. Place a folded paper towel on top (to catch any spatter) and microwave on high for 30 seconds, or until the butter is melted. If you want to unmold the mug cake for serving, carefully swirl the melted butter around the sides of the mug.
3. Pour the melted butter, along with ¼ cup of milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix together with a fork or small whisk just until no lumps remain (do not overmix!). Set aside.
4. Add the chopped apple, 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon all-purpose flour and pinch cinnamon to the bottom of the same mug used to melt the butter. Stir together until the sugar and flour are evenly distributed throughout the apples and there are no dry bits of flour remaining at the bottom of the mug.
5. Microwave the apples on high for 45 seconds, or until they are slightly softened and look moist. Stir again. Pour the cake batter on top of the apples, do not stir.
6. Microwave the mug cake on high for 90 seconds. Check the cake; if there is still wet batter on top, microwave again in 10 second increments until the cake is cooked through. Either unmold the cake onto a plate or bowl, or serve right from the mug!
Notes
I used Gala apple for this recipe, which held up well during the cooking. Try any apple you like the taste of, but Red Delicious and McIntosh can become mushy when cooked, so if you don't like too soft apples, choose accordingly.
Don't go overboard with the cinnamon, all you need is a small pinch for the apples and a small pinch for the cake batter. If you add too much it will taste bitter. A sprinkle on top of the cake when it's done cooking is a nice touch though!
If your baking powder is pebbly, break it apart with your fingers or a fork before adding to the other ingredients. Getting a little piece of baking powder in the finished cake will taste quite bitter!
Use a mug that is at least 12 ounces to make sure the batter doesn't overflow while it cooks. If you are worried, place the mug onto a microwave-safe plate to catch any potential drips. And of course, make sure the mug is microwave-safe also!
Liv
I added vanilla ice cream on the top while it was still hot! It was really yummy thank you!
Kate
Oooo that sounds absolutely amazing! Vanilla ice cream and warm apple desserts are a match made in heaven 🙂 I'm so glad you enjoyed the mug cake Liv thank you for sharing!
Rohaam
I followed the recipe but I must have done something wrong because the cake was bland and the parts that did taste like something had overwhelming amounts of baking soda. Maybe I didn't mix the dry ingredients enough...
Kate
Oh no Rohaam I'm so sorry you didn't enjoy the recipe! I think a couple things could have gone wrong - the recipe calls for baking powder not baking soda...baking soda is much, much stronger than baking powder, so if you used baking soda instead I could totally see how this would taste terrible. Also, in the notes section I recommend breaking up the baking powder first if it is lumpy, this can also prevent getting little bits of unmixed baking powder in the batter. In terms of it being bland, perhaps that is a matter of personal taste, or it could be your apples were not very flavorful. Or, the baking soda was so overwhelming it spoiled the taste of the cake. Either way, I am very sorry it didn't work out for you!
Kate
Rohaam, I just wanted to drop another note, another commenter just notified me that I accidently wrote "baking soda" in the directions, when in the ingredients it called for baking powder! This was just a typo and perhaps explains the issue you had with the recipe. Just to clarify again, it is supposed to be baking powder! I just corrected the error, and I again I deeply apologize for the mistake!
Claudie
Hello, just letting you know that in the ingredients you wrote "baking powder" but in the first step of the instructions you wrote "baking soda"! I used baking powder in the recipe after I saw in a comment that you confirmed it's baking powder.
It tasted very good but mine didn't hold together too much so I must have had a misstep 🙂 still very good and I loved the taste of the apple layer. Thank you
Kate
Oh my gosh Claudie! I am so sorry for the error, I just corrected it and I am so happy that you figured out what I meant to say. Yes, just to clarify again it is supposed to be baking powder, not baking soda! I'm glad you enjoyed the taste, and I'm curious why it didn't hold together for you, when I make the recipe I end up with a fluffy cake as you can see from the photos. Perhaps there was a little too much liquid or a little bit less flour when you were measuring. When you are making recipes like this with small amounts, even very small changes can make a difference. Either way, thank you again for letting me know about the typo, and for your feedback on the recipe!
Amy
I shared this with my little boy and we both really enjoyed it! I didn't have any vanilla or brown sugar so just used granulated but still gorgeous. It wasn't dense like mug cake usually is
Kate
Amy I'm so happy you and your little boy enjoyed the mug cake! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Rachel
This recipe worked so well! I expected the cake to turn out a little dry based on the batter consistency but it was actually pretty light and fluffy.
I used a little more than a pinch of cinnamon because I know how much I use (a LOT!) in my morning oatmeal. Also a quick squeeze of lemon in the apple mixture like we do for apple pie!
Kate
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe Rachel, and that's a great idea to add a squeeze of lemon, I will try that next time I make it! 🙂
Nanie
Ii have tried other mug cake recipes but th is is the best! I didnt mix the dry well enough cause I tasted some of the baking powder. But it was delicious!
Kate
Hi Nanie I'm so glad that you enjoyed the mug cake! That has happened to me before too, if the baking powder is a little clumpy it can be hard to mix in all the way, so now I always make sure to break it up with my fingers beforehand and I've found that that helps. Thank you for letting me know how you liked the recipe! 🙂
Olivia
I just made this and was pleasantly surprised! I cut the sugar in half and used a dash of liquid Splenda and then added additional ground spices- cloves, nutmeg and allspice which made rhis much more flavorful. It's great for a quick fix, but worth the extra 30 seconds to add more spices to make you feel like you're really indulging in an apple cake.
Overall quite good! Just can use some adjustments to taste. Thanks for developing and sharing this!
Kate
I love these tips Olivia! Next time I'm going to try it your way with the added spices, sounds delicious!
Carolina
Hi there! excellent recipe!!! I just changed the 5 spoons of all-purpose flour for just 4 of whole wheat flour and it worked perfectly!
Thanks for the whole recipe and tips!
Kate
Hi Carolina I'm happy to hear that you were able to use whole wheat flour with this recipe! That's a great idea to cut down the amount a little bit so it wouldn't be too heavy. I have some whole wheat flour in my pantry so I'll have to try it that way next time. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for sharing your tip!
dick cokren
oh
it was amazing
soo fluffy and rose amazing, my fav mug cake eva
Kate
I am so happy that you enjoyed the mug cake, thank you for sharing! 🙂
Molly
The apples were delicious in the mug cake but I found the cake mixture very bland. Over all I thought the recipe really easy to follow which was really good! I might make it next time with salted caramel sauce!
Kate
Hi Molly thank you for trying my recipe, I'm glad you enjoyed the apple part and I bet adding salted caramel sauce would be amazing!
Gabrielle Seegmuller
Amazing mug cake!! How many calories is it?
Kate
Thank you Gabrielle I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake! I entered the info into myfitnesspal, a calorie counting app, and it is about 546 calories (using whole milk). This is just an estimate though but I hope it helps! I'm working on adding nutrition info on all of my recipes, so tune in for that soon 🙂
Shelby
Me and my sister made it and it was so good! It wasn’t dry and it was fully cooked. It also was the perfect amount of cinnamon!
Kate
That's wonderful Shelby I am really happy that you and your sister enjoyed the mug cake! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Melody
This was so easy and was really good, love it
Kate
So glad you enjoyed the mug cake Melody! Thank you for sharing your feedback on the recipe 🙂
Linda
This was delicious, I made 2, precooked apples in one then accidentally put the batter in the uncooked apple mug and cooked that one. In the end it worked out great, because I used soft apples and I like mine a little more firm and my husband was happy with the precooked apples! Best part was it satisfied my sweet tooth and I don't have a whole cake to finish! Thanks!
Kate
I'm so happy that you and your husband enjoyed the mug cakes and that you each were able to have it customized to your own tastes 🙂 And that is what I love about mug cakes too, instant gratification and no wasted leftovers! 🙂
Julian from London
Thank you very much for this recipe! I only used soft dark brown sugar throughout - half the amount specified - gluten free flour, home made oat milk and cold pressed rapeseed oil so it works as vegan as well as gluten free and low sugar - at least for my taste!
Kate
Hi Julian, thank you so much for taking the time to give your feedback on the recipe, I'm so glad you were able to modify it to suit your needs! 🙂
Mary K
I added a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger to the apples, and it was divine!
Kate
Oooo Mary that sounds fantastic!! I'm so happy you enjoyed the mug cake 🙂
Suls
It’s like you find everything I’ve ever had a problem with in my mug cakes and perfected it. . . wow, absolutely incredible!!
Kate
Suls, I am over the moon about this comment thank you so much! I have worked hard to perfect my mug cake recipes, so to know that you really enjoyed this one makes my whole day!!
Linda parker
I added walnuts, it was delish
Kate
That sounds delicious, adding a little crunch to the cake! I'm happy you enjoyed the mug cake Linda, thank you for sharing!
Lune
Really heckin good!
We didn’t have any all purpose flower or baking powder, so I substituted with self rising flower, and baking soda and cream of tarter. Used a Granny Smith apple. Super yummy!
Kate
Lune I am so happy that you enjoyed the apple cake! And that's wonderful you were able to make the recipe work with what you had available, I love when that happens 🙂
Cheryl
Delicious! But it did overflow my 12-oz mug. Next time I will use a larger mug - or more likely, a 16-oz ramekin.
Kate
Oh no sorry the mug cake overflowed! That hasn't happened to me in my 12 oz mug before, I'm wondering if maybe it has something to do with the shape as well...I will be sure to recommend a larger mug the next time I update the recipe. Thank you for the feedback, and I'm glad you enjoyed it overall 🙂
CarenP
Hi! Made this fabulous mug cake this morning, swapped out the AP flour for chocho powder 1:1 and was fabulous - now great protein and amino profile to the recipe. Also swapped 1 of the T of butter for coconut MCT oil and added some chopped walnuts for more nutrition value. Kcals went up a bit but its a "full meal" now! Will work on lowering the sugar and see if consistency remains the same. Great recipe!
Kate
CarenP thanks so much for trying my recipe and giving your feedback, that is super helpful for anyone else who may want to make similar swaps. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and were able to modify it to meet your needs!
Tabitha Nemtsovich
Oh, absolutely delicious! I loved how moist and fluffy it was. Not too sweet, and kept the crunchiness of the apples! 5 stars for sure!
Kate
Yay Tabitha I'm really glad that you enjoyed the mug cake thanks so much!
Lana
Delicious & quick dessert! I only had 1 apple & wanted to use it in some type of dessert. This was perfect! I did use Splenda instead of sugar & Swerve instead of brown sugar (brown sugar I reduced to 1/2 Tbsp) which was great for me as I don’t like anything too sweet. Do it also good for diabetics made this way!
Kate
Hi Lana, I'm really happy that you were able to use your one apple in this dessert! I know that exact feeling when you have 1 ingredient to use up and are looking for the perfect recipe that will work. And I'm also happy that you were able to adapt the recipe to your needs using the Splenda and Swerve. I am sure there are other people who will find it helpful to know that that substitution will work well. Thanks again for trying my recipe and for your comment!