This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Hands down, this salted caramel apple mug cake is the epitome of Fall flavors and a treat for the best season. Warm cinnamon apple spice seasoning is laced throughout the tender mug cake and topped with a homemade salted caramel sauce with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

A mug of caramel dessert topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sits on a plate with a spoon; a bowl of salted caramel sauce, a bowl of salt, and a striped napkin are nearby.
Email Yourself This Recipe!
Get the recipe link sent to your inbox! PLUS, we’ll send you fresh recipes weekly!

Falling in Love: Apple Mug Cake

When I think of Fall, I think of the warm and sweet scent of cinnamon filling the kitchen. Or a Fall scented candle that has notes of coffee and cinnamon. Kind of like a cafe in Paris or something!

This salted caramel apple mug cake strikes the balance between both a cozy single serving treat and also an elevated Fall dessert that is ready in just under 5 minutes! Think of this apple mug cake as a dessert version of putting on your fuzzy socks, curling up underneath a blanket with a Kindle and a flickering candle in the room. The cinnamon-spiced cake is tender and fluffy and the buttery salted caramel sauce on top is just the right amount of richness. My favorite indulgence? Adding a large scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top after the apple mug cake has come out of the microwave. The warm cake along with the icy cold vanilla ice cream? Oh my gosh. It is the best! Whipped cream is also a great alternative.

A mug filled with a baked dessert topped with creamy sauce, with a spoon lifting a portion; a striped napkin and bowls are nearby.

How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Mug Cake

If you’ve made any of my mug cake recipes before (most notably the chocolate mug cake that started it all), this one is very similar in that it’s made in one bowl and one mug! Simply mix everything together then microwave. Be sure to read the recipe card below for exact measurements and timing.

✨ Click to see the recipe card below for exact measurements & instructions ✨

Add-Ins and Variations

  • For more apple flavor and texture, add in some finely diced or chopped apples into the batter.
  • Sprinkling in some butterscotch chips would be a great enhancement to the salted caramel topping!
  • Store-bought salted caramel or caramel sauce works just as well as my homemade salted caramel.
  • Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream — choose your decadence! They’re both oh-so-good.

Mug Cake Showcase

A close-up of a mug filled with cinnamon spiced mug cake, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, with a spoon scooping out a portion.

Recipe Tips

  • Everyone’s microwave is different and while I give a suggestion on how long to cook it for, it is impossible to tell you exactly how long. The time is a suggestion based on my microwave wattage (950 watts). If you have a higher wattage and/or a lower wattage, you will need to adjust for more or less cooking time.
  • I like putting a paper towel under my mug in the microwave in case it overflows. It makes clean up a lot easier!
  • Make sure your mug is microwave-safe. Mug sizes do matter, as well! It will take longer to cook the mug cake if your mug is larger.
  • This needs to be consumed immediately — well, not like straight out of the microwave but like, you can’t let it sit and consume it 24 hours later kind of thing. It’ll become flat, dense, and just overall not good.
A close-up of a mug filled with cinnamon spiced mug cake, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, with a spoon scooping out a portion.
Rate Print
4.84 from 12 votes

Salted Caramel Apple Mug Cake

By: Julie Chiou
Warm cinnamon apple spice seasoning is laced throughout the tender mug cake and topped with a homemade salted caramel sauce with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes
Servings: 1 mug cake

Ingredients 

  • ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon apple pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon water

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
    1/4 cup (31 g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, Pinch of salt
    A glass bowl with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt on a countertop, next to a whisk, a bowl of salted caramel sauce, and a striped towel.
  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients then add the wet ingredients. Whisk everything together until combined and no lumps remain.
    1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon water
    A glass bowl with flour, sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and milk, next to a bowl of salted caramel sauce and a whisk on a light countertop with a striped towel.
  • Pour batter into a microwave-safe mug. Mine was a 14-ounce mug. You want enough head space for the cake to rise without pouring over.
    Thick, cinnamon-spiced batter being poured from a bowl into a white mug on a light surface.
  • Place a paper towel into the microwave and set the mug on top (this is to catch any batter if your mug cake overflows).
  • Microwave mug cake for 1 minute and 50 seconds on high (PLEASE READ NOTES CAREFULLY BELOW)
  • Carefully remove from microwave, drizzle your homemade salted caramel sauce (or you can use a store-bought caramel sauce) on top and enjoy!
    A spoon pours caramel sauce over a mug cake in a white mug placed on a speckled plate with a spoon beside it.

Notes

Please note that ALL microwaves are different therefore can yield different results and can overcook this mug cake if you aren’t careful. My microwave is 950 watts and I cooked mine on 100% power for 1 minute and 50 seconds. Knowing this information, it may help you better judge how long to cook yours for and at what power. This batter is wetter and more moist than my other mug cakes hence the longer cook time. If you feel that your batter is still too wet after 1 minute and 50 seconds, feel free to zap it a little longer.
Yes, no eggs in this either. Eggs is what makes typical mug cakes spongey!
**This recipe is specifically made for the microwave. I developed it for the microwave. I don’t know cook time or temperature for an oven…I’d imagine it’d be a very quick cook time at a low temp., but since I didn’t test the recipe for an oven, I cannot give specifics. Sorry!
Email Yourself This Recipe!
Get the recipe link sent to your inbox! PLUS, we’ll send you fresh recipes weekly!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 324kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 226mg, Potassium: 103mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 40g
Hide Disclaimers

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography

You May Also Like...

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




51 Comments

  1. Jasmine Shariff says:

    I understand the gesture, people searching for mug cakes want the quick and dirty way to deliciousness. This is a 3 minute cake and then you want us to make a 20 minute sauce on the stove ? That means a dirty pot and stirring constantly over the hot stove. Offer a microwave salted caramel recipe and we’d be in business.

    Reply
    1. Julie Chiou says:

      No, I don’t expect anyone to do that. It is merely a suggestion for someone who may want to (hence why I link to the recipe) and you can use it for a plethora of other recipes or, I offered store-bought which is microwaveable. If you want another microwavable option…microwave caramel candies and sprinkle a little sea salt and mix it in.

      Reply
  2. Joyce Blodgett says:

    My kind of mug cake! I love apples (I’m a northern lower Michigan native, and apples are grown in abundance here, with a wide variety of types, all of them exquisite eating!), I love caramel, and I really like mug cakes–no heating up the apartment for a large cake I can’t possibly eat before getting bored with it (yes, that does happen).
    I put my mug cakes, and other mug dishes, on a paper plate so that even if it does go over the top, the plate catches it and it never sticks to the glass rotating plate. I keep a paper plate on top of the micro just for that, and only switch it out if a spillover happens.

    Reply
  3. Chrissy says:

    Turned out delicious!! I will definitely be making this one again. Drizzled torani caramel sauce on the top.

    Reply
  4. Susan says:

    It’s Fall and wanted something with apples to curb my sweet tooth. This totally did the trick and was delicious. I did have a few adjustments as I did not want to use white sugar. So, I added a tablespoon of butter powder and 2 tablespoons of real maple syrup for the sugar. I also used apple butter instead of applesauce. And subbed 1 tablespoon of apple cider for the milk. I also used almond milk and avocado oil and increased the apple spice to a teaspoon. I like a lot of spice in my apple cake. It was really moist and quite delicious. For a topping, I took a bit of apple cider, put a bit of cornstarch in it, and cooked in the microwave until it was thickened. I poured this on the top of the cake. Yum!

    Reply