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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Salted Caramel Apple 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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!
Notes
Nutrition
Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography
I was looking for something quick to help with my little sweet tooth, and this totally did the trick! I replaced the unsweetened applesauce with apple butter and boy is it awesome! I like adding in walnuts to it, it reminds me of a crisp fall day :)
Great little cake–perfect for those moments when you just need something sweet! Next time I’m going to try making it with lemon juice instead of water and with a little lemon zest on top. And for those on WW, this works out to be about 5 points for the whole thing!
This cake is so moist and tastes just like fall 🤩
This is amazing!! When my teenager took his first bite he said it reminded him of Christmas. I could eat these every day. I added 2 T powdered buttermilk. We will for sure be making these again!
The actual best!!!!!!
I accidentally added a tablespoon of water instead of a teaspoon. Scooped a milky half tablespoon out. Also substituted cashew milk for cows milk and could only find sugary apple sauce.
Turned out much better than I expected after the mess of cooking it. Can’t wait to experiment with different milks and correct liquid quantities!
Could you please add a Yummly button to your recipes? It would add so much traffic for your site and help me remember this recipe for years to come.
Hi, I used to have a Yummly button but that site has seem to become outdated and I don’t see the benefits from it at this point. Thank you for your suggestion
Just wanted to thank you so much for posting this recipe. The cake turned out nice and fluffy. I didn’t have applesauce so I increased the milk to 3 1/2 T. I had an apple so I chopped up half of it, nuked it in the microwave for a minute or two to soften up, and then sprinkled it in between layers of the batter. It was yummy! Totally satisfied the carb craving.
I tried your recipe but I had a banana going bad and couldn’t throw it away so I made banana nut bread. It was great! Thanks
I am a pudding fan, but my family is not. Have you ever tried making tapioca pudding (using Minute Tapioca) in a mug? The commercial cups are just too gummy and chewy for me.
I’ve never made pudding in a mug, sorry!