Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake

This Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake is my new favorite pumpkin treat for fall. It’s a single-serving cake made with pumpkin, swirls of cinnamon sugar, and topped with a pumpkin pie spice cream cheese icing. It’s a fall-inspired treat you can make in less than 15 minutes!

Two months ago, I created a Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake which I just adore. It’s a cute mini cake that tastes great and totally satisfies my cravings for a gooey fluffy cinnamon roll. Now that pumpkin season is here, I thought it might be really fun to share a pumpkin version. I’ve already made it three times this week! Just to make sure the recipe was correct, of course 😉.

I’m so happy I made a pumpkin version because I think I love it even more than the original cinnamon roll mug cake. I had a lot of fun playing around with it, even making a giant one in a wider mug so that it looks just like a cinnamon roll. I love that you can see the flecks of pumpkin spice in the icing and just look at the gooey cinnamon sugar swirls! What is it about something so simple as melted butter and brown sugar that is so gloriously delicious?

How to Make a Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake

• This mug cake takes a little longer than my other ones, but the result is worth the time! Plus, if you made a big batch of regular cinnamon rolls you’d be in the kitchen forever. This cinnamon roll mug cake takes less than 15 minutes start to finish.
• First, you combine flour, baking powder, sugar, fat-free or low-fat milk, oil, pumpkin puree, and spices together in an 8-oz microwave-safe mug.
• To create the cinnamon swirl, you will want to scoop out half of the batter, swirl in some cinnamon sugar, add the other batter back in and swirl the rest of the cinnamon sugar in it. That way you get swirls throughout the cake just like a regular cinnamon roll.
• The icing is just butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. I like to pipe it in a swirl onto the finished cake. You will have some leftover icing that you can save for another cake.
• If you want to make a cake that looks like a real cinnamon roll that you can serve on a plate instead of a mug you can make 1 ½ times the recipe and cook the cake in a 12-oz mug. Transfer it to a plate and top it with the icing.

On a side note, I’ve got a question. Outside of Halloween, do you answer your door unless you are expecting someone? Because I don’t. 99% of the time if the doorbell rings unexpectedly, it’s a salesperson/stranger so I don’t answer the door. The other night, someone knocked on our door. It was almost 9 pm and we weren’t expecting anyone, so I told Mr. K not to answer the door. Of course, he was curious, so he peeked through the window and as the person was leaving, he recognized our neighbor.

By the time he got on his shoes and jacket, the neighbor had already gone into his house. Mr. K went and knocked on his door to see what it was that he needed. And this time, the neighbor didn’t answer the door! Mr. K said he could even hear the couple talking and whispering “Who do you think it is?” Finally, after Mr. K called out their names, they answered. It turned out they needed a small favor and had been trying all the neighbors’ doors but no one was answering even though it was clear several of them were home since lights were on, etc. I just found it funny that after they had so much trouble getting someone to open the door that they were also hesitant to open their own door. But it really got me thinking about who still opens their door at night?
Speaking of opening your door for Halloween, I’ve been seeing so many decorations lately and Mr. K keeps asking why we don’t have any Halloween candy yet. I’ve been so tempted every time I go grocery shopping, but have resisted the urge because I know what will happen. All the candy will be gone before Halloween gets here. So, I’m holding strong and refusing to buy candy until the week of Halloween.

So, until we get our Halloween candy,  I’ll just satisfy my sweet tooth with desserts like this pumpkin cinnamon roll mug cake.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake

Servings: 1

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

This single serving cake is pumpkin flavored, with swirls of cinnamon sugar throughout and finished with a pumpkin pie spice cream cheese icing.

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Ingredients

Cake

• 4 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2  tbsp granulated white sugar
• 2 tbsp fat free or low fat milk avoid using whole milk
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Cinnamon swirl

• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp butter

Frosting (makes enough for 2)

• 1/2 tbsp butter room temperature
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 2 - 2 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

• Combine all the cake ingredients into a microwave-safe mug. This is a smaller cake, so using an 8 oz mug should be fine, although please see the notes section for notes about using a differently sized mug. Whisk with a small whisk until batter is smooth and very few lumps remain (a few tiny ones from the puree is okay). Scoop out about half of the batter and set aside.
• In a separate small bowl, combine cinnamon swirl ingredients. Microwave briefly, about 20-30 seconds, or until butter melts. (I recommend covering top with paper towel before microwaving.) Stir and mix until uniform. Pour into a small container that has a narrow pouring spout (such as one used for pour coffee creamer, syrup, etc).
• Working quickly (you don't want the butter to cool as your swirl will become hard to pour), pour a swirl into the remaining batter in the mug, starting from the middle and working to the edge (check out my original cinnamon roll mug cake post for photo references). Pour the rest of the batter back in, making sure to cover the cinnamon swirl completely and level the surface of the batter. If your cinnamon sugar mixture has cooled, microwave briefly for about 5-10 seconds and stir. Pour another cinnamon swirl on top. It's okay if you still have a little leftover of the cinnamon sugar mix.
• Cook cake in microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds until cake parts are completely cooked. The butter from the cinnamon swirl will still be wet from the butter, but it'll solidify and sink in as the cake cools.
• While the cake is cooking, make the icing. In a medium bowl, add ingredients. Warm in microwave slightly, about 10-15 seconds. Make sure to cover the bowl with a paper towel before heating. Using a really good whisk, whisk until uniform and the frosting thickens. Scoop frosting into a piping bag and pipe icing swirl onto the cake. You should have enough to frost two cakes. You can save the remaining for another time.

Notes

• You can make this cake two ways:
  • The recipe above makes one single-serving cake that will fit perfectly in an 8-oz mug.
  • I also like to make a wider one by doing 1 1/2 times the recipe and cooking it in a really wide mug that holds at least 12 oz and then scooping it out after it is cooked. It then ends up looking like a real cinnamon roll, like the roll on the plate in the post above.

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!