Skinny Apple Spice Mug Cake
This lightened up mug cake is perfect for the upcoming apple season, and it’s only approximately 172 calories.
I hope you aren’t tired about hearing about my book. I was going to stop talking about it for a few weeks, but I was really craving this skinny apple spice cake after seeing the excerpt shared on the publisher’s blog. I actually didn’t have any apples in the house and went to the farmer’s market to buy them. To my surprise, apples were really difficult to find. The vendors were carrying mainly summer fruits like peaches and figs.
One of my favorite chapters in my new book is the “Skinny Mug Cakes” section, where every recipe is under 200 calories. Making a cake that is low in calories but still tastes like dessert was definitely a challenge, but I was really happy with the ones that are in my book.
This cake replaces oil with applesauce. Of course, it doesn’t taste as rich as a cake using oil, but the applesauce keeps the cake moist and fluffy. There’s a very low amount of sugar in the cake batter, with the fresh apple pieces providing most of the sweetness. The cinnamon spice adds a great flavor so that the cake doesn’t taste too plain.
While making this mug cake, I realized it’s been a while since I experimented with new ones. I think I’m ready to start creating some more!
As mentioned above, this recipe is featured in my new cookbook* of nearly 100 mug cakes!
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Note: To keep it under 200 calories, I had to make sure the cake is truly single-serving, about the size of a cupcake. Because the mug I wanted to use is tall, I doubled the recipe for the purposes of these photos so that you can properly see the cake.
*Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Skinny Apple Spice Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp (22.5ml) fat-free milk
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp (16g) chopped apples, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see note)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except apple cubes in an oversized microwave-safe mug. Mix with a small whisk until batter is smooth. Stir in apple cubes.
- Cook in microwave for approximately 1 minute. If cake is not done, heat an additional 15 seconds. Let cake cool a few minutes before eating. Cake is best consumed while still warm or within a few hours of it being cooked.
Notes
- Make sure you don't leave the apple out, as the cake batter relies partly on the sugar from the apples to provide sweetness. Also, try choosing sweeter apple varieties rather than tart ones.
Can you use almond flour instead of All Purpose?
I have not tried with almond flour but I don’t think it will work as well, as the batter will be too dense. You could probably do it with a gluten free all purpose flour
I try this recipe today with buckwheat floor instead classic flour, maple syrup instead of sugar and just a bit of vanilla extract, and it’s just PERFECT! Light & soft, thank you for this mug cake!
oh yay! I’m so glad this worked for you!
Doesnt it require eggs?
no
So cool! I want to try it!
hope you like it!
I will try this today, thanks for your post.
We hope you enjoy it!
Instead of applesauce, would caramel sauce be ok? Or would that just taste weird?
I think caramel and apple is a great combo. Caramel sauce won’t work as a direct substitute for applesauce in this recipe, but you could add some caramel sauce to the cake as well.
Just made it. I guess it was 30g flour , not 4T, because the ingredients were too dry to mix -I had to add another 2.5T of  milk and it was pretty thick, so the cake was dense.I also did dry and wet ingredients together, which I shouldn’t have done, I’ll do any one set first, next time along with only 2T of flour when I make another batch of applesauce..
no it should be 4T flour. the batter should be thick. I’m wondering where you are writing from? perhaps your ingredients aren’t the same?
Why is 4 Tbs of APF 30g and 2 Tbs of applesauce  also 30g ? My 1/4C.(=4T.) measuring cup is 60g.
grams is in weight. applesauce is heavier than flour, so it is correct.
Tried this and loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
yay! thanks for letting me know!
Probably would have been better with applesause, but i ran out so just used shredded apples and gluten free flour. Still good! Pur walnuts and honey on top!
yes applesauce makes a huge difference! but im glad you got it to work out.
Made this yesterday! It was delish! I added a scoop of frozen cool whip on top and made it “a la mode” but still healthier!
yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
If I want to use oil anyway instead of applesauce, how much oil should I use? And do you have any suggestions for the apple varieties? 🙂
hmm, if you arent concerned with a skinny version, i’d suggest using my blueberry mug cake as a base instead and adding apples. i like the sweeter varieties like fuji and red delicious. https://kirbiecravings.com/2014/08/blueberry-mug-cake-2.html
Oooh, I need to buy some apples so I can make this!
i hope you like it! it’s not quite as nice as my regular apple mug cake but I love that it’s guilt free