Apple-Cinnamon Mug Cakes with Toasted Almonds

Like a coffee cake hug – eaten in your jammies. These individual cakes are moist, warm and sweet, and they have the most comforting combination of apples and cinnamon. And those toasted almonds on top? Crunchy, nutty joy. Super healthy and ready in 90 seconds. Scrumptious.

Mug cakes are THE BEST for quick and easy desserts on the fly. And this apple-cinnamon version is great for breakfast too. Imagine if an apple coffee cake and snickerdoodle cookie had a baby. And this is healthy too - thanks to the applesauce, you need just 1 teaspoon of oil per mug cake!

A quick note about the size of the mug: Make sure the mug you choose holds at least 8 ounces of liquid. You want something  right around 8 ounces; so don't use a teacup, and don't use that mug-as-big-as-a-bowl you got as a gift. Somewhere between 8-10 ounces is perfect. If the mug is too small, the batter will rise up and spill over the sides in the microwave, making a complete mess to clean up (trust me). If the mug is too big, the cake will be fine, but it won't make a pretty presentation. If you don't care how it looks, I won't judge. The cake will still taste amazing.

One more tip: These mug cakes are best served right away, when they’re warm and puffed up. In my house, we eat them anytime – even cold. But warm is always best.

Apple-Cinnamon Mug Cakes with Toasted Almonds
Divide the recipe by 4 if you want to make ONE mug cake, or one serving. 

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
Pinch of salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons toasted almond slivers or slices*

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and salt.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.
In a third bowl, whisk together the applesauce, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add the apple mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until blended.
Spoon the batter into 4 microwave-safe mugs, filling the mugs about 2/3 full. Microwave the mug cakes, one at a time, and cook on HIGH (uncovered) for 90 seconds each.
Sprinkle the mug cakes with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and toasted almonds and serve warm.

*To toast the almonds, place them in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Cook until light brown and toasted, about 3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to promote even toasting.

Serves 4