Microwave Apple Cinnamon Oat Mug Cake
A tender, single-serve oat mug cake with soft cinnamon apples, ready in minutes. Dense and comforting, it is a warm breakfast or quick sweet fix straight from the microwave.
- Total
- 12 min
- Prep 6 · Cook 4 · Rest 2
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Dicing · Steaming
- Sweet
- Quick
- Microwave
Instructions
-
Core the apple and cut it into 1 cm cubes, leaving the peel on for texture. You should have about 120 g.
~3 min
Keeping the peel adds fiber and helps the cubes hold their shape during microwaving.
Dicing Cut the apple into even 1 cm cubes so they cook at the same rate; uneven pieces leave some crunchy and some mushy.
-
Put the apple cubes in a small microwave-safe bowl with 40 ml water and 0.25 tsp cinnamon. Cover loosely and microwave on high for 2 minutes, until the apple is tender when pierced with a fork.
~2 min
Covering traps steam, which cooks the apple evenly and keeps it tender without drying out.
Steaming Cover loosely to trap steam, which cooks the apple gently; a tight seal can build pressure and splatter when opened.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the apple cooks, stir 40 g oats, 1 tsp oil, 1 pinch salt and the remaining 0.25 tsp cinnamon in the mug. Add the remaining 40 ml water and mix with a fork until no dry oats remain.
~2 min
-
Spoon the softened apple and its cooking liquid over the oat batter in the mug. Stir once so the apple is evenly distributed.
~1 min
Stirring once distributes the apple and its liquid so the cake cooks evenly.
-
Microwave on high for 2 minutes, until the cake is set at the edges and slightly moist in the center. If it is still wet, microwave in 15-second bursts.
~2 min
Short bursts prevent overcooking, since oats turn rubbery when microwaved too long.
Microwave wattages vary a lot, so stop as soon as the edges look set; overcooking turns the oats rubbery.
-
Let the mug cake stand for 2 minutes to finish setting, then eat it warm straight from the mug.
~2 min
Resting lets residual heat finish setting the center so it is not wet or scalding.