About This Recipe

Mug apple crumble cake bridges the gap between a mug cake and a mug crumble, combining the soft, spiced apple cake batter that cooks in the bottom of the mug with a quick buttery crumble topping scattered over before cooking. The result has two distinct textures: the tender, apple-studded cake beneath and the slightly drier, crumbly topping above, which together produce an eating experience that is more interesting than either element alone.

The apple must be cut into very small dice, about half a centimetre, for a mug cake. Larger pieces of apple do not cook through in the brief microwave time and produce crunchy, undercooked pockets in the finished cake. Very small dice cook almost instantly and provide bursts of soft, warm, cinnamon-sweet apple throughout the sponge that is genuinely satisfying.

The crumble topping is made in a small bowl by rubbing cold butter into flour and sugar with your fingers for thirty seconds. It needs to be genuinely crumbly rather than smooth, which means cold butter and minimal handling. Scattered over the batter before cooking, it bakes into a slightly dry, coarse-textured surface that contrasts with the moist cake beneath. A pinch of cinnamon in the crumble ties it to the apple spice of the cake below.

History and Origins

Apple crumble is one of the most beloved British puddings, developed as a wartime recipe in the 1940s when pastry was difficult to make due to butter and flour rationing. The crumble topping, simpler and less fat-intensive than pastry, quickly became a popular dessert format in its own right. The mug cake adaptation combines the convenience of single-serving microwave cooking with the classic British crumble format.

Why It Is Fast To Make

Microwave cooking. Small-diced apple requires no pre-cooking. Crumble topping made in 30 seconds. Total 8 minutes.

 Quick Mug Apple Crumble Cake

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Cake

Servings

1

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

3

minutes

Calories

480

kcal

Ingredients

• •tHalf a small apple peeled and cut into very small dice

• •t3 tbsp unsalted butter melted

• •t2 tbsp brown sugar

• •t1 large egg

• •t3 tbsp self-raising flour

• •t0.5 tsp cinnamon

• •t1 tbsp milk

• •tPinch of salt

• •tFor crumble: 1 tbsp cold butter, 2 tbsp plain flour, 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of cinnamon

Directions

• Make the crumble first: rub cold butter into flour, sugar and cinnamon until clumpy. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a large mug for 30 seconds.
• Add sugar, egg, milk and cinnamon. Beat with a fork.
• Add flour and salt. Mix until just smooth.
• Fold in diced apple.
• Scatter crumble topping evenly over the batter.
• Microwave on high for 2 to 2.5 minutes until set beneath the crumble.
• Eat immediately with a spoon of double cream.

Notes

• Cut the apple into very small pieces. Pieces larger than half a centimetre will not cook through in microwave time.
  The crumble should be genuinely crumbly. If it becomes smooth paste it has been overworked.
  The crumble will not crisp in the microwave the way it would in an oven. It will be slightly drier and more coarse in texture than a baked crumble.
  Bramley apple provides a sharper, more intense apple flavour. Eating apples produce a sweeter, milder result.

Make Ahead Tips

Too perishable and time-sensitive to benefit from advance preparation. The crumble can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Storage and Serving

Eat immediately while warm. Does not store well. Make fresh in eight minutes.

Variations and Substitutions

Replace apple with pear or tinned peaches drained of juice. Add a tablespoon of raisins to the batter. Add a pinch of nutmeg alongside the cinnamon. Add a tablespoon of rolled oats to the crumble topping for extra texture.

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