In the mood for dessert? Right away! Just whip up this sweet & slightly tart lemon mug cake. The recipe takes only 4 minutes start to finish & voila – instant dessert!
Sometimes you just want dessert and you want it right away! The problem is that most desserts take a while to either bake or chill, so what does one do when they have this craving for something sweet?
I’ll tell you what I do. I make this easy, “anybody can make this” Lemon Mug Cake dessert. And it takes only 4 minutes start to finish! I mean how can you beat that! Not only that, but it makes enough to split between two people and there are no leftovers to worry about. It’s a great portion control dessert without the reminder of a whole cake sitting on the counter and tempting you for days. Of course, if you are really bad (or home alone) this cake can serve just one. (ummm, wonder how I knew that?)
This mug cake is also dairy-free! Most mug cakes use an egg in their batter but this one is made without any eggs at all. I feel that the addition of an egg makes the cake too spongey. Without the egg, it is still moist and has a cakier texture.
Tips for Making the Best Mug Cakes
- PRO-TIP: Make sure to use a large enough mug so there is no overflow to mess up your microwave. The mug should only be half full prior to baking.
- To check for doneness, just touch the top, It should be firm and bounce back slightly. If it appears doughy put back in microwave for another 5-10 seconds.
- Know that your mug cake will sink after it is taken out of the oven. It is supposed to do that!
Frequently Asked Questions about Mug Cakes
What is a mug cake?
It is exactly what it says, it’s literally a cake made in a mug.
What is the best container to bake a mug cake in?
Anything microwaveable works – mugs, ceramic ramekins, glasses, jars and even paper cups.
Why doesn’t my mug cake get brown on top like a regular cake?
The brown on a traditional cake is from caused by the caramelization of sugar which occurs at 320 degrees. A microwave usually reaches a high temperature of 212 degrees.
Can I bake this mug cake in a regular oven?
Aside from “why would you want to do that”, yes you can. However. be aware that timing will be affected and a few additional steps should be taken.
Mug cakes cook best in a microwave but the next best thing is a convection oven. It will work in a regular oven as well but make sure that the mug or container is oven-safe.
Next, remember to use an extra tall mug or cake pan and place in a pan with enough water to cover halfway up the mug. Sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top to prevent them from rising too much. This will also add that nice browned top similar to a regular baked cake.
How to Make this Lemon Mug Cake
- Gather the dry ingredients for the mug cake – flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. (image 1)
- Place in mug and whisk together. (image 2)
- Gather wet ingredients – lemon juice, milk, vegetable oil, lemon curd, vanilla extract and lemon zest. (image 3)
- Whisk wet ingredients together in small bowl. (image 4)
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. (image 5)
- Ready for microwave. (image 6)
- Bake 2 minutes 15 seconds and remove from microwave. Look how light and fluffy it looks! (image 7)
- Mix lemon juice with powdered sugar and drizzle lemon glaze over warm mug cake. (image 8)
Just look at that moist and scrumptious cake. Are you drooling yet?
Now take a bite and enjoy the combination of sweet and tart. It’s a moist cake, slightly different than a normally baked cake, but carries a wonderful lemon flavor that will make you think of summer and sunshine.
So next time you get a craving for something sweet and need it quick, grab a mug, mix and microwave. Voila! Instant cake in 3 minutes! Enjoy!
More Quick & Easy Recipes for your Sweet Tooth
Healthy Almond Butter Mug Cake
Strawberry Mug Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Did you make this easy Lemon Mug Cake? Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!
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In the mood for dessert? Right away! Just whip up this sweet lemon mug cake. The recipe takes just 4 minutes start to finish & voila - instant dessert!
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup milk (I used almond milk for dairy-free version)
- 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon curd
- 2 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- In a very large mug, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, milk, vegetable oil, extract, lemon zest and lemon curd. Stir well.
Combine wet and dry ingredients in mug and whisk together until smooth.
Bake in microwave, on high, for 2 minutes 15 seconds.
While cake is baking, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice for glaze.
Carefully take mug out of oven and drizzle with glaze.
Gobble it up yourself or share it with someone you love.
Tips for Making the Best Mug Cakes
PRO-TIP: Make sure to use a large enough mug so there is no overflow to mess up your microwave. The mug should only be half full prior to baking.
To check for doneness, just touch the top, It should be firm and bounce back slightly. If it appears doughy put back in microwave for another 5-10 seconds.
Know that your mug cake will sink after it is taken out of the oven. It is supposed to do that!
Your mug cake will not be brown on top like a regular oven-baked cake. The brown on a traditional cake is caused by the caramelization of sugar which occurs at 320 degrees. A microwave reaches a nigh temperature of only 212 degrees.
This post has been updated with a new improved recipe and step-by-step photos. It was first published on April 23, 2017.
20 Comments
Grace Brown
08/17/2019 at 8:39 amhi, I tried out this recipe and follow the steps correctly but my mug cake ended up being rubbery yet undercooked. I even put it in my micro wave for longer because I just figured it was undercooked, do you have any idea what could have gone wrong? thanks!
Linda Warren
08/17/2019 at 10:37 amI’m so sorry it didn’t turn out to your liking. Did you touch the top before taking out of the microwave to see if it bounced back slightly? That would show that it was done. The cake should also be moist due to the lemon curd that is added which you might of thought of as being undercooked. My microwave is 1K watts so you can adjust your timing if yours is a lower or higher voltage. Also make sure you use a large enough mug so that the ingredients have room to rise and cook. Hope this helps as I know how much I like having a mug cake when I get that sweet craving.
D
06/20/2019 at 4:15 pmJust what I was craving, and in 4mins I had it! Tastes wonderful. Want to make another right now!
Linda Warren
06/21/2019 at 9:44 amSo glad you liked it! I’m with you on whipping up #2! 🙂
Courtney
05/23/2019 at 9:13 amI absolutely love lemon desserts – this was so quicky and easy to whip up too. Going to add some fresh raspberry jam next time – yum!
Linda Warren
06/05/2019 at 8:54 amLemon desserts are one of my favorites too and especially for summer. Glad that you liked it and your raspberry jam idea sounds deliciously fantastic!
Catherine Long
07/28/2019 at 1:37 pmWhat can I substitute for the lemon curd?
Linda Warren
07/28/2019 at 5:08 pmIf you don’t have any curd you can use lemon pie filling. Let me know how it turns out.
Robin G
05/23/2019 at 8:21 amThis mug cake was so delicious and just the right portion!
Sandi
01/13/2019 at 9:19 pmOur lemon tree is full of lemons…I need to use some up so this recipe is perfect!
Linda Warren
01/16/2019 at 11:45 amI bet it tastes even better with your own lemons!
Wilhelmina
01/13/2019 at 8:45 pmThis is great when you need a quick sweet fix
Linda Warren
09/14/2017 at 2:00 pmI’m so sorry I skipped that. I added about 1-2 teaspoons of lemon curd and mixed well. Hope you get a chance to try it.
glutenfreelady
09/16/2017 at 10:14 pmI actually made this gluten free with applesauce and no lemon curd. It turned out great! Thanks for updating me. Lemon curd contains dairy
glutenfreelady
09/16/2017 at 10:17 pmSorry hit the reply button too quickly! I made this dairy free, gluten free and it turned out great. Lemon curd contains dairy so I would have to make my own but the cake was so good I didn’t miss it.
Linda Warren
09/17/2017 at 3:44 pmI’m so happy it turned out so well for you. And that’s a great idea to use applesauce! I’m going to try that myself.
Danielle
07/27/2017 at 3:39 pmI tried this and it turned out terrible. I think there was too much liquid so it was rubbery and also eggy. I’ll adjust and try again.
Linda Warren
07/27/2017 at 4:37 pmI am so sorry it didn’t turn out for you Danielle. I haven’t heard of any problems from others and have never had any myself. Maybe your microwave is not as powerful so it didn’t cook enough or maybe the egg was too large. You could also try Eleanore’s version as that is egg-free. I hope it works out for you if you try it again.
Eleanore
07/26/2017 at 11:26 amLove this recipe! I substituted a tablespoon of applesauce and a tablespoon of oil for an egg-free version 🙂
Linda Warren
07/26/2017 at 3:34 pmWhat a great idea Eleanore! Sounds delicious!