In the mood for dessert? Right away! Just whip up this sweet & slightly tart lemon mug cake. This easy recipe uses simple ingredients and takes only 4 minutes from start to finish & voila - instant dessert!
Table of Contents
Quick Dessert to Enjoy Anytime
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 craving something sweet?
I'll tell you what I do. I make this easy Lemon Mug Cake dessert. It's the best of all lemon desserts and so easy that anyone can make it. It takes just minutes from start to finish and has just the right amount of tangy flavor! How can you beat that?!
Of course, if you're a lemon lover I've got you covered with more sweet treats. Try my Lemon Brownies, Lemon Shortbread Cookies, or Lemon Chiffon Cake to satisfy all your sweet cravings.
Why You'll Love This Lemon Mug Cake Recipe
Bright Flavor: It makes a mug cake with a deep lemon flavor because it's made with fresh lemon juice, curd, and zest.
Easy to Customize: You can easily customize it by adding or substituting ingredients. See the recipe variations section below.
Perfect Size: This lemon cake in a mug recipe makes enough to split between two people and there are no leftovers to worry about. (or keep it all for yourself - no judgement here!)
Portion Control: It's a great portion control dessert without the reminder of a whole cake sitting on the counter and tempting you for days.
Egg Allergy Friendly: This lemon mug cake no egg recipe is great for those with an egg allergy! Most mug cakes use an egg in their batter but this one is made without it. 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.
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this lemon curd mug cake. The exact measurements are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For the lemon cake:
- All-purpose flour
- White granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Lemon curd - either store-bought or homemade lemon curd
- Lemon juice - fresh is best!
- Lemon zest
- Milk - regular, almond, or other plant-based milks can be substituted
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
For the lemon drizzle:
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
How to Make Lemon Mug Cake
Here are the simple steps for making lemon cake in a mug:
- Place the dry ingredients for the mug cake - flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large microwave-safe mug. Whisk together
- Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl - lemon juice, milk, vegetable oil, lemon curd, vanilla extract, and fresh lemon zest.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Just like that your mug cake is ready for the microwave.
- Microwave for 2 minutes 15 seconds and then remove it from the microwave.
Note: Be aware that microwave times will vary depending on the wattage of your microwave.
For the lemon glaze:
Make the lemon drizzle while your mug cake is baking. It's a quick glaze that adds just the right zip to this easy treat.
- Whisk lemon juice with powdered sugar.
- Ready to drizzle on your warm lemon mug cake.
As soon as the mug cake is done, drizzle the sweet-tart lemon glaze over the warm lemon cake. It's the perfect finishing touch for this lemony dessert.
Now take a bite and enjoy the deliciously tangy lemon flavor perfectly balanced with a little sweet. It's a moist cake, slightly different than a normal baked cake, but carries a wonderful lemon flavor that will make you think of summer and sunshine. Enjoy!
Optional Toppings
Add a little decadence to this easy dessert by topping it with:
- Lemon Greek Yogurt
- Lemon Zest
- Mini White Chocolate Chips
- Ice Cream
- Whipped Cream
Recipe Variations
Here are some different ways to make the cake:
- Gluten Free Lemon Mug Cake - Substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour.
- Honey Lemon Mug Cake - Substitute 1 tablespoon of sugar with honey.
- Lemon Blueberry Mug Cake - Add a few fresh blueberries to the batter.
- Lemon Poppyseed Mug Cake - Add ½ teaspoon of poppy seeds.
- Meyer Lemon Mug Cake - Use Meyer lemon juice, curd, and zest.
- Sugar Free Lemon Mug Cake - Substitute sugar with Swerve or Lakanto.
- Vegan Lemon Mug Cake - Use dairy-free milk and vegan lemon curd.
Tips for Making the Best Mug Cakes
- 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 before baking.
- To check for doneness, just touch the top, It should be firm and bounce back slightly. If it appears doughy put it back in the microwave for another 5-10 seconds.
- Know that your mug cake will sink after it is taken out of the microwave 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 caused by the caramelization of sugar which occurs at 320°F. A microwave usually reaches a high temperature of 212°F.
Can I bake this mug cake in a regular oven?
Yes, you can bake a mug cake in the oven. 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.
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 and Easy Mug Cake Recipes for Your Sweet Tooth
Strawberry Mug Cake with Chocolate Ganache
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EASY MICROWAVE LEMON MUG CAKE WITH LEMON GLAZE
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup milk (I used almond milk for dairy-free version)
- 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon curd
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
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!Nutrition
This post has been updated with a new improved recipe and step-by-step photos. It was first published on April 23, 2017.
Hope Klan says
Hey! Love this so much! Just one thing it turned rubbery kind of and uncooked ish i guess… i cooked for about 6 minutes as it wasnt cooking so kept doing longer! Tastes great but just not really a ‘cake’ i guess. Thank-you so much, some recommendations?
Linda Warren says
So glad you gave it a try. Here are a few suggestions. When microwaving a mug cake it is best to use a wide, large mug rather than a tall skinny mug. You should also stick close to the times given for cooking as cooking longer will make it rubbery. Cook it for the 2-2.30 minutes and let it set. It is not quite like a regular cake but more like a cross between a pudding and a sponge cake. The moistness may make it seem undercooked but it is not. Just a little press on the top should be all that is needed to check for doneness.
Ellie Graham says
Disgusting. More of a sludge than a cake. Didn't make any substitutions or omissions.
Linda Warren says
Sorry this mug cake didn't work for you. It is one of my most popular recipes but mug cakes in general can be effected by many different elements. Overmixing can cause a mug cake to become gummy or mushy instead of light and fluffy. Also an overcooked mug cake can become too dense and soften considerably. If the mug is too small the cake can also become soggy so make sure your mug is of a sufficient size to allow the ingredients to expand. Alternately, I made mine in a 1000-watt oven so if yours is less powerful timing would need to be adjusted.
Bonnie Wingo says
Excellent lemon flavor.
I substituted lemon pudding mix for the curd. Left out the lemon zest and the lemon glaze. Will be making this often. Adding it to my mug cake favorites.
Linda Warren says
Yum! Never thought of lemon pudding but it sounds like it would work just as well as the curd. Glad you enjoyed it!
Kathryn Mendy says
Hi how much lemon pudding did you add ? Thanks 🙂
Linda Warren says
There is no lemon pudding in this recipe but there are 2 teaspoons of lemon curd added.
Tenelle says
Yes Bonnie how much lemon pudding did you add to your mug cake instead of lemon curd??
Linda Warren says
You can substitute equal amounts of lemon pudding for the lemon curd. Lemon pudding is a little thinner so it may produce a wetter cake. You can adjust the amount to your liking.
h says
this is an incredible mug cake . so enjoyable and easy !!!!!! i was extremely impressed by the softness and taste of this mug cake actually. thank you for posting !!
Linda Warren says
Thank you so much, it's one of my favorites too! I am so glad you liked it!
Shannon says
Great recipe, I folded in a handful of fresh blueberries, absolutely divine. I did not make the glaze but topped it with a scoop of Frozen vanilla custard.
Linda Warren says
I love lemon and blueberries together. What a great idea! I'll be right over lol
Liz N says
I'm just tasting it now. OMG so good. I had a GIANT Meyer lemon from my WW coach and used it to make two of these - one for me, one for hubby. The one thing I changed was to put a splash of lemonchello (sp?) in with the glaze. So yummy. I also cut the oil to 1 TB and it was plenty moist. I'll save this recipe to make again.
Linda Warren says
I'm so happy you loved it! And what a delicious idea to add limoncello to the glaze. I'm definitely trying that next time I make this!
Saige Soriano says
In my previous mug cake recipe expirements, i have found that using melted butter instead of oil makes it taste better because the oil has more of a "bad" taste. The oil isn't bad per say, but butter tastes better 🙂
Linda Warren says
That sounds like a delicious way to make it richer. Thanks for the great idea!
Julie Blasberg-King says
This turned out fab. I halved the recipe, sort of guessed the amount of milk, added home made tangerine curd and cooked for 2 mins 5 seconds. I topped it with more tangerine curd and it was awesome. Other mug cakes have turned out rubbery. My go to recipe in the future thank you.
Linda Warren says
I love the idea of trying it with tangerine curd. And homemade! I'm so jealous. Sounds like my dream dessert.
Hailey says
I've had similar result on my first attempt, I've reduced the oil to 1 tbsp and it worked perfectly. I've also tried to top mine with condensed milk instead of the confection sugar and it still worked well.
Linda Warren says
I'll have to give it a try with condensed milk. Sounds like a nice sweetener.
Grace Brown says
hi, 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 says
I'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.
Andrea says
One word. PERFECT!! I loved it. Made it just as written turned out perfect
Linda Warren says
I'm so happy you liked it! It's one of my favorites when I feel like having something sweet without making an entire cake (which I would feel obliged to eat up lol).
D says
Just what I was craving, and in 4mins I had it! Tastes wonderful. Want to make another right now!
Linda Warren says
So glad you liked it! I'm with you on whipping up #2! 🙂
Courtney says
I 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 says
Lemon 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 says
What can I substitute for the lemon curd?
Linda Warren says
If you don't have any curd you can use lemon pie filling. Let me know how it turns out.
Robin G says
This mug cake was so delicious and just the right portion!
Sandi says
Our lemon tree is full of lemons...I need to use some up so this recipe is perfect!
Linda Warren says
I bet it tastes even better with your own lemons!
Wilhelmina says
This is great when you need a quick sweet fix
Linda Warren says
I'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 says
I actually made this gluten free with applesauce and no lemon curd. It turned out great! Thanks for updating me. Lemon curd contains dairy
glutenfreelady says
Sorry 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 says
I'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 says
I 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 says
I 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 says
Love this recipe! I substituted a tablespoon of applesauce and a tablespoon of oil for an egg-free version 🙂
Linda Warren says
What a great idea Eleanore! Sounds delicious!