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!
Love quick & easy recipes? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest & Twitter for all the latest recipe inspiration! Plus join my email list here and receive our free Awesome Appetizers e-book.
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! 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.Nutrition
This post has been updated with a new improved recipe and step-by-step photos. It was first published on April 23, 2017.
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!