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Home Β» Baked Goods Β» Easy, 5 Minute Gluten-Free Lemon Mug Cake

July 2, 2022 (last updated September 25, 2023)

Easy, 5 Minute Gluten-Free Lemon Mug Cake

5 from 1 review
Janet Harlow
Leave a Comment Jump to Recipe

This gluten-free lemon mug cake is the perfect, easy dessert for one. It mixes up in just 3 minutes and bakes in the microwave in less than 2 minutes. It’s a moist, fluffy cake with no egg and can easily be made dairy-free.

Be sure to check out more of my gluten-free mug cake recipes including including my fluffy gluten-free apple mug cake and 5-minute gluten-free chocolate chip mug cake. For a full sized cake that also bakes in the microwave, try my gluten-free vanilla microwave cake.

Gluten-free lemon mug cake in white mug on wood board with sliced lemon and microplane on left. Small glass bowl with lemon icing in front. Gray napkin on right.

Microwave Baking

Baking a cake in the microwave is not the ideal way to bake a cake but definitely can be done. It is the ideal way to bake if you are as impatient as I am!

If you eat a mug cake hot and straight out of the microwave, the texture of the cake will not be as tender as if you can wait 30 minutes to an hour. However, I am very impatient so I usually want to dig in right away. It still tastes yummy and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how delicious a microwave cake can be. But let it cool and it will be even better.

Gluten free lemon mug cake with lemon icing and lemon slice in white mug. Spoon above with bite of cake. Bowl and spoon with icing in front.

Ingredients

Gluten-free flour blend – My go-to gluten-free flour for baking is King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour. It works well in almost all of my recipes and is the most affordable of the gluten-free flours I’ve tested.

This mug cake will also work with my DIY gluten-free rice-free flour blend recipe.

Oil is my preferred way to add moisture to cake recipes. It also does a better job than butter (especially in gluten-free baked goods) of making them airy and fluffy. Sunflower, avocado, canola or any other neutral flavored oil will work.

I am mostly dairy-free so I use a milk substitute like coconut, almond, soy or hemp milk. Regular milk will work too.

Both lemon juice and lemon zest assure that there is tons of lemony flavor in this mug cake. If you need a quick tutorial on zesting, chef out my my blog post How to Zest a Lemon.

The rest of the ingredients are just the basics – sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt.

Round wood board with lemon mug cake ingredients - cut lemon, measuring spoons with sugar and baking powder, metal measuring cup with flour on right. White mug and small glass milk pitcher in back. Fork and tan napkin on right. White background.

Mug Cake Toppings

You’ll probably want to devour this mug cake as soon as it comes out of the microwave. But since the cake will be piping hot, a topping that turns to liquid (like frosting) is not the best option. So here are a few toppings you can use on a hot cake.

Simple lemon icing – Mix two tablespoons powdered sugar with 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice and a little bit of lemon zest. Drizzle over the mug cake for an extra pop of lemony sweetness.

Rainbow sprinkles will melt a little bit but are a fun and easy topping.

White chocolate chips, either melted or whole, are excellent on a lemon cake.

Close up of gluten-free lemon mug cake in white mug on wood board with sliced lemon and spoon with icing on in front. Small glass bowl with lemon icing on left. Gray napkin on right.
Gluten free lemon mug cake with lemon icing and lemon slice in white mug. Spoon above with bite of cake.

Easy, 5 Minute Gluten-Free Lemon Mug Cake

Author: Janet Harlow
Course: Baked Goods, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 mug cake
This gluten-free lemon mug cake is the perfect, easy dessert for one. It mixes up in just 5 minutes and makes a moist, fluffy cake.
5 from 1 review
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 minutes mins

Recommended Products

  • King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
  • Microplane

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lemon
  • 3 Tbsp oil, avocado, sunflower, canola or other neutral flavored vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp milk or dairy-free milk substitute
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • Β½ tsp vanilla homemade gluten-free vanilla extract
  • 2 pinches salt
  • β…“ c +1 Tbsp gluten-free flour blend
  • Β½ tsp baking powder

Lemon Icing

  • 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
  • ΒΌ-Β½ tsp lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Remove the zest from half of the lemon using a microplane. Check out my post How to Zest a Lemon for a quick tutorial.
  • Juice the lemon to get 2 tablespoons of juice.
  • Place the lemon zest and juice, oil, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt into a mug. Beat with a fork until well combined.
  • Add the flour and baking powder and mix until it is smooth.
  • Microwave on high for 1 minute 50 seconds.
  • If the cake is not completely set on top, heat an additional 10 seconds.
  • Let it sit in the (closed) microwave for ten seconds after the time is up.
  • Ideally, this cake, or any cake, is better once cooled. If you can stand it, let it cool for 5 or ten minutes before eating.

Make the Lemon Icing

  • Make this icing immediately before topping the cake.
  • In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and 1/4 tsp of the lemon juice together until smooth. If it's too thick add the remaining 1/4 tsp lemon juice.
  • Drizzle over the baked cake.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how it was! Tag @chefjanetk on Instagram.
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Posted In: Baked Goods · Tagged: cake, lemon, mug cake

Comments

  1. June Marie says

    July 4, 2022 at 9:59 pm

    This is a delicious recipe and a quick sweet treat for me. I plan to try many more of your recipes. Thank you Chef Janet

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      July 4, 2022 at 10:14 pm

      You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Isabella Ava says

    December 5, 2022 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    Hello Janet,

    I am a big fan of your gluten-free recipes. Tried some of them at my home and my husband loves them a lot though he is not a big loved of gluten-free foods.

    Anyways, I have a question. Yesterday I went to a grocery shop near to my house. And noticed a product labeled as Non-Gluten. Is there any difference between non gluten and gluten-free products?

    Thanks.
    Isabella.

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      December 5, 2022 at 10:48 am

      Hi Isabella, I’m so glad to hear that your a fan of my recipes. Thank you! I have never seen a product labeled “non-gluten” and am not sure what that means. I would be skeptical. Definitely read the label carefully.

      Reply

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