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

July 2, 2022

Easy, 5 Minute Gluten-Free Lemon Mug Cake

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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 easy gluten-free cakes including my gluten-free vanilla mug 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!

The texture of the mug cake will not be as tender as an oven-baked cake. As long as that’s okay with you, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how delicious a microwave cake can be.

Close up of gluten-free lemon mug cake in white mug on wood board with sliced lemon and microplane on left. Small glass bowl  and spoon with lemon 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 white mug with gluten-free lemon mug cake topped with lemon icing and lemon slice. Spoon above with bite of cake. Wood board underneath. White background.
White mug with gluten-free lemon mug cake topped with lemon icing and lemon slice. Wood board underneath with lemon slices on left and small glass bowl of lemon icing.

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.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 3 mins
Cook Time 2 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
  • 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

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

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