If you love lemons as much as we do but are short on time, why not try this incredibly light gluten free lemon mug cake recipe? This lemon microwave cake is ready from start to finish in about 4 minutes.
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Summer is coming, and it is the time of year I least like using my oven. Not using an oven to bake is hard, especially for my cake-loving family!
This cake is full of rich lemon flavor and topped with homemade lemonade icing. You will never know this cake is gluten free! Mug cakes are our new favorite summer dessert.
If you haven't had a microwave cake yet, you are in for a treat! This mug cake is not only gluten free, but it is also dairy-free! If you want an egg-free mug dessert, try this easy gluten free mug brownie recipe.
Just made using Namaste gf flour blend!!! DELICIOUS…. Had to add 20 seconds for my 16oz mugs, turned out great & didn’t add any toppings!!!"
Charlotte P, FB review
Why You Need to Make This:
- If you love fresh lemon flavors and are craving cake...this is the recipe for you!
- You can make this gluten free lemon mug cake in under 4 minutes from start to finish.
- All you need are a few simple ingredients and your favorite mug! If you prefer a vanilla cake, try this gluten free vanilla mug cake recipe!
Are you ready to give this dairy-free lemon mug cake recipe a try?
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend, Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour Blend, and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I have not tested other flours, and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes. Note my DIY All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend also works very well in all of my mug cake recipes. It is a gum-free custom blend.
- Baking soda - Use baking soda.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Light oil - You can use any light oil, but avoid strong-flavored oils.
- Non-dairy milk - I used almond milk, but other dairy-free milk will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Add all of your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend. In another bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using the spoon method or leveling method. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale. To make a scale even trickier, every gluten free flour blend has a different weight.
Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Pour your cake batter into a mug. Microwave for 90 seconds. If you use a deep coffee mug, you will want to add 20 seconds if it needs more time.
Note: The cake is going to rise while cooking...A LOT. Make sure when you put the batter in the cup that it is no more than half full. The cake will grow way past the rim, then sink back down as it cooks.
This gluten free snickerdoodle mug cake rose way up when cooking in the microwave!
Topping ideas:
There are so many fun ways to top this mug cake! Here are some of our favorites:
- Lemonade icing (recipe below)
- Vanilla frosting or vanilla cream cheese frosting (use the recipe in this cake recipe)
- Drizzle on melted white chocolate
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
If you want even more delicious gluten-free lemon recipes, try this easy gluten free lemon donuts recipe a try!
If you love making a cake in under 5 minutes, you can check out all of my easy gluten free mug cake recipes!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
For my mug cake recipes, I microwave my mug cakes for about 1 minute and 45 seconds. If you use a deep mug, you may need to microwave an additional 20 seconds.
You can use any mug to make a mug cake as long as it is microwave-safe. Do NOT use plastic mugs, as they can melt or add a chemical flavor to your cake. Ensure your mug is tall enough that the batter will come up no higher than halfway.
The only bummer about a mug cake is they just aren't pretty. If you need to make your mug cake look good, you can use a knife to make some simple cuts to make it more uniform.
Once your mug cake is uniform, cut it in half horizontally so that it is like a layer cake. Frost as you would a regular layer cake
You can easily substitute jarred lemon juice for fresh lemon juice, but you won't have any fresh lemon zest if you use jarred. The rich lemon flavors will still shine through in the most delicious way!
This mug cake will keep up to 3 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
This gluten free chocolate mug cake takes about 2 minutes because it is a double serving.
More Delicious Gluten Free Lemon Recipes:
Reader Rave:
This works and it actually tastes like cake. Maybe a bit more like a good pancake. But it‘s still a good quick dessert👍🏻"
Elesa E., Pinterest user
If you love these cakes, do you know you can make mug cobblers? Try this gluten free cherry cobbler mug cake!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Mug Cake
Ingredients
For the Mug Cake
- ¼ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- dash salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon light oil * see note
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk * see note
For the Icing
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Add the wet ingredients to another bowl and mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
- Pour the batter into a mug, making sure the batter goes no more than ½ way up the mug.
- Microwave the cake for 90 seconds.
- Mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice to make your icing and drizzle on top of the mug cake.
Notes
- If you are using a tall mug, you may need to microwave the cake 20 seconds longer.
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend in this recipe. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- This mug cake will keep up to 3 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Fearless Dining
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Crystal
I do not know what I did wrong. I used King Arthur measure for measure flour, avocado oil, and 2% milk. It did not have a nice texture at all, it was almost gummy.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Crystal, if your cake turned out gummy, it probably cooked in the microwave too long. Cooking time depends on the depth of the mug and how hot your microwave runs.
heather
can regular whole milk be used oe maybe coconut cream?
Thanks!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Heather, you can use regular milk :-).
Davida
This is delicious. All your lemon recipes are excellent.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much. Lemon desserts are near and dear to my heart. We are blessed to have a big beautiful lemon tree that gives us lots of lemons.
Eve
I don't have microwave, is there another way to cook it please?
Thanks!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Eve, are you looking for a lemon cake or just a single serving cake? You can bake this, but I haven't tried so you would need to keep an eye to make sure it doesn't cook too long. If you want a regular-sized lemon cake, this one is amazing: https://www.fearlessdining.com/gluten-free-lemon-layer-cake
Davida
I don't have a microwave either, so I use my Dash mini-bundt maker. Also, I have doubled or tripled Sandi's mug cake recipes and baked a few cupcakes in the oven with the batter. They taste great, whichever way I bake them.
Jen
What type of oil is considered a "light" oil in this recipe?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Jen, I like to use avocado oil or coconut oil in my mug cakes. Don't use olive oil because it won't do well at a high heat.
Geri DP
Can't wait to try this one; the others were great.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much, Geri. Do you have any requests for new mug cake flavors?