Keto Lemon Mug Cake

Name: Keto Lemon Mug Cake
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 3 min
Ingredients: 4 tbsp almond flour (extra fine, or 5-6 tablespoons ground almonds); 2 tbsp heavy cream; 1 1/2 tbsp powdered sweetener; 1 egg; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 tbsp heavy cream; squeeze of lemon juice; 1 tbsp powdered sweetener

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Big flavor, light texture: Try this easy, moist keto lemon mug cake with a deliciously zingy lemon glaze. It contains only 6 ingredients and cooks in 90 seconds.

This almond flour mug cake, my friends, is a revelation. It is such a treat. To think that you can make a delicious keto dessert that's ready in 3 minutes!

It's like the super-speedy cheat's version of this Keto Lemon Pound Cake.

I adore mug cakes. My first attempt at making a cake in the microwave was this divine low carb Christmas pudding.

Since we don't eat Christmas food all year round, I expanded my repertoire quickly. Try this keto chocolate mug cake, my keto vanilla mug cake or this divine keto peanut butter mug cake.

This sugar free lemon mug cake is definitely a new favourite, and I have made it several times already.

The cake you can see in the recipe video I shared with a diabetic neighbour who popped by. She thought it was "divine".

🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe

Moist sponge with a light and airy crumb texture
Packed with zingy lemon flavor
Topped with a creamy lemon glaze
Keto friendly - only 2.7g net carbs per serve
Gluten-free
Easy and quick recipe - cooks in 90 seconds

Ingredients

You only need 6 ingredients to make this easy treat:

Almond flour - I've made this cake with both super-fine almond flour and with ground almonds. When using almond meal or ground almonds, add 1-2 additional tablespoons.
Heavy cream - also called double cream. We are using this instead of butter.
Powdered sweetener - I used powdered erythritol. You can also use monk fruit sweetener or erythritol blends such as Swerve. Xylitol and allulose work as well.
Egg - large
Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice tastes best. However, bottled lemon juice will also work.
Baking powder

Instructions

(This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. Find the recipe card with ingredient amounts and nutritional information at the bottom of the post.)

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients - almond flour, powdered sweetener and baking powder in a small bowl.

Mixing the wet ingredients into the dry.

Step 2: Add the wet ingredients - lemon juice, cream and an egg. Mix with a fork until combined.

Pouring the cake batter into a greased bowl.

Step 3: If you want to turn the cake out onto a plate later, transfer the cake batter into a well-greased bowl or ramekin. Or, separate the mix into 2 mugs.

If you want to eat it straight from the bowl, microwave in the bowl you mixed the batter in.

Step 4: Microwave on high for 90 seconds.

Step 5: Turn your lemon cake out onto a plate and top with lemon drizzle glaze.

Top tip

I've had my fair share of microwave mug cake accidents! If your mug, ramekin or dessert bowl is too small, the batter will overflow as it rises and make a mighty mess.

It's important that your vessel has a volume of at least 200 millilitres and is wider rather than narrow and tall. Mugs or ramekins should not be filled with batter more than half. Always have a few fingers of free space between the batter and the rim.

A lemon cake with lemon glaze on a plate.

FAQ

How can I make this dairy-free?

Use coconut cream or coconut oil instead of the cream.

Can I use coconut flour instead?

No, you would have to change other parts of the recipe too. Make my coconut flour mug cake and add lemon.

Do I have to add the glaze?

It's not necessary for the recipe. However, I think it makes the cake taste even better.

Baker's notes

Here are ideas how you can change up the recipe:

Poke little holes into the finished cake. When you pour over the glaze it sinks into the holes and makes the cake even more moist.
Add 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds.
Grate lemon zest into the batter.
Add a few blueberries or raspberries into the batter.
Use lime instead of lemon
Blend the egg with an electric mixer until double in size and pale in colour. This will make for an even lighter sponge.
Add a cream cheese frosting (2 tablespoon cream cheese, 1 teaspoon sweetener and a little lemon juice)
Top with sugar free whipped cream

Microwave timings

My microwave operates at 900 watts and my cake took 90 seconds to cook. Here's a quick overview of recommended baking times for this keto lemon mug cake recipe:

600W = low power. 110+ seconds.
800W = 100 seconds.
900W = 90 seconds.
1000W = 80 seconds
1200W = 60-70 seconds.

After these times, check whether the cake is done. If it's still undercooked, add increments of 10 seconds.

Oven instructions

To make this cake in the oven, bake for around 12-15 minutes at 180 Celsius (160C fan) or 350 F (320F fan assisted). Test with a toothpick of knife to make sure it's fully cooked.

Baking in 2 ramekins means less oven time, using one larger ramekin will increase the baking duration.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: All almond flour cakes are suitable for freezing. Freeze for up to 3 months.

More keto lemon recipes

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