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 flavorful keto mug cake is a new favourite of mine and I have made it several times already.
It is an almond flour sponge cake with a moist yet light and airy crumb texture and it is packed with zingy lemon flavor. I have topped it with a creamy lemon glaze.
Think of this cake as a super-speedy cheat's version of this Keto Lemon Pound Cake.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This cake is ready from scratch in 3 minutes. It is brilliant as a spontaneous treat or as a last-minute dessert.
- It is naturally gluten-free and keto friendly with only 2.7g net carbs per portion.
- I shared the cake in the recipe video with a diabetic neighbour who popped by. She thought it was "divine". But, my carb-loving children also enjoyed the taste. This is a sugar free dessert that does not taste sugar free!
Ingredients
You only need 6 ingredients!
- 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. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients - almond flour, powdered sweetener and baking powder in a small bowl.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients - lemon juice, cream and an egg. Mix with a fork until combined.
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 the keto lemon mug cake out onto a plate and top with lemon drizzle glaze.
Or, enjoy it straight from the bowl!
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.
Recipe FAQs
Use coconut cream or coconut oil instead of the cream.
No, you would have to change other parts of the recipe too. Make my coconut flour mug cake and add lemon.
It's not necessary for the recipe. However, I think it makes the cake taste even better.
Variations
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 sugar free lemon mug cake recipe:Â
- 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.
Related Recipes
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 vanilla keto mug cake or this divine keto peanut butter mug cake. Here are more keto mug cakes to try:
- Keto Blueberry Mug Cake4 Minutes
- Keto Lava Mug Cake4 Minutes
- Cinnamon Swirl Coconut Flour Mug Cake4 Minutes
- Keto Mug Cheesecake (Microwave Recipe)8 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Lemon Mug Cake
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 tablespoon almond flour extra fine, or 5-6 tablespoons ground almonds
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 ½ tablespoon powdered sweetener
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
For the glaze
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon powdered sweetener
Instructions
Cake
- Grease 2 ramekins, mugs or 1 microwave-safe bowl with melted butter. I used a glass dessert bowl.
- Mix all dry ingredients - almond flour, sweetener and baking powder - in a separate bowl.
- Add all wet ingredients and mix thoroughly with a fork. If you find your dough is too liquid add more almond flour.
- Transfer batter into your bowl or mugs and level the top.
- Microwave on high for 90 seconds.
- Turn upside down onto a plate once cooled or enjoy straight from the bowl.
Glaze
- Melt the butter, then stir in the cream, lemon juice and sweetener.
- Let cool until the glaze begins to thicken. Spoon or pour over cake.
Video
Notes
- 600W = low power. 110+ seconds.Â
- 800W = 100 seconds.
- 900W = 90 seconds.Â
- 1000W = 80 seconds
- 1200W = 60-70 seconds.Â
Suzanne Lanoue
Thanks for the recipe! I loved the cake. I didn't have cream, so I used the 2% milk I had, and it still turned out fine. Just a little crumbly. Instead of the glaze, I just put whipped cream on it.
I put it in a big mug and used Splenda instead of erythritol. I was very generous with both the lemon juice and the Splenda. It was delicious! I shared it on my social media, too, and in a Celiac Facebook group that I frequent. Oh, I gave some to my dog and she loved it, too! Since I used Splenda, it was safe for her (the other type is not safe for dogs).
Katrin
So glad you enjoyed the cake, and thank you for sharing it on your social media!
Cindy Burton
I just tried this mug cake and made it exactly as you stated, with one exception. Instead of putting it in two ramekins, I put the whole batter in a small serving bowl (one that typically holds about two cans of corn). After 90 seconds, I got it out and put it on a plate. It did not fall apart at all but was still pretty moist, so I just stuck the plate in the microwave for another 30 seconds and it came out perfect!
I lucked out this week and was able to find a big gallon of frozen raspberries for sale at our local Amish store for $8, so I put about 10 little berries in the same bowl I had just emptied the glaze from and microwaved them for 30 seconds. Then I added a tsp of powdered erythritol to the bowl and whisked them up. Poured them over the glaze and OMG, was it ever delicious!!! However, I must add, I did have one spot on my cake that the raspberries had not run into yet and I grabbed a quick bite of it just to see how well I liked the cake without my fruit topping, and it was delicious too! So, even if you don't have raspberries, you still need to try this cake!
Katrin
The addition of the raspberries is making my mouth water!!! Great idea 🙂
Sanny Ang
Hiyo Katrin
I just made your Lemon Mug Cake...with a few adjustments:
6 Tbsps of almond meal, 2 Tbsps of Coconut Cream & zest & juice of 1 lemon...Microwave High for 120 minutes.
It just pulls away from the mug...Fantastic with a dollop of lemon curd.
Thank you for a wonderful quick dessert.
Katrin
Sounds yum! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Marcella Rice
120 minutes???
Sharon
Oh my! So tasty! I ended up using 5 Tbsp of almond flour. Served with fresh sliced strawberries. Delish! Thanks for sharing
Violeta
Perfect!
Eleanor
Oh my gosh, YUM!!! I MADe with coconut milk in stead of heavy cream. It was so good. Thank you yet again for another delicious recipe.
Eleanor
YUM!!! SO good. I made with coconut cream instead of heavy cream, turned out just as good. Thank you for yet another great recipe!!
Katrin
Good to know you can use coconut cream!
Joy Robinson
Followed the recipe to a "T" and it was very runny... Didn't bake up at all. Checked and triple checked the measurements. Should it be more than 4 TB of almond flour? I am a lemonaholic and am beginning to experience withdrawals. ;). Help
Katrin
Hi Joy, I have made the cake with both super fine almond flour and with ground almonds (=much coarser). If your almond flour is NOT super fine or you're using ground almonds/ almond meal, you have to use an extra 1-2 tbsp of "flour", it's all in the recipe notes at the bottom. I'm sorry you seem to have missed it. Next time, just add more almonds util you have reached the same batter consistency as shown in the video - soft, but not runny.
Tammy
My cake turned out bitter. I used So Noirished Monk Fruit Erythritol Blend in the measurement you gave. I used the same sweetner in the glaze and it tastes good. I’m not sure where I went wrong.
Katrin
Hi Tammy, the only ingredient that could taste bitter would be the lemon zest, if you grate in too much of the white peel. Or if you use waxed lemons, which means you might be able to taste the wax and chemicals. Or your almond flour was old and has gone off. You should always store it at room temperature if you're not using it often. Do you think it could have been any of these?
Susan
WOW!! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe, Katrin! It is truly the best mug cake that I’ve ever made - so good!! The texture was light and fluffy and the lemon flavour was just perfect.
I added the zest of one lemon, and replaced the cream with coconut milk. I also skipped the glaze, but I didn’t miss it at all. I plan to try making it with tigernut flour, in place of the almond, next time around.
Thanks again!!