Lemon Almond Mug Cake
A tender single-serving almond flour cake with fresh lemon zest and juice, cooked in a mug in about 90 seconds and topped with a quick lemon cream.
- Prep5 min
- Cook2 min
- Total7 min
- Servings1
- Net carbs*5 g
- LevelEasy
When you want one slice of cake and not a whole pan, this mug cake does the job in under ten minutes. Almond flour gives it a moist, slightly nutty crumb, and a full teaspoon of lemon zest makes it taste like a lemon loaf from a bakery case. A spoon of tangy cream cheese on top melts into the warm cake.
Microwaves vary a lot, and the main mistake with mug cakes is overcooking. Start at 75 seconds and check. The top should look set and spring back when touched, while the very center can still look a little damp. It keeps cooking for a minute after it comes out, and a rubbery cake means it went too long.
Ingredients
Makes 1 mug cake. Tap an item to check it off.
Equipment
- 12-ounce microwave-safe mug
- Fork
- Microplane or fine grater
- Microwave
Instructions
- Put the butter in the mug and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until melted. Swirl it around the sides to grease the mug.
- Add the almond flour, baking powder, stevia and salt to the mug and stir with a fork to break up any clumps.
- Crack in the egg and add the lemon zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and the vanilla. Beat with the fork for 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth and no dry flour remains at the bottom.
- Microwave on high for 75 seconds. If the top still looks wet, cook in 10-second bursts until it springs back when touched, about 90 seconds total.
- Let the cake rest in the mug for 1 minute.
- Stir the cream cheese with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth, spoon it over the warm cake and eat right away.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 362
- Total carbs
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Net carbs
- 5 g
- Protein
- 13.3 g
- Fat
- 32.2 g
*These are estimates, calculated from the ingredient weights above and USDA FoodData Central data, divided by 1 servings. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber. Values vary with brands, quantities, ingredient swaps and how you portion the dish. How we estimate nutrition.
Kitchen tips
- Zest the lemon before you juice it. A juiced lemon is soft and hard to grate.
- A wide mug cooks more evenly than a tall narrow one, which can leave the bottom raw.
Substitutions
- Stevia → granulated monk fruit or erythritol blend Use it following the package's sugar equivalence, about 1 tablespoon for most blends. The carb estimate does not include that swap.
- Butter → coconut oil Same amount. With the cream cheese topping left off, the cake becomes dairy-free.
- Lemon → orange zest and juice Same amounts. Sweeter and less sharp, with a slightly higher carb estimate.
Swaps change the nutrition estimate shown above.
Storage and reheating
- Fridge
- Best eaten warm. Leftover cake keeps covered in the mug for 1 day.
- Freezer
- Does not freeze well. The small cake dries out and turns crumbly after thawing.
- Reheat
- Microwave the chilled cake for 15 seconds, then add the topping.
Questions cooks ask
Can I bake it in the oven instead?
Yes. Use an oven-safe ramekin and bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
