Lemon recipes, yay or nay?
Are you a lemon dessert lover? We definitely are, as you can see by the number of lemon recipes we produce, but it’s understandable that lemon is a hit-or-miss flavor. Lemon desserts can often be very tart and zingy, which some people might not prefer, but keep in mind that you can always tweak a recipe to adapt it to your taste. For example, if a lemon curd is too tart for you, add more sugar or less lemon juice until it’s the right balance!
Personally, we absolutely love that sour lemon flavor that is so sharp it almost makes your mouth pucker, so we tend to go for very strong lemon flavor. However, it needs to be balanced with other sweet elements, so that’s where sponges, frostings, and other additions come into play. It can be fun to play around with all the flavors you can pair with lemon, as well as explore other citrus flavors, including lime, orange, and grapefruit.
In today’s blog post, we wanted to give you a rundown of our top 5 lemon recipes, and hopefully inspire you to bake one (or more!) of them. The ranking is taken from our Google Analytics data from the past year, and then we’ve added one newer recipe for you to check out too.
5. Our latest lemon recipe: Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
Lemon and poppy seed is a classic flavor combination, especially in the US. I’m not too sure where the combination originated, but it’s very popular, and you often see it in muffin form. We took that idea and elevated it slightly to make it more of a dessert, with a sharp and tangy lemon curd in the middle of the cupcake, and a sweet and smooth American buttercream on top. Perfect to enjoy alongside an afternoon cup of tea or coffee or as a sweet treat to brighten up your day!
4. Citronsnitter (Lemon Bars)
This lemon recipe has been up on our blog for a few years now, and it’s just an absolute classic when you’re craving something lemony. The buttery pastry on the bottom adds richness and a slight sweetness, while the custardy lemon filling on top brings lots of flavor and a beautiful texture. Lemon bars are a true testament to simplicity, with only two components that balance each other out perfectly. We love bringing these to gatherings with friends or family, especially if there are going to be lemon dessert lovers there!
3. Citronroulade (Lemon Roulade)
Roulades have always been a classic and easy dessert in our family, so this is a lemony twist on the raspberry roulades we enjoyed growing up. This is one where the super tart lemon curd gets balanced out by a rich whipped cream and a light and airy sponge. So, you get all the lemon flavor and plenty of tartness, but it’s not the only flavor and texture in the dessert. Roulades are a fantastic dessert, as they aren’t too difficult to make and they turn out so elegant and, when the time comes to enjoy a slice, the dessert just melts in your mouth.
2. Mini Pavlovas with Lemon Curd and Blueberry Compote
When winter starts to turn into spring, the first dessert we always crave is a pavlova. There’s just something about a bit of sunshine that screams out for a crunchy yet soft meringue base with lots of fruits and fillings on top! We especially love putting together mini pavlovas, because they’re quicker to bake and dry out in the oven, and it’s fun to decorate multiple desserts. If you’re up for a challenge, you can even make different fillings to go on top of each one! Ours is a classic combination of lemon curd and blueberry compote, bringing strong but complementary flavors together on a bed of beautiful meringue. Yum!
1. Citronmåne (Lemon Moon Cake)
Topping our list as the blog’s favorite lemon recipe is the Danish classic, a citronmåne. This is one of those cakes that Danes tend to buy at the supermarket in Denmark, which then also makes it one of those things you absolutely crave and miss if you move abroad or haven’t been to Denmark in a while. In other words, it’s something you take for granted until you no longer have easy access to it! Luckily, it’s easy to make at home. It’s the perfect soft and moist texture, topped with a simple sweet powdered sugar glaze, with a lovely lemon flavor. It’s a classic for a reason!
Get baking!
That brings us to the end of the ranking. Are you feeling inspired? We hope we’ve offered you a good selection of recipes above, ranging from simple classics to more complex but very impressive desserts. So, now tell us: What’s your favorite lemon dessert? Let us know down in the comments. We’d love to share even more lemon recipes, so if there’s any recipe you’d particularly like to see, leave us a note below. Thanks for reading this far!
