Next time life gives you lemons… run to the kitchen and bake these lemon dessert recipes! From classic lemon treats like lemon cheesecake and lemon pound cake to melt in your mouth lemon curd and my favorite lemon bars, these recipes are loaded with lemon flavor.
Delicious Lemon Dessert Recipes
Where are my lemon lovers at? If you’re raising your hand, you’re in the right place. Because here you’ll find the very best lemon desserts recipes of all-time! They’re bright, sunshiny sweet, and loaded with fresh citrus flavor. And with all of the spring holidays right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to dive into these sweet treats and get baking! Make them for Mother’s Day, Easter, or any day a lemon craving strikes. The real question is: which lemon recipe will you try first?
Heart Shaped Sugar Lemon Cookies
The perfect treat for lemon lovers! These heart shaped lemon sugar cookies are topped with a sweet lemon glaze and lemon zest. These lemon cookies are adorable and delicious! No heart shaped cookie cutter? Make them any shape you want!
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Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Dense, buttery, and loaded with lemon flavor, this pound cake is topped with lemon cream cheese frosting for an extra pop of lemon! Serve with fresh berries for an extra special treat.
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Lemon Glazed Lemon Bundt
This is the ULTIMATE lemon bundt cake! Loaded with lemon flavor thanks to fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon soaking syrup, and a lemon glaze. It’s perfect for Easter brunch!
Here’s what one reader had to say “OMG This is exactly what we were looking for…the lemon is super strong! I used cake flour and it was a great consistency. I messed up the glaze-I put in too much lemon juice too fast so it was a little runny but no matter….the flavor was fabulous! THANKS!”
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Lemon Ginger Cheesecake
Bust out the cream cheese and bake this shows topping lemon cheesecake! Topped with a hot pink raspberry sauce, it’s a seriously crowd-pleaser.
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Lemon Cake for a Crowd
What’s more classic than lemon cake? This easy sheet pan version it great for serving a larger crowd. Lemon curd swirled into the frosting makes it a stunner! New to baking? This recipe includes a step-by-step video tutorial to help you along the way.
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Lemon Beignets with Fresh Berries
These are the springtime version of my New Orleans-style beignets! Soft, fluffy, and stuffed with lemon curd… they’re delicious with fresh berries. A great brunch dessert for Easter, Mother’s Day, or bridal showers.
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Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake Cupcakes
These mini lemon cheesecakes are almost too cute to eat! Key word: almost! The ricotta cheese makes them extra creamy and gives them a great flavor.
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Lemon Cream Pie
This is so soft and lusciously creamy it almost tastes like melted lemon ice cream cake! It’s topped with pillowy whipped cream and fresh raspberries. But you could easily add a meringue on top for a lemon meringue pie, if desired!
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How to Make Lemon Curd
Next time you need lemon curd, skip the store-bought stuff and try this super creamy homemade recipe! You only need 6 ingredients. This is a great homemade gift idea for the lemon lover in your life. Especially if you pack it in a cute glass jar and tie some lemon ribbon around the rim.
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Lemon Raspberry Bundt
Lemon and raspberries are such a delicious duo! This Bundt Cake is loaded with lemon flavor, lots of juicy raspberries, and topped with silky smooth cream cheese frosting. A show-stopping bundt sure to win you a round of applause!
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Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Muffins
The only thing that could make a lemon poppy seed muffin more delicious? BLUEBERRIES! Bursting with flavor, these are a huge hit at brunch, bake sales, and school parties.
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Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
When you really want to show off, make a batch of lemon raspberry cupcakes! They moist, loaded wit lemon flavor, and bursting with bright raspberries. A swirl of cream cheese frosting on top is literally the icing on the cake.
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Classic Lemon Bars
Everyone needs a classic lemon square recipe, and this is mine. The crust is crumbly and delicious and pairs perfectly with the lip puckering lemon filling. These are always a huge bake-sale hit! And literally fly off the platter at my bookclub.
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Lemon Ricotta Cupcakes
When you want a classic lemon cupcake, this is your recipe! Moist, fluffy, with plenty of lemon flavor… they’re pure perfection. For an extra pretty presentation, top each cupcake with a slice of lemon.
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Lemon Scones
As a dire-hard scone lover, I can tell you without a doubt these are the best! They’re flaky, buttery, of course, loaded with lemon flavor. For a poppyseed twist, try my Meyer lemon poppy seed scones.
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Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
What’s rich, creamy, and loaded with bright lemon flavor? Lemon cheesecake, of course! Baking a cheesecake is a labor of love, but luckily it can be done well in advance. Cheesecakes freeze great for up to 2 months!
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Lemon Poppyseed Donuts
Who’s on donut duty? Next time it’s you, give these baked lemon poppyseed donuts a try! They’re ready in less than 30 minutes and pack a delicious lemony punch.
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Lemon Cheesecake bars
Sweet, citrusy, and slightly tart, these lemon cheesecake bars are a dream come true! The crunchy graham cracker crust is the perfect texture contrast to the creamy filling.
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Lemon Crumb Muffins
Moist, sunshiny sweet, and packed with lemon flavor, these muffins are a huge hit at the breakfast table! The buttery crumbs on top are unexpected but so delicious.
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Lemon Raspberry Cake
Aka the most popular cake recipe on my website! This stunning lemon cake is bursting with raspberries and sandwiched with raspberry jam and lemon cream cheese frosting. For an extra lemon kick, swap the raspberry jam for lemon curd.
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Lemon Pudding with Mini Poppy Seed Meringues
Silky smooth lemon pudding is topped with poppyseed meringues… what could be better? Served in individual glasses, these are the perfect dinner party dessert.
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Lemon Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cake:
- 3 cups (360 grams) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces (340g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 ounces (226 g) brick-style cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups (397 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1/3 cup (76 ml) lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup (40 g) lemon zest finely grated
- 2 Tablespoons (29 ml) canola oil
For the Lemon Soaking Syrup:
- 1/3 cup (76 ml) lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup (99 g) granulated sugar
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 2 cups (228 g) confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons (35 ml) lemon juice freshly squeezed, more only if needed
Instructions
For the Lemon Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until well combined. Set aside until needed.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Gradually add in the sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the lemon and vanilla extracts.
- Reduce the speed to medium, then add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and oil.
- Reduce the speed to low and add in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Generously grease a 10-inch (12-cup) bundt pan, being sure to coat all of the nooks and crannies. I suggest using a non-stick baking spray that has flour in it, or greasing the pan with shortening or butter, then dusting it with flour. Scrape the cake batter into the pan and, using a rubber spatula, evenly smooth the top.
- Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown AND a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the rack.
- Slowly brush the warm lemon soaking syrup all over the cake, top and sides, allowing it to sink in before adding more. Once all of the syrup has been added, set the cake aside to cool completely, about 2 and 1/2 hours.
For the Lemon Soaking Syrup:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, just until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and use as directed above.
For the Lemon Glaze:
- In a large liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the sugar and salt. Whisk in the lemon juice, mixing until just combined. The mixture should be super thick and just barely pourable. If the glaze is too thick, add more lemon juice, a teaspoon at a time. If the glaze is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar, a Tablespoon at a time.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and allow it to set for 20 minutes. Then slice and serve!
Nancy F Lambert says
I love lemon deserts
Thank you!