222 lemon cake recipes

Quick white cake made with oil instead of butter and egg whites only. A tender, snow-white cake perfect for filling with jelly, preserves, or lemon curd.

A quick microwave cherry sauce made with dark sweet cherries, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spoon over ice cream or cake in under 10 minutes.

Fresh strawberry glace is a glossy ruby cake topping cooked from macerated strawberries, sugar, lemon, and cornstarch. Pours like syrup, sets like jelly, and turns any plain cake into a centerpiece.

Fig garden party cakes layer sponge cake or lady fingers with a homemade dried-fig filling cooked down with peanut butter, butter, and lemon juice. A vintage tea-table dessert with surprising depth.

Passover apple cake made with matzo meal and potato starch instead of flour. A fluffy, flourless sponge layered with grated cinnamon apples and lemon.

Spirited fruit macerated in orange liqueur, lemon juice, and sugar. A boozy fruit topping for cheesecake, pound cake, ice cream, or sherbet.

Pineapple lemon fruit filling for Japanese fruitcake, cooked custard-style in a double boiler with toasted pecans. The signature Southern holiday cake glue.

Strained berry sauce with cognac, lemon zest, and cornstarch for a glossy, clear finish. A versatile dessert sauce for ice cream, fruit, or cake.

Baked apples and pears layered with buttered cake and topped with a peaked meringue. A classic British fruit dessert with warm spice and lemon.

Pink tartar sauce with mayo, sweet relish, grainy Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. A four-ingredient no-cook condiment for fried fish, shrimp, or crab cakes.

Two-ingredient citrus glaze with powdered sugar and fresh lemon or orange juice. Thin, glossy, and pourable for drizzling over cakes, quick breads, and scones.

Lime delight is a no-bake retro Jello dessert: lime gelatin and lemon juice folded into whipped evaporated milk, set on a graham cracker crust for a fluffy citrus fridge cake.

Green tomato relish turns end-of-season unripe tomatoes into a tangy-sweet preserve spiced with allspice, cloves, mustard, and celery seed. Salted overnight to draw water, then simmered with brown sugar, vinegar, and lemon. Cans up beautifully.

Elegant broccoli terrine with basil, Parmesan, and lemon baked in a water bath until silky smooth. Served chilled and sliced, this low-calorie vegetable showstopper is a stunning appetizer or light lunch.