Sneak Zucchini into Cookies

I’ve realized that zucchini is one of the most versatile vegetables ever and tastes almost like air. You throw it into whatever you want and it just sort of melds into the recipe you’re making. It’s PRIME for getting your kids to eat veggies without them knowing (muwahaha).

How to Make Lemon Zucchini Cookies

These Lemon Zucchini Cookies are almost like a mini cake with a phenomenal texture and a tangy lemon glaze. As you can expect, you can’t taste the zucchini and the poppy seeds pop out with that fabulous lemony flavor. For full recipe details and measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.

Preheat + Prep Pans

Preheat oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine Wet Ingredients

Cream butter, shortening and sugar together until combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Scrape sides and stir again briefly. 

Add Dry Ingredients + Bake

Add in all dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Stir in lemon zest, zucchini and poppy seeds by hand. Scoop onto prepared baking sheets and bake until bottoms are lightly golden. Cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Make Glaze

For the glaze, stir powdered sugar into the lemon juice bit by bit until you form a thick glaze, about the same viscosity as white school glue. Drizzle over cookies and let set a few minutes. Serve.

Storing Lemon Zucchini Cookies

Lemon Zucchini Cookies can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for about 5 days.

More Lemon Cookie Recipes to Try!

• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
• Glazed Lemon Cookies
• Chewy Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies

Give them a try today! They won’t last long. The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy!

Print

Lemon Zucchini Cookies

Lemon Zucchini Cookies are sweet pillows of deliciousness. Topped with a tangy lemon glaze these cookies are kid approved!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Lemon Zucchini Cookies

Prep Time 12 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 32 cookies

Calories 120kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon zested
• 1 1/4 cups zucchini grated
• 2 teaspoons poppyseeds

for the glaze:

• 1 lemon juiced
• powdered sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Cream butter, shortening and sugar together until combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Scrape sides and stir again briefly. Add in all dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Stir in lemon zest, zucchini and poppy seeds by hand. Scoop onto prepared baking sheets and bake 8 minutes or so until bottoms are lightly golden. Cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
• For the glaze, stir powdered sugar into the lemon juice bit by bit until you form a thick glaze, about the same viscosity as white school glue. Drizzle over cookies and set set a few minutes before diving in. Or, pay no attention to me and snarf ’em down!

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 62mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 4.5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.6mg

The post Lemon Zucchini Cookies appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

A Great Summer Treat

This Frozen Lemonade is my new summer obsession! It’s so lemony, cold, tangy and refreshing! It totally satisfies a sweet treat craving and a cold drink craving…all in one! Enjoy this all summer long and adapt it to your own taste preferences!

Make It Your Own

The best part of this recipe, (besides how easy it is to make) is how adaptable it is. You can try different flavors of soda or juice. Don’t use diet soda, it will freeze solid on you. You can also add in some frozen fruit.

Fruit That Would Be Great in a Frozen Lemonade

If you’re wanting to add frozen fruit to your lemonade, I would suggest throwing the fruit in a blender before adding to the ice cream maker bowl. Here are some great options for fruit to add, totally optional though.

• strawberries
• cherries
• pineapple
• mango
• raspberries

How To Make Frozen Lemonade

This recipe is super duper easy. Like, take a beverage, throw it into an ice cream maker and voila! Insta-slushie. The printable recipe card is below.

Freeze Ice Cream Maker Bowl

Before you begin to make your slushy, make sure your ice cream maker bowl is frozen. You’ll get nowhere fast if it hasn’t had time to freeze up.

We tried slushies with Fanta Orange, Sprite and Root Beer soda flavors, but the best one {and most refreshing one!} was the lemonade.

Word to the wise: don’t try this with diet soda. It will freeze solid on you! No bueno!

Add Lemonade into Frozen Ice Cream Maker Bowl

Assemble ice cream maker and turn on. Pour cold lemonade into machine and churn 7-10 minutes or until frozen.

Scoop into Cups + Serve

After about 10 minutes of rolling around in your ice cream machine, you will magically have a slushy!

Love Frozen Lemonade? Try These Cool Treat Recipes…

• Healthy Smoothie Bowl Recipe
• Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
• *AMAZING* Tropical Smoothie
• Homemade Ice Cream Cake Recipe

If you’re dying of heat (like me!) give this easy peasy recipe a whirl. Have a great day, friends!

Print

Frozen Lemonade Recipe

When it's hot outside, you'll want to make this refreshing frozen Lemonade Slushie recipe! Perfect for summer!

Course Beverage

Cuisine American

Keyword lemonade slushie

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4 small servings

Calories 90kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 3 cups cold store-bought lemonade such as Minute Maid brand

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Assemble ice cream maker and turn on. Pour cold lemonade into machine and churn 7-10 minutes or until frozen.
  
• Spoon into cups and serve.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Sodium: 11mg | Sugar: 21g

The post Frozen Lemonade Recipe appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Lemon Raspberry Cake + Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Basics

This cake has a hint of lemon flavor. YUM. Sprinkled with lemon zest and topped with those sweet fresh raspberries, cream cheese frosting helps tie in all the wonderful flavors. This recipe calls for a few ingredients that you may or may not have on hand…like self rising flour. For complete a complete ingredients list, see the printable recipe card down below.

Self Rising Flour and All-Purpose Flour – If you don’t have Self Rising Flour (SRF) you can make it yourself. For each cup of SRF replace with 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Coconut Oil – While I used coconut oil in this recipe, you can use 1/2 cup butter in its place if you choose.

Lemons and Raspberries are such a great combination. Here are some other Lemon Raspberry Recipes I have made and loved: Raspberry Lemon Cream Tarts, Lemon Recipes for Summer & Raspberry Peach Cobbler Recipe.

How to Make Lemon Raspberry Cake

Here are the step by step directions for making Lemon Raspberry Cake + Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. For the printable recipe card and full directions, scroll down to the bottom.

Prep

Preheat oven. Cut a circle out of parchment paper to line the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan. Lightly grease the pan and set aside.

Make Cake Batter

In a large bowl, whip coconut oil (or butter if you choose) with sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Scrape sides and whip again. Alternate mixing in flours with milk. Scrape sides and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

Bake + Cool

Spoon into prepared pan, smooth the top and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool and remove the cake from pan. Cool completely before frosting.

Make Frosting + Serve

Whip cream cheese in a stand mixer to soften. Slowly stream in cream to incorporate evenly. If lumps start to form, stop mixing, scrape sides, and continue to mix. Once all cream is incorporated, the mixture should seem thick and smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate. Once frosting seems smooth, turn the mixer on high and whip 2-3 minutes or until fluffy and light, similar to whipped cream but a little heavier.

Spread all frosting over cooled cake and top with lots of fresh raspberries. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Leftovers

Any leftover lemon raspberry cake can be stored in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 5 days. Be sure to keep your eye on those raspberries though, they’ll turn on ya!

More Lemon Cakes to Try!

• Classic Lemon Cake
• Lemon Cranberry Coffee Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
• Pistachio Lemon Roll Cake
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Lemon Crumb Cake
• Lemon Icebox Cake
• Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Hooray for Summer!

The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy, Friends!

Print

Lemon Raspberry Cake

This Lemon Raspberry Cake is lightly sweet, has a hint of lemon flavor, and is topped with raspberries. A confirmation that summer is here!!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Lemon Cake, Lemon Cake Recipe, Lemon Raspberry Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Cooling Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 432kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

for the cake-

• 1/2 cup coconut oil or regular butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 lemon zested
• 3/4 cup self rising flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour + 2 tablespoons more
• 1/2 cup milk

for the frosting-

• 3 oz. cream cheese room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 lemon zested
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• lots of fresh raspberries

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a circle out of parchment paper to line the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan. Lightly grease the pan and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whip coconut oil (or butter if you choose) with sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Scrape sides and whip again. Alternate mixing in flours with milk. Scrape sides and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Spoon into prepared pan, smooth the top and bake 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool 15 minutes and then remove the cake from pan. Cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

• Whip cream cheese in a stand mixer to soften. Slowly stream in cream to incorporate evenly. If lumps start to form, stop mixing, scrape sides, and continue to mix. Once all cream is incorporated, the mixture should seem thick and smooth.
• Stir in remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate. Once frosting seems smooth, turn the mixer on high and whip 2-3 minutes or until fluffy and light, similar to whipped cream but a little heavier.
• Spread all frosting over cooled cake and top with lots of fresh raspberries. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 99mg | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 7.2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 0.8mg

The post Lemon Raspberry Cake appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Lemon Curd Basics

If you don’t know what lemon curd is, it’s basically a sweet dessert spread made of citrus fruit. While lemon curd is by far the most popular, you can absolutely make this with orange, lime or even grapefruit (yum!)

Basic Ingredients: lemon curd is made with lots of fresh lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, granulated sugar, butter and eggs. Hard to go wrong with all of those together.

Making Lemon Curd: While I realize lemon curd sounds pretty fancy, it couldn’t be easier to make! Once all the ingredients are whisked together in the bottom of a cold pot, you heat it gently over medium-low heat until it thickens, right before it reaches boiling. Remove from heat, refrigerate and tada! You’ve just made lemon curd.

Taste: lemon curd is a great balance of tart, sweet and creamy. Thickened with eggs, it is a smooth and bright spread.

Fresh Lemons are Best

For the brightest, tartest lemon curd, opt for using fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Shave off the zest using a microplane before cutting lemons in half and juicing.

While you can buy lemon and lime juice at the grocery store in cute little yellow and green containers, it can sometimes taste more bitter than sour which isn’t what we are going for. Just buy the fresh lemons and go from there.

How to Use Lemon Curd

I know when I first heard of lemon curd, my first thought was “what am I supposed to do with it?” A lot of the time, people just don’t know how to use it. Here are a few ideas:

• Fill vanilla or lemon cakes
• Delicious topping for crepes or vanilla bundt cakes
• Spread onto pancakes for french toast
• Swirl it into a cream cheese danish (yum!)
• Fold it into whipped cream for a lemony addition
• Fill some shortbread cookies with it

How to Make Lemon Curd

If you have 10-15 minutes, you can make lemon curd! It’s a lot easier to make than you think. Here’s how to do it:

Whisk Ingredients In Pot

In a small saucepan, whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar and eggs together. Place pot over medium low heat and add in butter pieces.

Cook to Thicken

Whisk continuously for 7-10 minutes until lemon curd thickens but before it starts to boil. 170 degrees F is boiling, so you will want to pull it from the heat right before it gets there.

RECIPE NOTE: Be sure to use a whisk that reaches all the way into the corners of the pot you’re using to prevent the eggs from cooking/scorching in those corners, giving you lumps. I have found a flat whisk works great for this!

Refrigerate

Remove from heat and pour into airtight containers or jars. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. As it cools, it will thicken into a spread.

Storage Directions

If you have your lemon curd in airtight containers, it will last up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

If you won’t be using it within those four weeks, transfer to the freezer. Lemon curd will last up to a year frozen. To defrost, simply transfer to the fridge to defrost over the course of 24 hours. Use as desired.

Other Lemon Desserts You Will Love

If you love tart and sweet lemon recipes, look no further! I’ve got a bunch to choose from. These are my favorites, but be sure to browse my archives of lemon treats here.

• Lemon Bars
• Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Creme Brulee Lemon Pie (one of my favorite recipes!)
• Lemon Lush (Lemon Dessert Lasagna)

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! As a lemon lover, I’d highly recommend making this and keeping it in your fridge for when cravings hit. Be sure to save/bookmark/share/pin/print this recipe. It’s a great all purpose recipe! Have a great day, friends.

Print

Lemon Curd

This Lemon Curd is a simple, sweet, tart and creamy recipe. Made with five ingredients in about fifteen minutes, this is the easiest recipe out there!

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword lemon curd, lemon curd recipe, lemon dessert, lemon recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 206kcal

Equipment

• 1 small saucepan
• 1 whisk

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup salted butter cut into pats

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar and eggs together.
• Place pot over medium low heat and add in butter pieces. Whisk continuously for 7-10 minutes until lemon curd thickens but before it starts to boil.
• Remove from heat and pour into jars. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Notes

RECIPE NOTE: Be sure to use a whisk that reaches all the way into the corners of the pot you’re using to prevent the eggs from cooking/scorching in those corners, giving you lumps. I have found a flat whisk works great for this!

 

Based off a lemon curd recipe from Allrecipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 458IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Lemon Curd appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Basics

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread… Running out of granulated sugar in the middle of a recipe is just a skill I’ve acquired over the years. It just happens because I think I have enough sugar and then dive into a recipe and BAM. Not enough sugar.

Why do I bring this up? Because that’s exactly what happened with this recipe that I’m sharing with you today. I had a small amount of sugar in my house unbeknownst to me and it was too late to go out and get more or have any delivered.

What is a girl to do?

Shuffle through her cabinets for anything remotely sweet to use in place of the sugar.

My shuffling worked! We were eating lemon poppyseed bread made with 1/2 cup sugar (and 1/2 cup maple syrup!) at 11:30 pm and by golly it was delicious. So delicious in fact that I made it, again and again, to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke. Plus, I needed way more lemon flavor in there to make it taste as zingy as I wanted it to.

The finished loaf is a moist, light, and lower fat version of the original, filled with lots of lemon zest and poppy seeds and then drizzled with a thick glaze made with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. Let’s get into it!

Tips and Tricks for Success

Making this recipe is relatively straight forward! But here are some tips and tricks to make your life easier. You’re welcome

• Light Colored Pans. My only notes would include using a lighter colored loaf pan (these are the ones I use, and love!) do it doesn’t get too dark too fast with the one hour cook time.
• Nonstick and Parchment Paper. Spraying the pan well with nonstick cooking spray so it slides out easily. Heck, if you’re really concerned, just line the pan with some parchment paper along with the nonstick. It’s not necessary, but definitely will give you peace of mine. It’ll pop right out!
• Eggs. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature.

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

This is a simple Lemon Poppy Seed Bread recipe, start out with your ingredients, mix them up. Then bake the batter in a loaf pan. Cool the loaf and as its cooling, prepare a simple lemon glaze. Then glaze it, slice it and enjoy! For the full recipe, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Preheat + Prep

Preheat oven. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Make the Batter

In a large bowl, whisk together: flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and granulated sugar. Create a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients: maple syrup, oil, apple sauce, eggs, extracts, and lemon zest. Stir the center of wet ingredients first before starting to incorporate the wet into the dry. Stir until dry ingredients are just combined. Add in poppy seeds and stir again gently.

Bake + Cool

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan before removing to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Make the Lemon Glaze

For the glaze, stir powdered sugar together with just enough lemon juice to create a thick glaze the consistency of white school glue.

Drizzle generously over loaf and enjoy!

Storing Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. To lengthen its shelf life store in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a week!

To Freeze. Skip the glaze and wrap in plastic wrap, then put the loaf into a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 4 months!

To Thaw. Transfer the loaf from the freezer to the fridge, allow to thaw overnight. Transfer to the counter and let it come to room temperature. Then glaze it, slice it and enjoy!

Try doubling this Lemon Poppy Seed Bread recipe! Enjoy one loaf now and store the other in the freezer for later.

More Lemon Recipes to Love!

• Lemon Cream Puffs
• Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Lemon Cream Pie
• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Perfect Lemon Bar Recipe

Printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!!

Print

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Enjoy this soft, moist and delicious Lemon Poppyseed Bread made with healthier ingredients making this low fat and lower in processed sugar. 

Course Breads

Cuisine American

Keyword Lemon Poppy Seed, Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6 slices

Calories 535kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract optional, but recommended
• 1/4 cup lemon zest 5 lemons for me!
• 1 tablespoon poppyseed

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together: flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and granulated sugar. Create a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients: maple syrup, oil, apple sauce, eggs, extracts, and lemon zest. Stir the center of wet ingredients first before starting to incorporate the wet into the dry. Stir until dry ingredients are just combined. Add in poppyseed and stir again gently.
  
• Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
  
• For the glaze, stir powdered sugar together with just enough lemon juice to create a thick glaze the consistency of white school glue. Drizzle generously over loaf and enjoy!
  

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 6.4mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2.4mg

The post Lemon Poppy Seed Bread appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Lemon Desserts to Try This Season!

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

These award-winning cookies will make you an addict. Lemon Crinkle Cookies are chewy, soft, and bursting with hints of lemon in every bite!

Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies

Perfectly zingy and sweet these Lemon Sugar Cookies are to die for! Topped with a lemony icing, you won’t be able to hold yourself back.

Lemon Cake

Sweet zingy lemon cake frosted with lemon buttercream frosting then decorated with a fresh sprinkling of lemon zest! Perfect for springtime!

Lemon Pound Cake

This Lemon Pound Cake is infused with lemon butter glaze that really takes it over the top. Top with a few berries and some whipped cream.

Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake

Moist lemon cake laced with blueberries and topped with streusel, this is Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake! It’s so good, seriously make it soon!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

A light and fluffy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake paired with a classic cream cheese frosting. Lemony-sweet and perfect for spring or summer!

Classic Lemon Bars

This Lemon Bar Recipe is the quintessential party dessert, baking up perfectly sweet while still lemony and tart. Very few, simple ingredients are needed to make this recipe from scratch and they always are the first to go at any get-together. 

Lemon Lush (Lemon Lasagna)

Lemon Lush, also known as lemon lasagna, is full of lemony and creamy layers on top of a sweet cookie crust. Top with fresh strawberries!

Lemon Blueberry Bars

Fresh blueberries and a lemon filling are sandwiched between a crumble crust and topping to make these delicious Lemon Blueberry Bars!

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is ultra-creamy, filled with pockets of lemon curd and topped with a billowy-soft swiss meringue.

Lemon Cream Pie

Lemon Cream Pie topped with fresh raspberries is the perfect summer treat! It may just be the zingiest, lemoniest pie ever, SO GOOD!

Lemon Cheesecake Tart

Lemon Cheesecake Tart is not too sweet and slightly tart from all that lemon. It is a nearly perfect dessert that doesn’t take too long to throw together.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Soft, sweet and a little tangy, these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins will turn into your new favorite breakfast! While lots of bakeries have their versions, this homemade recipe is the *best* version. Butter and sour cream keep these muffins moist while the lemon juice, zest and almond extract gives lots of flavor you will love!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Tender, sweet, and lemony, these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are what your weekend dreams are made of! Start with a pre-made pancake mix, these come together in a cinch!

Lemon Cream Puffs

Lemon Cream Puffs are the zingy, summery and creamy version of the original! Stuffed with an easy lemon cream puff filling. SO delicious!

Lemon Rice Krispie Treats

Lemon Rice Krispie Treats are a light, crispy, sweet, and buttery twist on an old favorite! Also made with browned butter! If you love lemon desserts, this is a great, no-bake option!

Frozen Lemonade

When it’s hot outside, you’ll want to make this refreshing Frozen Lemonade Slushie recipe! Perfect for summer!

Lemon Bar Ice Cream

Lemon Bar Ice Cream is one of the most easiest lemon desserts. Whip together boxed lemon bar mix and heavy whipping cream then freeze!

The post 15+ Desserts for Lemon Lovers appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

The Perfect Lemon Bar Recipe

The trouble with lemon bar recipes on the internet is finding the right one with that perfect balance between the buttery and sweet shortbread crust with the gooey, tart, and sweet (but not too sweet) very lemon filling. There aren’t that many variables, but not having enough lemon juice or even too much can give you lackluster lemon bars. It’s taken me a little time to get there, but we made it and today is the day you all get this fabulous lemon bar recipe that (hopefully) won’t let you down.

Let’s Talk Lemons

I want you to have the best possible results, so let’s talk lemons, shall we?

Do I have to use fresh lemon juice?

Yes! If you want that super tart and sweet balance that lemons bars are known for, you need to use the real stuff. Please please please don’t use the kind from the bottle!

How many lemons will I need?

There are large and small lemons on the market and all will yield different amounts of juice. I would recommend getting 3 large lemons for this recipe to juice. I usually am ok with just two, but sometimes you get a less juicy lemon and will need to top off your half cup with an extra squeeze from that third one.

Shortbread Crust

These lemon bars are keeping things classic with a shortbread crust. I really love using powdered sugar in the shortbread base because its finer texture makes the shortbread a little more tender which works perfectly with the slightly gooey and sticky lemon filling. Mix that with some softened salted butter, flour, and some vanilla for flavor and you’ve got yourself a killer base.

If you’re not into shortbread feel free to make the base something you like. I think a sugar cookie base would be yummy or something like a graham cracker crust but made from golden Oreos or Nilla wafers. The possibilities are endless!

Can I Double this Lemon Bar Recipe?

Yes! The recipe as written is meant for a square 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. If you’d like to double it, bake in a 9×13 pan. The pan is not exactly double but works perfectly fine.

How to Make Lemon Bars

For full details on how to make lemon bars, see the recipe card down below

Prep and Preheat

Spray 8×8 or 9×9 square glass baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line parchment paper (optional). Lightly spray parchment with more cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Do I have to use a glass pan?

No, but I would strongly recommend it. Metal pans tend to give off a metallic flavor to the bars after baking, so to avoid that, bake in a glass dish.

Make Shortbread Crust

In a medium-sized bowl, mix butter, flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla until a dough starts to form. If you notice the dough not coming together, your butter may be too cold. Mix with your hands so the heat from your hands can help bring the dough together. 

Bake Crust

Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are barely golden brown.

Make Lemon Filling

While crust bakes, make the lemon filling. Whisk sugar together with lemon juice, eggs, and flour. Once the crust is done baking, pour lemon filling over the hot crust.

Bake, Cool, and Garnish!

Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely, cut into squares and top with powdered sugar.

Why do I have a thin, white layer on top of my lemon bars after baking?

These are air bubbles that got caught in the lemon filling! Having these air bubbles show up on top of your baked lemon bars is completely normal! It won’t change the taste and is nothing that a little extra powdered sugar can’t cover  

Storing Lemon Bars

I like storing my lemon bars in an airtight container in the fridge. When you pull them out, you may need to add another light layer of powdered sugar, but besides that, they should last a good week in the fridge (if you don’t eat them all first!)

Freezing Instructions

This lemon bar recipe can be made ahead of time by freezing it for up to 3-4 months.

To Freeze. Cut the cooled bars (without powdered sugar) into squares, then place them onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place them into a large plastic bag to freeze.

To Serve. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then dust with powdered sugar right before serving.

More Lemon Recipes to Make!

• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Lemon Bar Ice Cream
• Lemon Blueberry Bars
• Lemon Creme Brulee Bars
• Lemon Lush (Lemon Lasagna)

Pin/print/bookmark/save this recipe! It’s such a good classic to have around. The printable recipe card is down below, enjoy

Print

Classic Lemon Bars

This Lemon Bar Recipe is the quintessential party dessert, baking up perfectly sweet while still lemony and tart. Very few, simple ingredients are needed to make this recipe from scratch and they always are the first to go at any get-together. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword how to make lemon bars, lemon bar recipe, lemon bars

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 16 bars

Calories 144kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust:

• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Lemon Filling:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice fresh
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• powdered sugar for garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Spray 8×8 or 9×9 square glass baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line parchment paper (optional). Lightly spray parchment with more cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium-sized bowl, mix butter, flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla until a dough starts to form. If you notice the dough not coming together, your butter may be too cold. Mix with your hands so the heat from your hands can help bring the dough together. 
• Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are barely golden brown.
• While crust bakes, make the lemon filling. Whisk sugar together with lemon juice, eggs, and flour. Once the crust is done baking, pour lemon filling over the hot crust.
• Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely, cut into squares and top with powdered sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 16mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The post Perfect Lemon Bars appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Basics

Just like any cheesecake, the base of this gem is a buttery graham cracker crust. The filling is a classic cream cheese base that is spiked with plenty of lemon but filled with pockets of lemon curd. (SO good!) After its baked, top the whole thing with a toasted meringue topping which takes this over the top. Get ready to live, people. It’s the perfect decadent, refreshing dessert for Spring.

Pro Tips and Tricks

Here are my biggest tips to make perfect Lemon Meringue Cheesecake! I have a whole lot of details about the art of cheesecake making on my Classic Cheesecake Recipe if you’re interested. But here’s the readers digest version.

• Room Temperature. Use cream cheese and eggs that are absolutely at room temperature. This makes for a smoother filling.
• Be Patient. Leave the cooked cheesecake in the oven for a good 6 hours (or overnight!) after baking to cool and avoid cracking, though a crack in a cheesecake never stopped me from eating it.
• Plan Ahead. Just plan ahead because this is not a one and done kind of recipe.

How to Make Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

In a nutshell, this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake has three parts: the crust, the filling, and the topping. It is a bit of a long recipe, but the directions couldn’t be simpler. I promise it’s easier done than said! For full details see the recipe card down below!

Make the Crust

Preheat oven. In a small bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter until combined and moist. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake and set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature.

Make Lemon Cheesecake Filling

In a large bowl, stir cream cheese and sugar together. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Add in one egg at a time and stir. Scrape edges and stir in lemon zest. 

Add the Lemon Curd

Add lemon curd into the cooked crust by dolloping it around the edges and into the center. Pour prepared batter over top of the lemon curd and smooth the top.

Bake, Cool + Chill

Bake, then turn the oven off completely, leaving the cheesecake inside the oven to cool completely. Refrigerate cheesecake until completely chilled.

Make the Swiss Meringue

For the meringue topping, whisk egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar together in the top of a double boiler OR in a large, heat-safe bowl overtop of simmering water. Whisk until topping is very thick, glossy, and billowy. Fold in vanilla. Spread over top of the cheesecake and broil on low until topping has browned OR use a kitchen torch to brown meringue.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Storing Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

The best way to store leftover lemon meringue cheesecake is in an airtight container and back into the fridge for up to 3 days. If you are going to freeze this cheesecake, I recommend wrapping it well BEFORE adding the meringue topping. As long as it’s wrapped well, it will last up to 3 months in the freezer. To defrost, transfer cheesecake to the fridge until completely defrosted. 24-48 hours. Add meringue topping once you are ready to serve.

Love Lemon? Try these Favorites:

• Lemon Cheesecake Tart
• Lemon Cheesecake Bars
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
• Lemon Bars (Lemon Squares)

While I don’t have a lot of talents, making cheesecake is certainly one of them. I can make a mean cheesecake that tastes ultra-lemony, extra creamy, and super decadent. It’s a gift, what can I say? Whether you’re a passive cheesecake lover or at the addictive level, this is the kind of dessert that always gets finished, that always has people raving and that doesn’t get easily forgotten.

The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy, friends!

Print

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is ultra-creamy, filled with pockets of lemon curd and topped with a billowy-soft swiss meringue.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Cool Time 6 hours

Total Time 7 hours 30 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 371kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

for the crust-

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons melted butter

for the filling-

• 32 oz cream cheese four 8 oz packages, completely at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/4 cup lemon zest very loosely packed
• 2/3 cup cold lemon curd

for the Swiss Meringue topping-

• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter until combined and moist. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• In a large bowl, stir cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and combined. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Add in one egg at a time and stir in completely before adding in the next egg. Scrape edges and stir in lemon zest. 
• Add lemon curd into the cooked crust by dolloping it around the edges and into the center. (Using cold lemon curd with allow it to hold its shape while baking.
• Pour prepared batter over top of the lemon curd and smooth the top. Bake 1 hour, then turn oven off completely, leaving cheesecake inside the oven to cool completely, about 6 hours.
• Refrigerate cheesecake until completely chilled.
• For the topping, using a hand mixer, whisk egg whites, granulated sugar and cream of tartar together in the top of a double boiler OR in a large, heat-safe bowl overtop of simmering water. Whisk 5-7 minutes or until topping is very thick, glossy and billowy. Fold in vanilla.
• Spread over top of cheesecake and broil on low until topping has browned. OR use a kitchen torch to brown. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 83mg | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.8mg

The post Lemon Meringue Cheesecake appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Lemon Cake Basics

If you know me, you know I love lemon. And if you’ve been following the blog for a while you know I have developed quite the collection of lemon recipes, let alone lemon cake recipes. But I had never posted a plain lemon cake before. Well, folks, that’s changing today. I’ve got a purely amazing Lemon Cake Recipe that is anything but plain. Based on my vanilla cake recipe and classic buttercream frosting I’ve added lemon juice, zest, extract, and slices to make this baby as sweet and lemony as can be.

This Lemon Cake is moist, tender, light, sweet, zingy, fresh, bright, and just overall so darn good.

Tips for Success

Here are a couple of pointers if you’ve never made a cake from scratch before, or if you just need a reminder.

• Use room temperature ingredients. Believe it or not, using butter, eggs, egg whites and milk all at room temperature yields you a smoother, better incorporated cake batter and thus a better cake.
• Do not over bake. Moistness comes with just the right amount of time in the oven. Start checking your cake for doneness after 30 minutes and then go from there. Every oven is different (some run hot, some run cold) so be sure you are checking your cake for doneness every few minutes once you’re getting close to it being completely baked.
• Line baking pans with parchment paper. Parchment paper is my favorite kitchen tool. Your cakes will come out with ease!
• Cool completely before frosting. Frosting is primarily made up of butter and the butter will melt if your cakes are not cooled completely.

How to Make Lemon Cake

For full details on how to make this lemon cake, see the recipe card down below

Preheat and Prep

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line three 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and/or spray well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Do I have to make a tiered lemon cake?

No! This recipe will make:

• one 9×13 thick cake (bake for 40-55 minutes)
• two 8 or 9-inch round cakes (40-50 minutes)
• 24 cupcakes (bake for 18-20 minutes)

Regardless of how you bake this cake recipe, be sure to use lighter-colored baking pans (or glass). Using a darker Teflon will give you darker, crispier edges that don’t really have a place in cake, in my humble opinion.

Mix Wet Ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until the mixture becomes very light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.

Make Milk Mixture

In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest together. Set aside.

Can I use a milk substitute?

I used whole milk for this recipe to provide moisture and richness. You could use lower-fat milk or milk substitutes like plain almond or oat milk however just note that your cake will not be the same.

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to combine. Set aside.

Make Lemon Cake Batter

Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure a smooth batter.

Bake and Cool

Divide evenly between three baking pans and smooth the top.

Bake 30-40 minutes in the lower 2/3rds of the oven. The cake will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.

Cool 15-20 minutes in cake pans before trying to invert on cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.

Make the Lemon Frosting

To make the lemon frosting, mix softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest together slowly to break apart the butter. With the mixer on low, add in lemon juice 1 tablespoon at a time until it turns into a thick paste. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until completely smooth. Frosting may only use 3 tablespoons of lemon juice but may need up to 4.

The frosting is done when it can hold its shape, but you can run a butter knife through it easily.

Frost and Decorate the Lemon Cake

Layer cake and frosting together using an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly between the layers. Add frosting around the edges and across the top. Use any excess frosting to decorate with a large star tip and disposable piping bag.

Add extra lemon zest and/or lemon slices and serve.

Lemon Cake Topping Options

I kept things simple and topped this lemon cake with lemon zest and a lemon slice. However, you could decorate it however you want! Here are a couple of different suggestions:

• berries (raspberries or blueberries are popular choices)
• whipped cream
• cream cheese frosting
• edible flowers
• sprinkles
• freezer dried berries
• candied citrus

Make Ahead Instructions

Bake, cool, and cover cake layers tightly with plastic wrap. Store at room temperature overnight, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, allow the cake to thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before decorating.

The frosting can also be made ahead of time and then covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Allow the frosting to soften and feel free to give it a quick mix to loosen it up before assembling your cake.

More Lemon Cakes to Try!

• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
• Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Pistachio Lemon Roll Cake
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Lemon Crumb Cake
• Lemon Icebox Cake
• Lemon Cupcakes

Make this bright and happy lemon cake soon! The printable recipe card is down below, enjoy

Print

Lemon Cake

Sweet zingy lemon cake frosted with lemon buttercream frosting then decorated with a fresh sprinkling of lemon zest! Perfect for springtime!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Lemon Cake, Lemon Cake Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 16 servings

Calories 459kcal

Equipment

• 3 8" round cake pans
• 1 stand mixer

Ingredients

For the Lemon Cake

• 1/2 cup salted butter softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 whole eggs at room temperature
• 2 whole egg whites at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Lemon Frosting

• 1 cup salted butter at room temperature
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice give or take 1 tablespoon
• 1 whole lemon zested

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make the Lemon Cake

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line three 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and/or spray well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (See notes)
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until the mixture becomes very light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.
  
• In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest together. Set aside.
  
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to combine. Set aside.
  
• Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure a smooth batter.
  
• Divide evenly between three baking pans and smooth the top.
  
• Bake 30-40 minutes in the lower 2/3rds of the oven. The cake will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool 15-20 minutes in cake pans before trying to invert on cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.
  

Make the Lemon Frosting

• To make the lemon frosting, mix softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest together slowly to break apart the butter. With the mixer on low, add in lemon juice 1 tablespoon at a time until it turns into a thick paste. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until completely smooth. Frosting may only use 3 tablespoons of lemon juice but may need up to 4. The frosting is done when it can hold its shape, but you can run a butter knife through it easily.
  

Frost the Lemon Cake

• Layer cake and frosting together using an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly between the layers. Add frosting around the edges and across the top. Use any excess frosting to decorate with a large star tip and disposable piping bag. Add extra lemon zest and/or lemon slices and serve.
  

Notes

Recipe will make:

• 1- 9×13 thick cake (bake for 40-55 minutes)
• 2- 8 or 9-inch round cakes (40-50 minutes)
• 24 cupcakes (bake for 18-20 minutes)

Regardless of how you bake this cake recipe, be sure to use lighter colored baking pans (or glass). Using a darker teflon will give you darker, crispier edges which doesn’t really have a place in cake, in my humble opinion.

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 566IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Lemon Cake appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Basics

As you can imagine, this Lemon Poppy Seed Cake was a pretty dreamy treat. The combination of sweet lemon with the slightly crunchy, nutty poppy seeds is probably one of my favorite flavors ever. This recipe is loosely based on this really moist pound cake that I’m head over heels in love with. Even though it’s a pound cake it’s still light and fluffy (as you can see from the pictures).

You get all of the lemony flavor from both lemon juice and zest plus amazing moisture from a buttermilk substitute and a “healthy” helping of melted butter. The whole thing is topped off with a simple cream cheese frosting, so good!

Do I have to use poppy seeds?

If you don’t like poppy seeds you can simply omit them and still have a very yummy cake.

Baking Pan Options

I baked this cake in a regular round 9-inch cake pan but you could easily fit it in a loaf pan or a cupcake tin.

If you’d like to use a 9×13, a standard-sized bundt pan, or make this into a two-tiered cake simply double the recipe! You may have to bake it a little longer so be sure to watch it and test with a toothpick for doneness.

Be sure to grease your pans well, especially if you’re using a detailed bunt pan.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Troubleshooting

Cakes like this one are known for issues like being too dense or too dry. Well, friends, I’m here to help you before that happens!

• Measure Your Flour Correctly: The first culprit is too much flour in the batter. To fix this, you’re goint to fluff your flour. As flour sits in the bag, or whatver container it’s in, it settles. Fluffing reintroduces air into the mix. Next take a spoon and spoon the flour into your measuring cup then level. Voila, properly measured flour!
• Oven Temperature: The second issue could be your oven! Every oven is different, but one way to absolutely make sure it’s preheated to the correct temperature is to use an interal oven thermometer like this one.
• Baking Pan: I always always recommend using lighter baking pans versus darker colored ones. This is simply because darker pans create a crunchy dark crust on the outside of the cake.

How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

For full details on how to make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, see the recipe card down below

Preheat and Prep

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Batter

1. In a large bowl, stir sugar and lemon zest together to create a damp mixture that resembles damp sand. Stir in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
2. In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk, vinegar, and lemon juice together. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together to combine.
4. Alternate stirring in wet and dry ingredients until everything is added into the cake batter. Gently stir in the poppy seeds and melted butter.

Bake and Cool

Pour into prepared pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until baked thoroughly and a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted. While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting.

Cool 15 minutes in the cake pan before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the frosting, whip all ingredients together until light and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and serve.

Storing Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Wrap cake (without frosting) in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to three days. If the cake is frosted with cream cheese frosting you’ll have to store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Freezing Instructions

If you wish to freeze the cake (without frosting), it will store well for up to 3 months. I would wrap it in plastic freezer wrap or in a heavy-duty ziplock bag. Let it thaw overnight before frosting and serving.

More Lemon Cakes to Try!

• Classic Lemon Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
• Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Lemon Crumb Cake
• Lemon Icebox Cake
• Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Mousse Frosting

I hope you love this cake as much as I do! The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!

Print

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A light and fluffy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake paired with a classic cream cheese frosting. Lemony-sweet and perfect for spring or summer!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword lemon poppy seed cake

Prep Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 3 hours

Servings 10 servings

Calories 347kcal

Ingredients

for the lemon poppy seed cake-

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest about two whole lemons zested
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar* or lemon juice
• 1/2 cup milk*
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup salted butter melted

for the cream cheese frosting-

• 3 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup salted butter softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir sugar and lemon zest together to create a damp mixture that resembles damp sand. Stir in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
• In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk, vinegar, and lemon juice together. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together to combine.
• Alternate stirring in wet and dry ingredients until everything is added into the cake batter. Gently stir in the poppy seeds and melted butter.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until baked thoroughly and a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted. Cool 15 minutes in the cake pan before removing to a rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting, whip all ingredients together until light and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and serve.

Notes

*or use 1/2 cup buttermilk instead of milk and white vinegar mixture

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 562IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg



The post Lemon Poppy Seed Cake appeared first on Lauren's Latest.