Ingredients Fruits Lemon 28 Sweet and Savory Lemon Recipes By Food & Wine Editors Updated on April 8, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: PHOTO © ANNA WILLIAMS Whether you're in the mood for a sunny cake or a bright pasta, there are so, so many things you can do with lemons—and in this roundup, we celebrate the fruit in all its glory, from the zest to the juice. Some of our favorite recipes include summer crab carbonara with lemons and capers, spring pea chaat with lemon raita, and homemade limoncello. As for dessert? There's lemon cake with cream cheese frosting, lemon-buckwheat shortbread, and so many more. Read on to find out how to make them all. 01 of 28 Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Layers of delicate flavors from the lemon, honey, and extra-virgin olive oil—which helps keep the cake moist and imparts mild fruitiness—come together in this one-bowl batter. Stacked with a fluffy and rich lemon–cream cheese frosting, this easy-layer cake is a keeper. Be sure the butter and cream cheese are softened for the smoothest frosting. Get the Recipe 02 of 28 Glazed Lemon-Ginger Scones Con Poulos Aimee Olexy's lemony, cream-based scones are light, moist, and laced with pieces of chewy candied ginger. Get the Recipe 03 of 28 Green Beans with Preserved Lemon Abby Hocking At Thanksgiving, F&W's Justin Chapple serves these green beans because they can be made the day before and served either chilled or at room temperature. Get the Recipe 04 of 28 Lemon Ripple Cheesecake Bars PHOTO © ANNA WILLIAMS For the best results, slice these cheesecake bars with a warm knife, wiping off the blade between cuts. Get the Recipe 05 of 28 Squid and Summer Vegetable Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing © Con Poulos This seafood salad from Provence, by chef Cyrille Chaussade, combines simply poached squid, a piquant dressing, and a mix of super-thinly sliced vegetables made extra crisp thanks to a soak in an ice water bath. Get the Recipe 06 of 28 Spaghetti with Shrimp, Lemon, Mint and Pecorino © Con Poulos Roman chef Angelo Troiani riffs on the classic spaghetti Ajo, Ojo e peperoncino (garlic, oil and chile), embellishing it with shrimp, lemon, pecorino, almond, and mint. It's simple, delicious and crowd-pleasing. Get the Recipe 07 of 28 Lemon Curd Toasts with Coconut © John Kernick Olive oil and cocoa butter make this lemony curd extraordinarily creamy and luscious. Spread on baguette toasts, it becomes a fantastic dessert. Get the Recipe 08 of 28 Lemon-Buckwheat Shortbread Victor Protasio Lemon filling highlights the nuttiness of buckwheat flour in these shortbread cookie sandwiches from Nina Compton. Get the Recipe 09 of 28 Grilled Whole Flatfish with Lemon-Herb Butter Greg DuPree To make the lemon-herb butter for this recipe, you'll need unsalted butter, one small shallot, fine sea salt, parsley, dill, thyme, lemon zest, and black pepper. Be sure to have lemon halves on hand for serving as well. Get the Recipe 10 of 28 Lemon-Almond Cake with Roasted Rhubarb Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland This tender, lemon-scented almond cake is topped with roasted rhubarb, but is equally delicious with any kind of fresh or roasted fruit, like roasted strawberries, fresh orange segments, or roasted plums. Get the Recipe 11 of 28 Chicken Freekeh Skillet with Warm Feta-Lemon Relish Alison Miksch "It's garlicky, a little spicy, herby, and full of surprises," Ann Taylor Pittman writes of the relish in this dish. "First, it includes firm feta cheese that gently warms to the point that it becomes soft and almost gooey—which is the way I always want feta from now on. The relish also gets a brazen hit of citrus from chopped lemon sections, which offer a tart, juicy bursts that are way more forward than lemon juice would be. The effect is an unsubtle finishing touch that balances out the nutty grains and meaty chicken." Get the Recipe 12 of 28 Creamy Lemon Pasta Victor Protasio Chef Andrew Zimmern mimics the sweet, fragrant lemons of Italy's Amalfi Coast with Meyer lemons in this beautifully bright and creamy pasta. The dish originated at L'Antica Trattoria in Sorrento, where lemon juice is tossed with just-cooked pasta until absorbed. Supremes of lemon add a juicy, tart pop that cuts through the cream in the sauce. Get the Recipe 13 of 28 Lemon-Tahini Cookies Gregory DuPree If you want to get a head start on these cookies, the dough can be made and frozen up to three weeks in advance. Get the Recipe 14 of 28 Salmon Tartare with Pistachios and Lemon Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford Spoon salmon is the meat that's scraped from the carcass of a freshly butchered fish. It would normally go to waste, but its rich flavor and silky texture make it perfect for this lemony, pistachio-studded tartare. Get the Recipe 15 of 28 Lemon Meringue Pie with Marcona Shortbread Crust Jennifer Causey "I like lemon pie so much that I want even more of the bright, sunny lemon flavor to come through, so there's less sugar and more lemon juice in this filling than you'll find in most recipes," Ann Taylor Pittman writes. "It's assertively—but not aggressively—lemony, and is balanced by the fluffy meringue topping, which has the perfect sweetness and density to complement the tarter-than-usual filling." Get the Recipe 16 of 28 Layered Blackberry-and-Turmeric Lemonade Charles Masters This spritzy, summery drink from Julia Momose is a showstopper with its distinct pink and yellow layers. Get the Recipe 17 of 28 Lemon-and-Lavender Gin Fizz Victor Protasio Leopold's Summer Gin brings a smooth, floral flavor to this botanical cocktail with notes of cucumber, sage, lemon, and lavender. Get the Recipe 18 of 28 Lemon Curd Tart Victor Protasio To make a simple topping for this elegant dessert, add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the leftover egg whites and whip to stiff peaks to make a meringue. Garnishing the tart with mixed citrus segments adds a natural sweetness to balance the rich, tart lemon curd filling. Read Jamila Robinson's essay about this recipe, Romancing the Stove. Get the Recipe 19 of 28 Sweet Potato Fritters with Lemon-Tahini Sauce Victor Protasio The barely-there binder in the batter makes for incredibly lacy, crispy fritters. Be sure to cook them gently over medium heat so they cook through and crisp up without burning. Get the Recipe 20 of 28 Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Bok Choy with Lemon-Miso Butter Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop styling by Audrey Davis "You may notice that this recipe makes more miso butter than one could conceivably dollop onto a single dinner," Leah Koenig writes. "That leftover butter stores well in the fridge and enhances everything it touches, from grilled fish and pasta to warm biscuits and popcorn." Get the Recipe 21 of 28 Grilled Artichokes with Herby Lemon Aioli Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop styling by Audrey Davis "Artichokes are at their best—and easiest to prepare—when cooked quickly over a fire, particularly when served with luscious lemon aioli made with the smoky juices and pulp of grilled lemons," Paula Disbrowe writes. Get the Recipe 22 of 28 Spring Pea Chaat with Lemon Raita Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This fresh and crunchy chaat stars a trio of spring peas punched up with a tempered mixture of whole cumin seeds mustard seeds, chiles, and ginger. The tart lemon raita brings a welcome cooling element; spoon the extra over rice, naan, or fresh fruit. Get the Recipe 23 of 28 Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon-Zest Glaze Caitlin Bensel This one-bowl loaf cake is exceptionally easy to make. Since the batter calls for oil instead of butter, there's no need for a creaming step—just quickly beat together the ingredients until smooth, then fold in the blueberries. Thanks to plenty of sour cream and minimal leavener, the cake bakes up rich and tender, ready for the final touch of a puckery lemon glaze topped with plenty of fresh lemon zest. To enjoy it as a breakfast cake, just skip the glaze. Get the Recipe 24 of 28 Grilled King Salmon with Meyer Lemon Relish Victor Protasio Floral and lightly acidic salsa brings out the buttery, rich flavors of grilled King salmon. Salmon is meaty enough to stay intact on a grill and gets meltingly tender as it cooks. Serve leftover salsa with grilled lamb, chicken, or pork. Get the Recipe 25 of 28 Roast Chicken with Lemons Photo and Styling by Julia Gartland The ingredient list for Marcella Hazan's roast chicken recipe is super simple: just chicken, salt, black pepper, and lemons. Get the Recipe 26 of 28 Limoncello Aubrie Pick This homemade limoncello boasts rich lemon flavor without being too boozy or sweet. Look for unwaxed organic lemons, or be sure to give the whole citrus a good scrub before peeling. Get the Recipe 27 of 28 Summer Crab Carbonara with Lemons and Capers Michael Piazza Chef Douglass Williams' method for carbonara allows you to hold the cooked pasta before adding it to the garlic–oil–pasta cooking liquid emulsion. It makes for a simple, creamy carbonara without the stress. Get the Recipe 28 of 28 Sorghum and Albacore Tuna Salad with Preserved Lemon Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Preserved lemon is a popular North African condiment made by pickling the fruit in salt and its own juice. The bracing lemony flavor adds a salty kick to this olive-, onion-, and fresh herb–laden tuna salad. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit