18 of the best lemon cakes, bakes and desserts

by Lottie Huckle

published on 27 March 2017, last updated on 22 April 2022

Vibrant, refreshingly tart, and available throughout the year, lemon is a powerhouse ingredient that no home cook or baker would choose to be without. With its bold flavour, lemon is most often the star of the show in cakes and bakes (think the joy of a simple lemon drizzle) but can also be used to balance sweetness or to season other fruits to help them sing. From layer cakes to traybakes, biscuits to loaves, tarts to puddings, here are 18 of our favourite lemon bakes.

Layer cakes

Whole Lemon Cake with Lemon Cheesecake Icing

Whole Lemon Cake with Lemon Cheesecake Icing

from Mary Berry Cooks

Mary Berry Cooks

From the book

Mary Berry Cooks

Mary Berry’s Apple and Lemon Sandwich Cake

Mary Berry’s Apple and Lemon Sandwich Cake

from Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking

Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking

From the book

Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking

Loaf cakes

Blueberry, Almond and Lemon Cake

Blueberry, Almond and Lemon Cake

by Yotam Ottolenghi

Ottolenghi SIMPLE

From the book

Simple

Claire Ptak’s Lemon Drizzle Loaf

Claire Ptak’s Lemon Drizzle Loaf

by Claire Ptak

from The Violet Bakery Cookbook

The Violet Bakery Cookbook

From the book

The Violet Bakery Cookbook

Slices, traybakes and bars

Lemonies

by Eloise Head

from Fitwaffle’s Baking It Easy

Fitwaffle's Baking It Easy by Eloise Head

From the book

Fitwaffle’s Baking It Easy

Lemon Drizzle Slices

Lemon Drizzle Slices

by Paul Hollywood

from The Weekend Baker

The Weekend Baker

From the book

The Weekend Baker

Whole Lemon Bars

Whole Lemon Bars

by Deb Perelman

from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

From the book

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Mini cakes

Lemon and Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Lemon and Poppy Seed Cupcakes

by Jemma Wilson

from Jamie’s Food Tube: The Cake Book

From the book

Jamie’s Food Tube: The Cake Book

Ricotta, Lemon, Polenta Teacakes

Ricotta, Lemon, Polenta Teacakes

by Natalia Conroy

from The Kitchen Orchard

The Kitchen Orchard

From the book

The Kitchen Orchard

Lemon Lava Cakes

Lemon Lava Cakes

from Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook

Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook

From the book

Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook

Biscuits

Lemon & Basil Shortbread

Nadiya Hussain’s Lemon Basil Shortbread

by Nadiya Hussain

from Nadiya’s Fast Flavours

Nadiya's Fast Flavours Cookbook

From the book

Nadiya’s Fast Flavours

Gluten-free lemon shortbread with lemon and blueberry fool

Gluten-free Lemon Shortbread with Lemon and Blueberry Fool

by Jo Scarratt-Jones

from Eat Well For Less

Eat Well For Less

From the book

Eat Well For Less

Tarts

Amalfi Lemon Tart

Amalfi Lemon Tart

by Theo Randall

from My Simple Italian

My Simple Italian

From the book

My Simple Italian

Mary Berry’s Lemon Posset Tart with Fresh Raspberries

Mary Berry’s Lemon Posset Tart with Fresh Raspberries

from Simple Comforts

Simple Comforts

From the book

Simple Comforts

Puddings

Lemon and Passion Fruit Self-saucing Pudding

Lemon and Passion Fruit Self-saucing Pudding

by Gizzi Erskine

from My Kitchen Table: 100 Foolproof Suppers

My Kitchen Table: 100 Foolproof Suppers

From the book

My Kitchen Table: 100 Foolproof Suppers

Nigella Lawson’s Warm Lemon and Elderflower Pudding

Nigella Lawson’s Warm Lemon and Elderflower Pudding

by Nigella Lawson

from Cook, Eat, Repeat

Cook, Eat, Repeat

From the book

Cook, Eat, Repeat

Blueberry and Lemon Bread Pudding

Blueberry and Lemon Bread Pudding

by Linda Collister

from The Great British Bake Off: Big Book of Baking

The Great British Bake Off: Big Book of Baking

From the book

The Great British Bake Off: Big Book of Baking

Vegan

Nigella Lawson’s Vegan Lemon Polenta Cake

Nigella Lawson’s Vegan Lemon Polenta Cake

by Nigella Lawson

from Cook, Eat, Repeat

Cook, Eat, Repeat

From the book

Cook, Eat, Repeat

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