I originally intended for this to be a post about yellow dessert foods, and only as I was finishing up did I realize that all of these desserts utilize lemons! I guess I just really love lemons. 🙂 Here are some of my favorite desserts made from this lovely yellow fruit.
First I give you Lemonade Parfait with Fresh Summer Berries from Happy. Healthy. Life. (click for recipe). Sorry for the kinda dark picture…this was a late night treat. 🙂
This is a homemade lemon pudding layered with fruit and “crunchies.” Instead of the berries Kathy used in her original creation, I used chopped mango and bananas. For crunch I used a vanilla almond granola I scooped from the bulk bins at Whole Foods. There are tons of possibilities with this recipe and it’s a pretty healthy way to treat yourself. My sister M (who is lactose-intolerant) was visiting when I made these and she seemed to enjoy it. H said he liked his too. I’m not sure if he knew there was tofu in it though (surprise, honey!).
Banana Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting from Chloe’s Vegan Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli.
Unfrosted:
Frosted:
Believe it or not, I don’t usually salivate over my own photographs while I’m posting them after the fact, but these cupcake pictures are having that effect, just remembering how good they tasted. I don’t even know what to say about these cupcakes without being a huge food bloggie cliche. Heavenly? Divine? Whatever, they’re GOOD. Make them. I found the recipe reprinted online here.
And finally, the big kahuna, Lemon Yogurt Cake.
The original egg- and dairy-filled recipe by Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) has been one of my family’s favorite things around the holidays for years now. It is a complex and impressive dessert (and high-calorie!), making it a perfect special occasion recipe. I decided to veganize it for MoFo, because it’s yellow, and because, well, it’s about damn time.
Lemon Yogurt Cake, adapted/veganized from this recipe.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup plain coconut milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water. Combine and set aside for 15 minutes until it thickens up.)
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
2 tsp grated lemon zest (~2 lemons)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Glaze:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Then grease and flour the pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the flax eggs, banana, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup of lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done baking, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove it from the pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Let the cake cool completely (this is the hardest part!).
Once the cake is cooled, make the glaze by combining the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Pour glaze over the cake (I usually go back 3-4 times to collect the glaze from around the edges and re-pour it over the cake.).
Slice and enjoy!
Ready to go into the oven:
Fresh baked:
Soaking in the lemon “syrup”:
Glazed:
Sliced and finally ready to eat!
I was pretty pleased with how this adapted version of the cake came out. It looks different than the original with the little flecks of flax seeds peeking through. It’s also denser and slightly less sweet, but it is still moist and lemony and has the delicious “crust” of lemon glaze on the outside that is so delightful to bite into.
I initially wrestled with what to do to replace the 3 eggs that the original recipe calls for and settled on 2 flax + 1 banana “egg.” I think 3 flax eggs is too much for any recipe, but I thought 1 flax + 2 banana, or even 1 flax + 1 banana + 1 applesauce “egg,” might have been too wet. If I did it again, I might experiment with 1 flax + 1 banana + 1 silken tofu “egg.” If you have no idea what I’m talking about, see this handy dandy guide to replacing eggs in vegan baking, courtesy of the ever-awesome Post Punk Kitchen.
If anyone tries this recipe with a different “egg” combo, let me know how it turns out!!
A.Cook in the Making 