Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Lemony Desserts

For June 16, 2011

It’s ironic that when a car or appliance breaks down too frequently we call it a “lemon.” Because a lemon is the very opposite of trouble. In fact, it is one of our most generous fruits, with both juice and skin for our benefit.

You might be surprised at how often we add lemon to recipes, both sweet and savory, in every season, to add vitality to recipes as diverse as winter’s Sweet and Sour Cabbage to summer’s Lemonade.

But when the weather starts to warm up, lemons are best put to use for dessert. The flavor is intense, yet not overbearing, because lemon juice and zest are also incredibly refreshing. They can make pie or cake, cobbler, cookies and even rich, creamy desserts feel as light as fluff.

Fortunately, lemons are abundant and relatively inexpensive, though you have to know how to get the most for your money, which means picking the right one. Look closely at them in the market and you’ll see lemons are not all the same. Some are hard, with bumpy skins and knobby ends; these have the most flavorful skin. Others are rounder and smoother and have a little “give” when you press them – these have more juice and are the best bets for all-purpose cooking.

Meyer lemons are a different species, thought to be a hybrid of a standard lemon and an orange or Mandarin. The peel is thinner, with a pale yellow-orange hue and it isn’t as aromatic as a regular lemon. The juice is much sweeter. Although the flavor will be subtler and less tangy, you can use Meyer lemons for most lemony dessert recipes.

If you need both zest and juice for a recipe, be sure to remove the peel before you cut the lemon. You can use an old-fashioned lemon zester or cut small strips of the skin with a vegetable peeler, then mince it with a chef’s knife. For the easiest, most perfectly grated peel, buy a Microplane, the model with a handle and rectangular head with tiny holes that you can lay across a bowl. Don’t forget to check the underside of this tool, which captures extra zest that hasn’t dropped into the bowl. When zesting lemons, grate only the thin, outer, yellow layer, not the more bitter white pith that’s underneath.

To extract the juice, a cone-shaped lemon reamer or a manual juicer (with a reamer in the center) will do. When all the juice is collected, filter it through a strainer to remove the pulp and seeds. It will be easier (and you’ll get the most juice) if you roll the lemon back and forth on your counter a few times before juicing. An average size lemon should yield about 3-4 tablespoons juice. It’s important to use fresh lemon juice and peel quickly; they can taste acrid after a few hours.

The lemony dessert recipes here can star at your table after a summer meal. They are tart, but suitably sweet and aren’t too fancy, so you can serve them after any daily dinner. On the other hand, they are also festive enough for company. Lemon Ice Cream is rich, smooth and intriguingly tangy. More interesting than the usual flavors too. It’s fine plain but you might want to put some inside a meringue or chocolate shell or cloak it with chocolate sauce or a simple sauce made with crushed blackberries or raspberries. Or serve it alongside a slice of Lemon Buttermilk Cake, a tall, regal confection that you can make ahead and freeze for a few weeks. This cake is also fine, served as is; the glaze is mouth-puckering with hints of sugar, making it compellingly delightful.

Lemon Cream Pie is a rich and creamy alternative to the more well-known lemon meringue; the center is tangy-tasting, but more pudding-like. The recipe calls for a standard, crispy baked pie crust but you can switch to a chocolate cookie crumb crust for a sweeter version.