With our current monsoon season, don’t we all miss summer? Cue memories of  the sun, the beach and the warm embrace of the heat. When you picture your favourite summer activities by the beach or poolside, imagine a thirst-quenching drink by your side with a slice of orange or lemon in it. What is it that we all love about these tropical fruits that are like the fruit mascots of summer?

Not only are citrus fruits vibrant and summery in their colours, they also share a tartness which is refreshing and takes an edge off the heat of summer. While some may find citrus fruits too sour to enjoy on their own (I’m looking at you, lemons and limes), adding the right amount of sugar gives us our favourite thirst-quenchers – orange juice, calamansi juice and lemonade, to name a few.

This perfect harmony of sweet and sour is also a popular pairing in desserts and bakes, since the tartness of citrus fruits balances out the sweetness of sugars. Today, we’ll be sharing more citrus bakes that you can enjoy this summer.

Orange: The favourite citrus fruit

Hand in hand, orange and chocolate is one of the most popular pairings since it’s invention in 1923. The rich, intense bitterness of chocolate forms a lush, creamy base while the sharp and zesty tones of the orange cuts through, creating a mild sweetness which is not too much yet very exciting. 
Hei Tastebuds‘s Dark Chocolate Orange Cheesecake is a sweet treat for any chocolate lover and the splash of zesty orange will wake up your taste buds. For fans of refreshing tastes, you can also check out their other citrus bakes – Lemon Pound Cake and Cranberry Orange Pound Cake – for a less indulgent treat!

Lemon: The representative citrus

Did you know there are over 100 different varieties of citrus fruits? Yet, we’re sure lemons are the number one fruit that comes to mind when you say ‘citrus’ or ‘zest’. Light, refreshing and tangy, lemons have long been a popular choice of flavour in desserts and well-loved – from classic lemon pound cakes to lemon curd, lemon tarts and lemon meringue, the possibilities are endless!

If you’re a lemon lover, Lazy Lemon is definitely for you – you can tell from their name that they are a master of this citrus ingredient! Check out their Classic Lemon Tart – customers rave over the tangy sour-sweet lemon curd perfectly balanced with the buttery tart crust, which will keep you returning for bite after bite. They also offer the Classic Lemon Loaf, a perfect light treat for an afternoon tea or gatherings.

Over at Browned Butter Bakehouse, they are running a sale of Teacher’s Day Dessert Boxes from 28 Aug – 5 Sept. This lemon pound cake with candied lemon peels is an exclusive bake to be found in their 3 different boxes, which include the Citrus Box, Think Pink Box and The Teacher’s Collective. Get a treat for a teacher you love today!

Made with the zest of 3 lemons, homemade mascarpone lemon curd cream and flower petals placed individually by hand, fla bakes’s Mascarpone Lemon Cake looks as good as it tastes! The cake is moist and fragrant with generous bits of lemon peels and is not too sweet with a citrusy sourness. The topping of edible rose petals and pistachio add a floral fragrance and a crunch to the texture, giving you an all-round experience for all your senses. 

More is more for you lemon lovers out there! Le Beurre’s handmade Lemon cake with lemon icing glaze is lemon upon lemon! Their Signature Lemon Cake is popular with their customers who love its sweet and sour taste and moist, soft texture. Try one out today!

Yuzu: The popular citrus fruit
Yuzu is no doubt an extremely popular flavour in recent years, and you can bet anything yuzu-flavoured will have crowds queueing up to try it! We love yuzu for its simultaneously sweet, floral and tart fragrance and its growing reputation as a healthy option for vitamin C and antioxidants.
For a twist on the classic lemon loaf, you can try Bread & Butter’s Premium Yuzu Lemon Butter Loaf. With a buttery light loaf, filled with yuzu peel, zest and puree, yuzu fans are bound to love this creation! 

Over at Holy Moly Cakes, they have 8 Basque Cheesecake flavours and Yuzu is one of them! If you love basque cheesecakes or yuzu, you should definitely check this flavour out. Rich, creamy cheesecake topped with sweet, citrusy yuzu sounds like a delight for your palate!

Whether you love sour food or not, you’d be sure to love these citrus bakes that utilise both sweet and sour flavours masterfully to create delicious desserts. The magic of using citrus is how refreshing and multi-layered the resulting flavours are – they aren’t too overwhelming and a surprise is always waiting in the next bite. Find your favourite citrus and support a home baker today!