6 Lovely Winter Citrus Desserts to Brighten Your Day

Citrus desserts can make or break a long winter. (There, we said it!)

When done well, they brighten a room as well or better than a bouquet of flowers. So if you can get your hands on good grapefruit, Meyer lemons, oranges, kumquats, and the like, you should. Here’s how we’d transform winter citrus into sweets when we’re not eating it, raw, by the pawful. (That is another excellent option!)

1. Winter Citrus Upside-Down Cake

Boom; you just broke Instagram. This winter citrus upside-down cake is so much easier than it looks; the whole thing comes together in a square cake pan. The only ingredients you might not have are almond flour and labneh, which is a strained yogurt. (It’s fine to serve it with Greek yogurt or whipped cream!) Twenty-five minutes of hands-on time, and you’re there.

2. Ombré Citrus Tart

Just beautiful: Blood oranges, Cara Caras, navel oranges, and pink and white grapefruit nestle next to one another in this ombré citrus tart. Its custard is flecked with lemon juice; yum! The recipe includes directions for supreming the citrus, a technique that can be fussy if you don’t do it correctly. It’s not that hard once you get the gist of it, and with results like this, we reckon you’ll be inclined to give it a whirl.

3. Cranberry Curd Pie with Citrus Whipped Cream

You probably absorb the immediate charm of this pie at first blush; its rosy curd comprises cranberries sparkling lemon juice and brown sugar. But it also boasts a citrus whipped cream flecked with orange zest, a candied lemon peel garnish you can use for other desserts or cocktails, a super-simple dough, and did we mention it’s stunning? (It’s stunning.)

4. Lemon Chiffon Pie

“Chiffon,” in the context of this lemon chiffon pie, essentially means, “Not to worry; there’s plenty of whipped cream and egg yolks in there!” Both contribute a luscious, velvety mouthfeel. On top is even more whipped cream. The result is a special-occasion treat that, in terms of workload, is an everyday affair.

5. Meyer Lemon Squares

We absolutely love a food processed dough around these parts, and one blitzed with pine nuts forms the base of these knockout Meyer lemon squares. Meyer lemons, prized for their delicate bouquet and sweet flavor, are used here, but you can swap them out for supermarket lemons. Once you’ve made the curd, slather extra on to biscuits, layer into cakes, and so on. (Think: double batch! You’re worth it.)

6. Polenta Pound Cake With Grapefruit

It’s like having a diehard romantic “type”: For people who adore grapefruits, it’s as though no other citrus exists. (Ahem, we see you, Floridians!) So make polenta pound cake with grapefruit for the obsessive in your life. There’s a triple dose of grapefruit in there: It swirls through the dough in zest and juice form, plus there’s candied fruit (!) on top. The base cake contains polenta, so this is hearty enough to serve with a couple of eggs and greens, call it brunch, and make it to dinner.