One of the best parts about living in NYC is that there are now vending machines where you can get cupcakes. It’s dangerously convenient for anyone. They have 1 gluten-free option, a red velvet with cream cheese frosting, that’s completely delicious. That being said, who can live with just one flavor?

When my birthday rolled around a few weekends ago I made these cupcakes a few days early to bring into work–just a premade vanilla cake mix, coconut milk instead of whole milk, and shredded coconut and lemon zest added in. 

The frosting I made was from scratch but came out just as easy and delicious. Using vanilla extract and lemon zest gives it an extra layer of flavor that you’ll want to lick off the bowl. 

This frosting works well with any number of lighter-flavored cupcakes. You can try it on cupcakes with vanilla, coconut, berries, or even white chocolate.

Easy Lemon Buttercream

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes enough for 18 cupcakes):

• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons whole milk or half & half
• 1 teaspoon finely zested lemon

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Make sure to use an extra fine zester with the lemons to avoid chunks in the frosting. 
2. Beat with an electric beater until mixed and the frosting’s smooth and silky. If the powdered sugar stops mixing in, add milk by the teaspoon until it reaches the right consistency.
3. Frost using a frosting spreader or a pastry bag. If you’re using a pastry bag, add an extra teaspoon of milk before beating to make the frosting smoother and easier to squeeze out. 

While cookies aren’t my favorite dessert, there are a few that I have a soft spot for. Soft, delicate lemon cookies covered in a powdered sugar glaze are definitely one of those few.

Even though there’s no chocolate in these, I find them just as addicting as if there were. The outside is sweet and glazed while the inside is chewy and slightly tart from the lemon. They’re perfect in the morning or after dinner with a cup of tea. And while fresh lemon juice surely would make these cookies taste amazing, using the plastic lemon juice is just as good, too.

The hardest part of making these cookies(which aren’t really hard at all) is getting the consistency of the dough right to shape them. When they’re too dry, the dough crumbles; adding a little bit of lemon juice to get them to the texture of Play-Doh makes them just right for shaping into cookies.

Gluten-Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 18 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 16 cookies):

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + extra
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and baking powder until evenly mixed.
3. Add in the oil, egg, extracts and lemon juice and mix the dough together by hand.
4. Mold the dough into 1-inch balls and then flatten them gently into a cookie shape in your hands. If the dough is too dry and crumbles, add a little more lemon juice to wet it and bring it to the right consistency.
5. With clean hands, pour the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl or dish.
6. Drop the cookies on both sides onto the powdered sugar to coat the outside.
7. Put the sugar-covered cookies onto a non-stick baking tray and repeat until all of the dough is used up.
8. Bake for 18 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely before moving them.
10. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature when not enjoying.

When it comes to dessert, I love lemon just as much as any chocolate torte or cake. Even though it’s typically a Summer flavor, I think it’s great to end a heavy Winter meal on a light and refreshing note.

Cornmeal is one of my favorite underrated gluten-free flours. It’s made to use polenta and corn tortillas all the time but hardly ever makes it into desserts. The texture is certainly more coarse than your typical flour but it has a charming rusticness to it.

Make sure to find a finely ground cornmeal rather than a coarse one. The cake will bake either way but the coarse cornmeal will have a tougher texture to it once baked.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground cornmeal
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk, divided
• 1/2 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon extract, divided
• 1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, cornstarch and baking soda until mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, 6 1/2 Tablespoons of milk, 1/2 Tablespoon of lemon extract and the lemon zest.
4. Mix the dry and wet ingredients and whisk well.
5. Grease an 8-inch cake pan on all sides.
6. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is browning and the center is cooked.
7. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool.
8. After the cake is cooled, make the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with the extra milk and lemon extract until it’s smooth and runny. If you need to, add 1/2 – 1 extra Tablespoon of milk to get it to the right consistency.
9. Drizzle the icing on top of the cake before slicing and serve.

An icing is an easy and light way to frost this but you could also make a lemon or vanilla buttercream for something richer.