I’m trying to build out the frosting section on Sally’s Baking Addiction with some of my basic frosting faves and a few fun ones like creamy strawberry frosting and rainbow chip frosting (holy heck, that one!). My latest success is lemon buttercream frosting. This is a tricky one to master because lemon juice + zest can produce a curdled-looking buttercream, quite the opposite of anyone’s agenda. Have you ever tasted curdled fros… I can’t even finish that question. Gives me the heebie-jeebies.
(Note: I used Wilton 8B for today’s frosting!)
To overcome that curdled situation, you have to make sure you have enough confectioners’ sugar to battle the additional liquid. And, most notably, you want to stick to fresh lemon instead of artificial lemon flavoring. Lemon extract is wonderful and all, but it doesn’t even compare to fresh lemons in both the aroma and flavor categories.
But here’s the common dilemma! Adding extra confectioners’ sugar is an easy solution and all, but you can add *too* much. Overly sweet and artificial frosting follows, which is everything you were hoping against.
We want REAL lemon flavor. And:
- Tangy + creamy, sweet but not overly so.
- Easy to pipe, fresh, and silky.
- NOT curdled.
Tall orders when it comes to lemon buttercream, but I cracked that code. The secret is in the balance of confectioners’ sugar to liquid. With the precise recipe below, you’ll enter lemon frosting nirvana where you have the texture and consistency of vanilla buttercream, with fresh lemon flavor.
Besides adding enough confectioners’ sugar, my secret is the ratio of lemon juice to heavy cream. I used to skip the heavy cream completely and only use lemon juice as the liquid. Hence the curdling situation. Cream ensures a CREAMY and THICK (hey, who woulda thunk?) consistency. I don’t suggest subbing it out!
The pictured cupcakes are my lemon cupcakes. If lemon is your soul sista, this frosting and the lemon cupcakes are a combo you’ve gotta try. But it’s equally as delicious on white chocolate strawberry cupcakes, lemon blueberry cupcakes, and even vanilla cupcakes, as an alternative filling and frosting for a 6 inch citrus cake or lemon cake, or swiped on top of lemon shortbread cookies.
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Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2.5 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Lemon buttercream frosting is tangy, sweet, and creamy. It tastes delicious on everything and is so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 and 1/2 cups (540g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- pinch salt, to taste
Instructions
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream, and zest with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick.
- Cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing or refrigerating, thaw in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. You may need to add a little milk or heavy cream if it’s still too stiff.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Citrus Juicer | Zester | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Quantity: This recipe is enough to frost 12-16 cupcakes or one 9×13 quarter sheet cake.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was delicious! My icing is always so dense and I really appreciated the timing instructions for beating it. Turned out perfect. I used it in your blueberry and lemon cake since my hubby is not a fan of cream cheese.
This is the perfect lemon buttercream! Zippy and fresh with a lovely texture.
Hi Sally. Have you tried piping this with small piping tips? I would assume the zest may not pipe out if the tip is too small? Planning on doing intricate piping work on a bridal shower cake next weekend and this recipe looks great. Let me know what you think? May leave the zest out for the piping
Hi Ed, It would really depend on the piping tip you are using. For example a #1 or #2, or a very small closed star would likely clog, but slightly bigger than that should be ok. If you are in doubt you can skip the zest.
Made this and it came out tasting very good. I used it to frost a lemon gluten-free cake.
It tastes so good.
Thanks Sally!!
I’ve always had good experiences with your recipes, Sally! I was wondering if I could and the same amount of orange juice or lime juice and have it taste just as good? Also would this work the same if I wanted to flavor royal icing? I wanted to do “summer fruits” flavored sugar cutout cookies. Thanks so much for all of your inspiring recipes!
Hi Jodie, we haven’t tested this with orange or lime but we don’t see why it wouldn’t work! To flavor royal icing, we’d recommend an extract. See the Recipe Notes for directions on adding flavors. Have fun with them!
I’ve made a lot of buttercreams in my days, but a problem I often run into is that its much denser than I’d like. Do you have any recommendations for making it lighter and fluffier?
Hi Anna, a couple options: 1) you can simply beat it for longer to introduce more air into the buttercream. 2) you can fold unsweetened whipped cream into it to lighten up the consistency. Simply make whipped cream without the sugar and vanilla, and then fold some or all of it in. This will increase the volume of the frosting, too, so you can consider halving the buttercream recipe if desired.
Hi
Is this stiff enough to use as a dam ?I’m making a 3 tiered cake.
Definitely!
Hi, plan to make for this Saturday. How long do you think it needs to set before serving?
If we want to eat Saturday noon, would it be good to make the frosting Friday evening and decorate muffins Saturday morning?
Hi Linda, you can certainly make the cupcakes Friday, frost Saturday morning, and then serve Saturday at noon. Or you could even frost them on Friday, store overnight in the refrigerator, and serve Saturday. Whichever works best for you!
Is this lemon frosting a crusting buttercream? Thank you
Hi Linda, This frosting sets pretty nicely. To ensure even more crusting, you can replace half of the butter with shortening. That promises a stiffer frosting.
So good!!
This recipie was SOOOO delicious! MY BEAUTIFUL ANGEL LOVED this frosting
Delicious! Perfect amount of lemon, light and fluffy… great recipe! Thank you!
Could I frost cupcakes with this frosting the day before and leave them covered in my kitchen overnight for an event the next day?
Hi Kristen, we’ve had no problem leaving the frosted cupcakes out for up to 24 hours, but any longer than that and we’d recommend storing in the refrigerator.
I’m making a 8” layer cake but putting lemon curd as a filling, although I do make a “dam” around the perimeter with frosting. Does this recipe make enough to frost the exterior of an 8” two-layer cake? Thanks!
Hi Aly, this recipe should be enough for a 2 layer 8-inch cake, but feel free to 1.5x or double the recipe if you prefer more frosting on your cakes.
This frosting tastes delicious ! Lovely and lemony. Still to test freezing it. Hoping to use for my son’s wedding cake this summer. Thanks ! Subscribed !
This is my favorite and go to lemon buttercream! I make mine a little on the thick side because I put lemon curd in between my cake layers. All of my friends and family love this! Thank you!
This is what I’m intending to do for my son’s wedding cake – delighted to see you have success with using lemon curd too.
Would salted butter work?
Hi Leslie, we haven’t tested it with salted butter, but you can try it. Just omit the pinch of added salt!
It worked for me!
Used this recipe to fill my lemon macarons and they were a hit!! Added more lemon juice to make them extra zesty! Will make again!!
Does this recipe crust over well?
Hi Tamara! This frosting sets pretty nicely. To ensure even more crusting, you can replace half of the butter with shortening. That promises a stiffer frosting.
I have loved every single recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction! Any time I search for a recipe, if one of yours pops up, that’s what I’m using! Always amazing!
So easy, directions super helpful. Turned out fluffy, creamy, lemony, not too sweet. So fluffy from beating as long as recommended that I’m going to need to make another batch of cupcakes! I only used half or so, for 12 cupcakes. Didn’t need to add anymore than the 4.5 cups of icing sugar. Used regular oat milk, & 1 lemon for the zest & juice
This frosting was DELICIOUS! I put it on a French vanilla cake (modified box mix cake), and it was DELICIOUS! I might have added a little extra (fresh squeezed) lemon juice, but it was PLENTY lemony, and when I make it again, I would do the same. (I wouldn’t put it on a lemon cake, personally, because the flavor was perfect!
I made a sort of half batch for a 6” lemon cake but I only had 180g powdered sugar and I added more juice; still worked great! Would have preferred more lemon flavor (we’re lemon fiends here) might be because I used a meyer and not my preferred eureka lemon.
Hi Victoria! Meyer lemons are sweeter and less tart – for more lemon flavor we would steer away from Meyer lemons (though they are SO tasty in other things).
Not sure what I did wrong but after following the recipe, I had to add a LOT more powdered sugar because it was still too runny and now it’s way too sweet.
Hi Maddie, for buttercream, using 1 cup of butter (16 Tbsp or 2 sticks), 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar, and 1/4 cup of liquid is typically the ratio. There’s slightly more liquid here, and a little more confectioners’ sugar. I’m surprised you had to add more confectioners’ sugar. Was your butter very soft? Make sure it’s still cool to the touch when it’s softened.
Would this be able to ice a 2-layer 9” cake?
Hi Alyse, this recipe should be enough for a 2 layer cake, but feel free to 1.5x or double the recipe if you prefer more frosting on your cakes.
Would this work with vegan butter instead of the dairy butter?
Hi Noemi, we haven’t tested it, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you give it a try!
This frosting is amazing. I used only 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream and added 1 extra tablespoon of fresh lemon juice in its place. Perfect flavor and so smooth!! Highly recommend!
What would be the effect of using 10% cream instead of heavy cream?
Hi Adele, a lighter cream or even milk could work in a pinch, the frosting just won’t be quite as rich and creamy.
I love your recipes. I’ve made a 3 tier lemon drizzle cake and worried if I put the frosting on it will be too lemony so was going to buy blueberry conserve in each layer and then a dam of the buttercream and then lightly frost the cake – do you think these flavours would work I’m doing a 3 tier for my daughters 21st and using dried and fresh flowers on the outside to decorate. I’ve used your recipes for years and they’ve always been amazing.
Sounds delicious, Samantha!
Would it work to use the lemon buttercream frosting on your coconut cake? Would I still “cover” the frosted cake w/coconut flakes?
Hi Sue, this icing would be great on our coconut cake!