Lemon Buttercream Frosting

A lemon frosting topped sugar cookie, topped with a slice of lemon.

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This Lemon Buttercream Frosting is the best balance of sweet and tangy. This recipe uses real lemon juice and zest to deliver the right citrus notes that will complement your cakes, cupcakes, and cookies just right! It's light, fluffy, and pipes on so beautifully without any artificial flavorings.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Frosting, vanilla buttercream

Servings:

Calories: 3426kcal

Equipment

Stand Mixer
Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened to room temperature)
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
2 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 TBS lemon zest
2 TBS heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 dash salt

Instructions

Add the butter to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer. Beat it for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. 1 cup unsalted butter
Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until each cup is mixed in completely. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 4 cups powdered sugar
Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on medium speed until everything is well combined. 2 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 TBS lemon zest, 2 TBS heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 dash salt
Once combined, raise the speed to high and mix the frosting for another 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. Add a little more powdered sugar, or heavy cream as needed to get the right consistency.
Use the frosting to pipe, or spread onto your favorite cake, cupcakes, or other baked goods.

Notes

Softened Butter: Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature, this will help it cream into the frosting easier, for a smooth consistency.

Sift the Powdered Sugar: Sift the powdered sugar after you measure it, then add it to the frosting to avoid any lumps in the frosting.

Zest before Juicing: You can easily juice two zested lemon halves, but it is hard to zest a lemon after it's been cut in half and juiced. Zest the lemon or two, then cut them in half and squeeze out the juice. My favorite tools for this are my lemon zester, and my lemon juicer.

Quantity: This makes about 2 1/2 cups of frosting. Enough for about 12 to 14 cupcakes, a 9x13 cake, or a light layer on an double layer 8inch cake. Double the recipe, or multiply it by 1.5 to have enough frosting for thicker layers and to pipe extra decorations on your cake.

Nutrition