5 Ingredient Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
This lemon cream cheese frosting is so easy to make! You only need 5 minutes and 5 ingredients like fresh lemons, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and butter, and milk. Its tangy and delicious on top of lemon desserts like lemon cupcakes or lemon muffins! This zesty frosting will brighten up any cake or cupcake and is such a fun take on classic cream cheese frosting.
If you’re looking to transform a cake or cupcake recipe into a refreshing and light summer dessert, this lemon cream cheese frosting is just what you need! It is easy to whip up in just a couple minutes, and has a ton of fresh lemon flavor. This recipe is adapted from my original cream cheese frosting recipe.
The mixture of cream cheese and lemon is bright and flavorful! The cream cheese gives the frosting a light and fluffy texture, while the lemon adds a tart flavor that is just perfect. You need to make this recipe with softened cream cheese so if you forgot to leave it out at room temperature you can learn how to soften cream cheese quickly!
As a trained pastry chef, I do have my favorite flavor profiles and lemon is one of them! There are a ton of lemon recipes on my site that this would be great to top this with. From lemon cupcakes to lemon pudding bundt cake– you absolutely cannot go wrong!
This lemon cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly on top of my lemon curd cake or slathered on top of these bakery style lemon muffins This cake is bursting with lemon flavor in every bite from the cake, to the filling, and finally the frosting.
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese – Adds a soft and creamy texture to the base of the frosting along with a tart and tangy flavor.
- Butter – Softened butter is what adds the buttery flavor and rich texture to this lemon buttercream recipe.
- Lemon Zest & Juice – By using both the zest and the juice of the lemon, you’ll get a natural lemon flavor that is bursting with a refreshing citrus taste.
- Confectioners Sugar – This finely milled sugar is great for mixing into buttercream frosting to thicken it and provide sweetness.
- Milk – Helps thin out the consistency of the frosting while keeping it nice and creamy.
How to make
- Cream the butter and cream cheese: Add the softened block of cream cheese and butter into a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the two on medium speed until evenly combined and fluffy.
- Add the sugar: To the creamed mixture, add the sugar slowly and mix on low speed until all of the ingredients are blended together. This should take about two minutes.
- Add lemon and milk: To the base of the frosting, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk. Mix on medium-low speed until all of the ingredients are evenly combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.
Some tips for success
- Room temperature ingredients: In order to make sure the frosting blends properly, all of the ingredients should be at room temperature when you start. This includes butter, cream cheese, and milk! Learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Scrape down the bowl: Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl as you mix the frosting ingredients together.
- Start on low speed: To avoid a powdered sugar cloud, I always recommend starting on low speed when adding the sugar to the buttercream base. Once it’s all been added, you can turn up the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add milk as needed: If you find that your frosting is too thick, add a little bit of milk (one tablespoon at a time) until it reaches the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Add more lemon flavor: If you enjoy more lemon flavor, add a bit more zest or a few drops of lemon flavor extract.
Storing and freezing
Storing: Store the frosting in plastic wrap on the counter or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap if you are using within a day or two. You can also refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Freezing: You can freeze the frosting in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months. When you’re ready to use, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then re-whip it in the stand mixer until light and fluffy.
Yield
This recipe makes enough frosting to frost 12 cupcakes with a piping bag and star tip or fill and frost a 2 layer 9″round cake.
Fluffy Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, (1 bar)
- ½ cup butter, 113g softened
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 cups confectioners sugar, 454g
- ½ tsp milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the block of cream cheese and ½ cup butter on medium speed until evenly combined.
- Add in the 4 cups of confectioners sugar and mix on low speed.
- Mix until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in lemon zest, ½ tsp lemon juice, and ½ tsp milk, and mix again until combined and super fluffy.
Notes
- This recipe makes enough frosting to frost 12 cupcakes with a piping bag and star tip or fill and frost a 2 layer 9″round cake.
- This is the perfect frosting to go on top of lemon poppyseed cake.
- Add milk as needed: If you find that your frosting is too thick, add a little bit of milk (one tablespoon at a time) until it reaches the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Add more lemon flavor: If you enjoy more lemon flavor, add a bit more zest or a few drops of lemon flavor extract.
Hi Sam,
Your Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting sounds delicious and perfect for my Lemon layered cake. I am planning an outdoor party, would your frosting hold up in 90 degree humid weather? I thought the cream cheese might hold up well enough but maybe I need to sub high level shortening instead of butter? Would love to hear if you’ve ever used this recipe for an outdoor cake.
Thank you, Jessie
Hey Jessie! I wish I could tell you that it will 100% hold up but Im not sure anything would honestly if its outside in very hot weather. Im thinking if maybe you freeze it or keep it refrigerated until its serving time and then bring it outside- would that be an option? Or yes I would sub the butter for the HL shortening. Hope that helps a bit! Good luck!!
Hello, I was wondering if it’s possible to add food coloring to this frosting? I am considering using this on a birthday cake, and I don’t want the entire cake to be white.
Thanks, Edith
Hi! Yes you totally can, I like to use gel based because you need less and the color is better concentrated but water based works too!