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Frosting & Fettuccine

Home » Recipe Search » Frosting

Jan 25, 2022(last updated March 24, 2023)

Zesty Lemon Buttercream Frosting

5 from 1 vote
BySam Adler
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This post might have affiliate links, please check out my full disclosure policy.

This lemon buttercream frosting has serious flavor to it! It’s made with both lemon juice and lemon zest for that extra flavor punch. This icing is perfect to add to all your favorite Spring desserts!

Lemon buttercream in a white bowl on a pink surface with a lemon slice in it.

Buttercream is seriously so easy to make and even easier to flavor! All you need are some simple pantry basics and flavoring and you can make any frosting, like this lemon buttercream frosting!

When I was in pastry school we did a whole session on making buttercream and frostings, and we were able to make them in any flavor we wanted. I remember being so overwhelmed with the possibilities that I couldnt pick just one flavor!

Lemon desserts are one of my absolute favorite things to make so I’m super excited to share this easy and bright recipe with you. This lemon icing is light and fluffy and is bursting with lemon flavor. Its also easy to make and absolutely divine over lemon cupcakes or strawberry lemon cupcakes.

Pro tip- When making frosting, its important to get the consistency right. Learn how to thicken frosting quickly for the best results!

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Not only do you have fresh lemon juice but you also have a ton of zest mixed right into the icing. I wanted to really make sure you would get that bright lemon flavor and not just a dull hint to it.
  • Also this recipe only takes 5 minutes to make!
  • It’s also the perfect frosting to go on top of my vanilla cupcake recipe.

Ingredients you need

  • 2 lemons- for bright fresh flavor
  • Confectioners sugar- this is the base of the frosting
  • Unsalted butter – at room temperature- to make it all creamy
  • Milk- to loosen it up
  • Pinch of salt (optional)- to bring out the flavor
Ingredients for lemon buttercream recipe

How to make Lemon Buttercream Frosting

  1. Combine the butter and confectioners sugar in a stand or hand mixer bowl and beat on low speed working your way up to medium as it gets incorporated. About 2-3 minutes.
  2. Scrape down the bowl and turn the mixer back on low speed.
  3. Add in the lemon zest, juice, milk, and salt if using and beat for 2-3 minutes on medium speed, thats it!
Lemon zest in a small glass bowl on a pink surface
Lemon Zest
Lemon buttercream on a spatula thats sitting on the edge of a stainless steel mixing bowl
Finished buttercream

Whats the difference between buttercream and frosting?

Put it this way- all buttercream is frosting, but not all frosting is buttercream.

There are many different types of buttercream out there. You can have Swiss meringue, French, Italian, American, and even others! Swiss, French, and Italian buttercream all have the addition of egg in it.

For these types you will heat the egg with the sugar to form a type of meringue which you’ll turn into buttercream.

American buttercream does not use an egg in the recipe and is composed of mainly confectioners sugar, butter, milk, and flavoring. This recipe is an American buttercream recipe.

There can be other types of frosting too. You can have whipped cream frosting as well as ganache as a frosting, but they are not buttercream!

Hope that makes sense! I am always happy to answer you buttercream questions so feel free to ask in the comment section!

Yield

This recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes or to fill and frost an 8″ 2 layer cake.

Storing and Freezing

You can keep the frosting on the counter at room temperature sealed in some plastic wrap. This way you don’t have to clean up a bowl!

You can store the buttercream in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge before using.

Ways to use the frosting

  • On one bowl lemon cupcakes
  • As a filling and frosting for layer cakes
  • To sandwich between lemon shortbread cookies
A vanilla cupcake with white icing on a stack of white plates on a pink background

Faq for lemon buttercream

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

You can but I don’t recommend it as the flavor wont be as strong because you wont have the zest!

Can I use lemon extract?

Yes but you only need a little. Lemon extract I very concentrated so you only need a drop, maybe two. You might also need to add some more milk to make up for the loss of liquid in the recipe.

Will this recipe curdle?

It shouldnt! A buttercream can curdle if there is too much lemon juice in the recipe. Add 1/3 cup more powdered sugar if it looks curdled and then mix!

Does my butter really need to be room temperature?

The butter needs to be room temperature so that it creams well with the sugar. If it is too cold they wont mix well together and you will end up with a clumpy mixture instead of a creamy mixture. Learn how to soften butter quickly.

More frosting recipes

  • A cupcake topped with whipped chocolate ganache frosting.
    From Scratch Chocolate Ganache Frosting
  • Pink cherry frosting in a small bowl with 2 fresh berries on top.
    Simple and Quick Cherry Frosting
  • 4 photos of different cupcakes in a grid.
    15+ Quick and Easy Cupcake Frosting Recipes
  • A piping bag with frosting next to un-frosted cupcakes on a pink tiled surface.
    How To Thicken Frosting Quickly
Lemon buttercream in a white bowl on a pink surface with a lemon slice in it.

Zesty Lemon Buttercream Frosting

This lemon buttercream frosting has so much bright flavor from the fresh lemons and only take 5 minutes to make!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Kosher
Keyword: lemon buttercream, lemon cake frosting, lemon frosting, lemon icing
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 210kcal
Author: Sam Adler

Equipment

  • 1 Stand or Hand mixer

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tsp lemon juice fresh
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • pinch kosher salt optional
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar and 1 cup softened butter. Mix on low speed working up to medium as the sugar combines with the butter. About 2-3 mins.
  • Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the 2 tsp lemon zest and lemon juice.
  • Turn the mixer back to low speed and add 1 tbsp milk, and the pinch of salt if using. Mix on medium for 3 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

The salt can bring out the flavor a little bit more but you dont have to use it if you dont want to. 
If you use bottled lemon juice the flavor wont be as pronounced.
If you want to use lemon extract leave out the zest and only use 1/4 tsp to start. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Zesty Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 210 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 29mg1%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 35g39%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 242IU5%
Vitamin C 10mg12%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Filed Under: Frosting Tagged With: Lemon

About Sam Adler

Sam Adler is a Le Cordon Bleu professionally trained pastry chef, Saveur Blog Award winner, food photographer, and food blogger over on FrostingandFettuccine.com. She has been featured in numerous online and in-print publications including Taste of Home Magazine, Saveur Magazine, The Feed Feed, and Food Blogger Pro. Sam lives in Hollywood florida with her husband, two young kids, and french bulldog. When she’s not baking and dancing in her kitchen you can find her at her favorite yoga spot.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ingrid Smith says

    April 29, 2023 at 10:02 am

    How long can you leave it “on the counter” before using? How long can it be refrigerated before use? Looking at making this weekend for next weekend.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      April 30, 2023 at 6:03 pm

      Hi Ingrid! I would leave it on the counter just overnight or up to 12 hours. Otherwise I would refrigerate it and then take it out an hour or so before use so that it loosens up a bit. You can totally make it a week in advance and keep it in the fridge. You might need to rewhip it if its too hard when you take it out of the fridge. Hope this helps!

      Reply

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