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The perfect combination of sweet and tangy, this lemon buttercream frosting is delicious on top of cakes and cupcakes or when used as a filling.
One of my most popular recipes here on MBA is my homemade buttercream frosting. And I get why! It’s delicious, has a beautiful texture, and is so easy to make.
That classic recipe has served as a base for several other frosting recipes around here: strawberry frosting, brown butter frosting, and chocolate buttercream.
Since spring is just around the corner, it seemed like a good time to work on a bright, citrusy version for you. This lemon buttercream frosting just screams spring to me, and I can’t stop picturing it on a beautiful layer cake as the center of an Easter spread.
The best lemon buttercream frosting
If you’re a big fan of lemon, you’re gonna be a big fan of this lemon buttercream recipe.
This frosting has all of the creamy, fluffy texture of my classic buttercream frosting, but with the added brightness from lemon zest and lemon juice.
In fact, if American buttercream frosting is often too sweet for you, this may be the perfect compromise. The tart lemon flavor really helps to balance out the sweetness, making for a frosting that is not too sweet and not too tart.
Whether you’re using it on top of cakes and cupcakes or as a filling for cookie sandwiches, this lemon buttercream is a recipe you’re going to want to make over and over again.
How to make my lemon buttercream
If you’ve never made homemade frosting before, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is. And it is soooo much better than the canned stuff you buy at the store. You’ll never go back once you have the real thing!
Ingredients you’ll need
To make my lemon buttercream frosting, you will need:
- 1 1/2 cups softened unsalted butter
- 24 ounces confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- Pinch of fine grain salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1-3 tablespoons cold milk
For the smoothest, creamiest buttercream, you need to start with room-temperature butter. If you forget to set your butter out ahead of time, check out my tips for how to soften butter quickly.
Powdered sugar is the other key ingredient in frostings such as buttercream or cream cheese frosting. If you are out of powdered sugar, make a simple powdered sugar substitute to use instead.
Make sure you use fresh lemon juice in this recipe. It is going to taste much better than the bottled stuff. You will need 1 large lemon to get the zest and juice required for this frosting.
Making lemon frosting
Using a mixer, start by beating the butter on medium-high speed for 6-7 minutes.
Recipe Tip
To get the best texture in your frosting, take the time to whip the butter thoroughly before you add the other ingredients. Don’t try to skimp on the mixing time!
Once the butter is well beaten, turn the mixer to low and slowly add the salt and powdered sugar.
Once the sugar is fully incorporated, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk until well mixed.
Now turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and continue mixing for another 6-7 minutes. This will help you get that fluffy consistency we all love in a good frosting.
If your lemon buttercream is a bit too thick, add in additional milk a splash at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Using this frosting
The most obvious way to use lemon buttercream frosting is on a cake or cupcakes. For a double dose of lemon, try it on lemon cake or lemon cupcakes.
You could also pair the lemon with other cake flavors, such as vanilla cupcakes, strawberry cupcakes, or coconut cake.
You can also use it as a filling for cupcakes in addition to or instead of using it to top the cupcakes. If you’ve never filled cupcakes before, check out my post on how to fill cupcakes.
Don’t limit yourself to cakes! It’s a great topping for sugar cookie bars or even sour cream cookies.
I even love it as a filling for cookie sandwiches! Try it with lemon poppy seed cookies, vanilla bean lemon sugar cookies, or easy sugar cookies.
Make-ahead and storage tips
Lemon buttercream frosting can be made a few days ahead of time and piped or spread onto cakes or cupcakes whenever you’re ready to serve them.
Cover and refrigerate the frosting in an airtight container for up to three days. When you’re ready to use it, simply bring it to room temperature. Beat it for about 5 minutes with a mixer or until smooth.
You may need to add a splash of cream or milk to revive the consistency before using it.
Freezing lemon frosting
Extra lemon frosting can also be frozen for longer-term storage.
Place the frosting in a freezer-safe airtight container. Sometimes I will also place a layer of plastic wrap on the top of the buttercream for extra protection. Freeze for up to a month.
Let the frosting thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Before using, let it come to room temperature and beat it with your mixer for about 5 minutes or until nice and smooth. Add a splash of milk or cream if needed.
Frequently asked questions
If you are a fan of shortening in your buttercream frostings, simply replace 1/2 cup of the butter with 1/2 cup shortening.
Once piped or spread onto your cake, cupcakes, or cookies, this lemon buttercream will crust up. If you want to add sprinkles or other decorations, make sure to do that right after piping it on, before it has a chance to form a crust.
Even though it crusts up, it won’t completely harden. Be careful if storing or transporting baked goods decorated with this frosting so that you don’t smash your beautiful decorating work.
Lemon buttercream frosting holds up great at room temperature. But it will definitely start to droop or melt if it gets too hot.
If you’re taking cakes or cupcakes decorated with this frosting to an event without air conditioning or where it’ll be in the sun (such as a summer cookout), I suggest keeping the dessert chilled until ready to serve.
Yes, this buttercream holds up really well as a thick coating on cakes or for piping decorations. You can also adjust the thickness of the frosting by adding less or more milk to suit your decorating needs.
If you only have salted butter on hand, omit the salt in the recipe.
This frosting has a naturally yellow tint to it from the lemon zest, but will not be bright yellow on its own. If you need a brighter color, add 1 or 2 drops of yellow food coloring along with the milk. I recommend starting with 1 drop and adding more as needed.
This recipe makes enough lemon buttercream to top 24 cupcakes, one 8-inch or 9-inch layer cake, or one sheet cake.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 24 ounces confectioner’s sugar sifted
- Pinch of fine grain salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1-3 tablespoons cold milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 6-7 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the salt and powdered sugar, and continue beating until the sugar is fully incorporated.
- Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk, and mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat the frosting for an additional 6-7 minutes.
- If the frosting is too thick, add in a bit of milk, one teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Notes
- You can easily adjust the consistency of this recipe by simply adding in more milk a splash at a time.
- If you are a fan of shortening in your buttercream, simply omit one stick (1/2 cup) of butter and replace with 1/2 cup shortening.
- Covered and refrigerated frosting can be stored for up to three days. Simply bring it to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. You may need to add a couple of teaspoons of heavy cream or milk to revive the consistency. Frosting can also be frozen for up to a month.
- If you garnish with sprinkles, make sure you do this immediately after you frost your baked goods. Once the top layer of the buttercream crusts, nothing will stick.
- Learn how to make powdered sugar for those times when you have run out but still want frosting!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
