This lemon cream cheese frosting recipe combines fresh lemon juice and cream cheese to make a wonderfully tangy, tart, and rich frosting! It's quick and easy to make and will add a refreshing taste to all your favorite cake, cupcake, and cookie recipes! Add a scoop to a vanilla cupcake or use it to pipe a layered cake - no matter what you choose, everyone will love it!
Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting Recipe
If you love a bright and refreshing lemon flavor in your desserts, then this lemon cream cheese buttercream frosting is the perfect recipe for you! It is an amazing addition to a variety of sweets, plus, it only takes 10 minutes to make!
This tangy and tart frosting features fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and butter! When you're in the mood to branch out from the regular vanilla and chocolate frostings, this lemon buttercream may actually become your family's new favorite flavor!
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🥘 Ingredients For Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
You will need just a few simple baking ingredients for this easy frosting recipe! Adding the optional lemon zest and salt will help balance the sweetness of the sugar.
- Butter - 1 cup of butter (softened, at room temperature).
- Cream Cheese - 8 ounces of cream cheese (softened, at room temperature).
- Confectioners Sugar - 4-5 cups of confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar).
- Lemon Juice - ¼ cup of lemon juice (use fresh lemon, and zest if desired).
- Salt (optional)- 1 pinch of salt (optional). Adding salt will help offset the sweetness of the icing.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
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🔪 How To Make Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
My homemade lemon frosting is straightforward and completely beginner-friendly! Take out a silicone spatula set, measuring cups, and your stand mixer to begin.
This lemon cream cheese frosting recipe will yield around 18 servings. There's enough to frost between 12-18 cupcakes or a 9X13 cake!
- Mix. Beat your 1 cup of softened butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 5 to 6 minutes, or until it all has a light, creamy texture.
- Add in ingredients. Add in the ¼ cup of lemon juice and lemon zest and mix on medium power until well combined. Add the 4-5 cups of confectioners' sugar gradually until you reach your desired consistency. *Make the frosting thicker if you plan on piping the frosting onto desserts.
- Serve. After the full amount of confectioners' sugar is added, continue to mix the frosting on the medium setting for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the consistency of the frosting reaches a light and creamy texture. Use a spoon to taste it and add 1 pinch of salt if desired to offset the sweetness.
This refreshing lemon cream cheese frosting is a wonderful addition to any kind of dessert! I love topping it on my vanilla cupcakes, shortbread cookies, or my homemade white cake! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- As you mix the ingredients together, make sure to scrape the sides of the stand mixer bowl or mixing bowl. This helps ensure that all of the ingredients are fully mixed together.
- This recipe will make enough frosting to lightly frost about 18 cupcakes or generously frost 12. You can also frost a two-tier 8 or 9-inch cake, or a 9X13 cake too!
- Always use room-temperature butter and cream cheese so that they will whip with the sugar properly and result in a dreamy texture. Avoid using cold or melted butter.
🥡 Storing
You can store buttercream at room temperature in a Ziplock resealable plastic bag or an airtight container for 2-3 days. If you have already frosted your cake, you don't have to refrigerate it unless you have used any cake filling that isn't perishable - which includes custard, whipped cream, or fruit fillings.
If you have any buttercream that was not used to decorate yet, you can store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 4 weeks. You can also freeze your unused frosting in a freezer-safe container. Enjoy within 3 months of freezing.
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❓ FAQ
Butter simply adds a deliciously rich flavor and a creamy texture to the frosting. The fat in butter helps bring structure to your frosting as it creams well with sugar!
I do not recommend using whipped cream cheese to make this lemon frosting. Cream cheese that has been air-whipped too much will not create a desirable texture. Instead, use a block of cream cheese so that your frosting stays fluffy!
This could be due to the expiration date on the cream cheese. As cream cheese gets closer to the expiration date it will have more water content which can make the frosting runny. Try using the cream cheese right after you buy it.
🧁 More Easy Frosting Recipes
- Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream Frosting - This delicious and easy frosting tastes just like mint chocolate chip ice cream!
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting - Edible cookie dough is combined with vanilla buttercream for the ultimate frosting!
- Maraschino Cherry Buttercream Frosting - This cherry frosting is a delightfully fruity frosting that is made in under 10 minutes!
- Oreo Buttercream Frosting - Oreo frosting is the perfect addition to vanilla and chocolate desserts!
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - This decadent chocolate frosting is perfect for all of the chocolate lovers out there!
- Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting - This smooth and creamy peanut butter frosting taste as if it came right out of a bakery!
📋 Recipe
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (softened, at room temperature)
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened, at room temperature)
- 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice (use fresh lemon, and zest if desired)
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
Instructions
- Beat your 1 cup of softened butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 5 to 6 minutes, or until it all has a light, creamy texture.1 cup butter, 8 oz cream cheese
- Add in the ¼ cup of lemon juice and lemon zest and mix on medium power until well combined. Add the 4-5 cups of confectioners' sugar gradually until you reach your desired consistency. *Make the frosting thicker if you plan on piping the frosting onto desserts.4-5 cups confectioners sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice
- After the full amount of confectioners' sugar is added, continue to mix the frosting on the medium setting for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the consistency of the frosting reaches a light and creamy texture. Use a spoon to taste it and add 1 pinch of salt if desired to offset the sweetness.1 pinch salt
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- As you mix the ingredients together, make sure to scrape the sides of the stand mixer bowl or mixing bowl. This helps ensure that all of the ingredients are fully mixed together.
- This recipe will make enough frosting to lightly frost about 18 cupcakes or generously frost 12. You can also frost a two-tier 8 or 9-inch cake, or a 9X13 cake too!
- Always use room-temperature butter and cream cheese so that they will whip with the sugar properly and result in a dreamy texture. Avoid using cold or melted butter.
- To store: You can store buttercream at room temperature in a Ziplock resealable plastic bag or an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. If you have already frosted your cake, you don't have to refrigerate it unless you have used any cake filling that isn't perishable - which includes custard, whipped cream, or fruit fillings.
- To store unused frosting: If you have any buttercream that was not used to decorate yet, you can store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 4 weeks
- To freeze: You can also freeze your unused frosting in a freezer-safe container. Enjoy within 3 months of freezing
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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