​
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Ebook!Subscribe to updates & get a recipe book!

Subscribe & Receive My Free Recipe Ebook!

The Chunky Chef

Comforting Family Recipes

  • All Recipes
  • Learn to Cook
  • Shop
    • My eBooks
    • Favorite Products
  • About
  • Contact
  • Trending:

    Slow Cooker

    Easy Dinners

    Desserts

    My Saved Recipe Box
  • Browse By:
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Sides
    • Drinks
    • Desserts
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Sandwiches
    • Healthy-ish
  • Ingredient
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Pork
    • Turkey
    • Seafood
    • Meatless
    • Pasta
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • Italian
    • Mexican
    • Hawaiian
    • Middle Eastern
    • Comfort Food
  • Method
    • One Pot
    • Crockpot
    • Instant Pot
    • Oven
    • Fried
    • Grilling/BBQ
  • Trending:

    Slow Cooker

    Easy Dinners

    Desserts

Home / Dessert

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

5
/5
15 minutes minutes
30 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Pin
By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 05/05/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This simple lemon buttercream frosting recipe is silky and light, and bursting with fresh lemon flavors! Perfect for piping onto cupcakes, or spreading onto cakes, cookies, bars, and more! #buttercream #frosting #lemon #icing #dessert #baking
This simple lemon buttercream frosting recipe is silky and light, and bursting with fresh lemon flavors! Perfect for piping onto cupcakes, or spreading onto cakes, cookies, bars, and more! #buttercream #frosting #lemon #icing #dessert #baking
This simple lemon buttercream frosting recipe is silky and light, and bursting with fresh lemon flavors! Perfect for piping onto cupcakes, or spreading onto cakes, cookies, bars, and more! #buttercream #frosting #lemon #icing #dessert #baking
This simple lemon buttercream frosting recipe is silky and light, and bursting with fresh lemon flavors! Perfect for piping onto cupcakes, or spreading onto cakes, cookies, bars, and more! #buttercream #frosting #lemon #icing #dessert #baking

This simple lemon buttercream frosting recipe is silky and light, and bursting with fresh lemon flavors! Perfect for piping onto cupcakes, or spreading onto cakes, cookies, bars, and more!

This is one of my Dessert recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

swirl of lemon buttercream on wooden spatula
Pin this recipe for later!

I hope you guys aren’t sick of lemon desserts, because here I am with another one! We just can’t get enough of that sweet/tart flavor combo.

This recipe is an absolute favorite of mine, since it’s really versatile! A classic lemon buttercream frosting can go on so many things. Sugar cookies, vanilla cupcakes, strawberry cake, lemon cupcakes, or even just a spoon.

Because really, that’s how deliciously creamy and full of bright lemon flavor this frosting is.

This is a little twist on a classic American buttercream frosting, in which butter and powdered sugar are creamed together and then heavy cream is added until a silky consistency is reached.

There are other kinds of buttercream frostings, but this type is incredibly easy to make. You just need a mixer, minimal ingredients, and a little patience.

How to make lemon buttercream frosting?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step how to make lemon buttercream - image collage
  1. Beat butter and sugar. To keep the sugar from all flying out of the bowl, start off on a lower speed and gradually increase.
  2. Beat in lemon zest and juice. I really recommend fresh lemon juice for this recipe.
  3. Gradually add remaining sugar. I like to add mine about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until it’s almost incorporated, then add another 1/2 cup, and repeat until it’s all added.
  4. Beat in cream. This should be added gradually as well, so you don’t end up adding too much and have a buttercream that’s too soft.

Helpful Tip!

The biggest tip I can share with you when it comes to making buttercream frosting is to make sure the butter is softened. Room temperature butter is super important here! Ideally, let your butter sit out on your counter for about an hour before you make your frosting. The ideal temperature for room temp butter is 65-68°. So if your kitchen is warmer than that, you may not need the full hour for the butter to soften. If your butter isn’t softened, it won’t cream together with the sugar, and you’ll have a lumpy, unappetizing frosting.

lemon buttercream on mixer beaters

Variations of this recipe

  • Milk – if you don’t have any heavy cream on hand, you can substitute with milk, although I’d recommend whole milk if possible.
  • No lemon zest – for a completely smooth buttercream, you can omit the lemon zest.
  • Lemon oil or extract – if you want even more lemon flavor, don’t add more lemon juice (it can throw off the balance of the frosting and you’ll end up with a less than ideal consistency). Instead, try adding a small amount of a food-grade lemon oil, or lemon extract instead.
  • Stiffer buttercream – as written, this is a silky, soft buttercream that will hold it’s shape… but if you’d like a stiffer frosting that will hold more intricate shapes (like petals, Russian piping tips, etc), you’ll want to add a bit more powdered sugar until you’re happy.
  • Unsalted butter – I prefer to use salted butter, since adding kosher or iodized salt to frosting can make it a bit grainy at times, but if you’d rather not used salted, unsalted will work just fine (you’ll just want to add a pinch of salt to the frosting as you’re mixing it).
swirl of lemon frosting on cupcake

FAQ’s

Why is my buttercream gritty/grainy?

It could be from the butter not being truly room temperature (and thus not fully blending with the sugar), not being beaten long enough, or the powdered sugar not being sifted.

What type of buttercream frosting is this?

This type of frosting is referred to as an American buttercream. It’s one of the easiest frostings to make.

How can I thicken my buttercream without adding sugar?

If you’ve tasted the frosting and are happy with the sweetness level, but it’s still a touch too thin/runny for your tastes, you can try beating in some softened butter, a little bit at a time. Softened cream cheese is also a good alternative as well, but will change the flavor. Sifted cornstarch is another alternative.

Does buttercream frosting need to be refrigerated?

I get asked this question a lot, and it’s understandable! Buttercream frosting on a decorated baked good can stay at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can certainly refrigerate it if you’d like, but it’s not necessary.

lemon cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting on top

Making buttercream frosting ahead of time

I love making buttercream frosting ahead of time! It keeps great in the refrigerator or freezer, and makes decorating much easier.

If the buttercream is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator before this next step.

To get the made ahead buttercream back to it’s fluffy texture, it’ll need to be beaten again. Just for a few minutes, and it’ll be good as new!

Storage

Extra or leftover buttercream should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Other Lemon Recipes:

lemon pie
Sour Cream Lemon Pie
lemon bars
Creamy Lemon Bars
lemon poppyseed muffins
Lemon Zucchini Poppyseed Muffins
lemon danish
Lemon Cream Cheese Danish
hand mixer

My Favorite Hand Mixer!

Stand mixers are great, but they’re also pretty expensive and hard to come by right now. This hand mixer works like a champ and works really well for this frosting!

Get on amazon

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

swirl of lemon buttercream on wooden spatula

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

5 from 17 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Calories: 186
Servings: 24 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
This simple lemon buttercream frosting recipe is silky and light, and bursting with fresh lemon flavors!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups salted butter softened to room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar sifted and divided
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice fresh is best
  • 3-4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), add butter and 2 cups of the sifted powdered sugar. Beat on low at first, then increase speed to about medium. It will be crumbly at this point.
  • Add lemon zest and lemon juice and continue mixing for 1 minute.
  • Add remaining powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing on a lower speed to prevent the sugar from flying out the mixer.
  • Once all sugar is beaten in, keep the mixer on low speed, and slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream, about a Tbsp at a time, until frosting is creamy, light and fluffy. Adjust the amount of cream to change the consistency of the frosting (less cream = stiffer frosting and vice versa).
  • Use immediately, or add to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1-2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

  1. This frosting recipe is enough to frost 24 cupcakes, or 12 cupcakes that are piled HIGH with frosting.  It will also be enough for a 2 layer 9″ round cake.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating Save for Later Saved!

You May Also Like...

  • Creamy Sour Cream Lemon Pie | This almost no bake pie is cool, creamy, rich, and bursting with summer lemon flavors. The sour cream gives this dessert a delicious tang! | http://thechunkychef.com
    Creamy Sour Cream Lemon Pie
  • This is the ultimate in refreshing and light desserts… creamy lemon squares made all from scratch with a buttery shortbread crust, and tangy and bright lemon filling!  So foolproof… anyone can make these lemon bars!
    Creamy Lemon Bars
  • Blueberry Lemon Bread
    Lemon Blueberry Bread with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
  • Cooking and Baking Extravaganza, and Pumpkin Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting!
Previous Post
Next Post

Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

Learn More

Reader Interactions

5 from 17 votes

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question, comment, or review below.

Recipe Rating




  1. Phai says

    Posted on 5/28 at 10:31 am

    Delicious lemon frosting! I paired it with lemon gluten free cupcakes and also made candied lemon on top! Was awesome and perfectly balanced

    Reply
  2. Cary Hitchings says

    Posted on 3/30 at 4:39 pm

    Loved this. We did put in extra zest and an extra tbs. Of lemon juice. I did mix it for a long while to make it extra fluffy. This is such good icing. I usually do not care for too much icing, but this icing I couldn’t get enough of. Good at room temp and from the fridge as it hardens and is cold. So yummy. I did this on a chocolate 9” cake. It was just enough. Lemon zest on top of cake at the end and it made it so pretty.

    Reply
  3. Jenny says

    Posted on 3/26 at 3:15 pm

    What frosting tip did you use to get the height? I used a lemon cream cheese frosting, gave it that extra kick of decadence! And, this is the first time I’ve used corn starch in a cake recipe. Wondering what purpose it serves? Maybe all need it!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/26 at 8:26 pm

      I believe this was a closed star tip, and just pulled up as I swirled around to create the “ice cream cone” look 🙂 The cornstarch inhibits gluten formation, resulting in a fluffy tender crumb. In essence, it mimics using cake flour. Hope that helps!

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

welcome!

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

New! Save Recipes To Your Own Account!

Free eBook!

Subscribe & receive my most popular recipes compiled into an easy ebook format!

download now!

Subscribe & Receive My Free Recipe Ebook!

Game Day Recipes!

These crowd-pleasing tender meatballs are smothered in a super flavorful honey garlic bbq sauce.  Perfect for parties, this crockpot meatball recipe couldn't be more simple to make! #meatballs #crockpot #slowcooker #honeygarlic #bbq #appetizer #party #honey #garlic #easyrecipe

Honey Garlic Crockpot Meatballs

2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Smooth and silky queso dip, made using NO velveeta!  Packed with flavor, yet so easy to make, and party ready in just 20 minutes! #queso #dip #cheese #mexican #appetizer #party #cincodemayo #easyrecipe

Queso Dip Recipe

20 minutes minutes

Creamy, cheesy, and oh so addicting, this bacon cheeseburger dip is just like your favorite gooey cheeseburger... but in a party-ready dip form! #bacon #gameday #cheesy #cheeseburger #party #appetizer #dip #easyrecipe

Creamy Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

32 minutes minutes

Insanely tasty chicken wing recipe, dry rubbed, then hickory smoked to perfection.  And don't forget the homemade bourbon bbq sauce! #chickenwings #wingrecipe #smoked #smoker #smokedchickenwings #bourbon #bbq #crispy

Bourbon BBQ Smoked Chicken Wings

3 hours hours

This easy game day appetizer combines classic buffalo wing flavors with cool creaminess in an easy dip made in the crockpot. Perfect for any party, serve it up with chips or celery sticks and watch everyone go back for seconds!

Buffalo Chicken Dip (Crockpot Recipe)

2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Chicken Taco Mexican Pinwheels | These pinwheels are filled with a creamy chicken taco filling, which is easily customizable, and rolled up to make a perfect appetizer or party food! | http://thechunkychef.com

Chicken Taco Mexican Pinwheels

15 minutes minutes

More Holiday Recipes >

Who doesn’t love free stuff?

Who doesn't love free stuff? Get an ad-free ebook of my most popular recipes, plus be the FIRST to know about new things coming to the site!

Looking for something?

As Seen On…

Stay Connected

subscribe to get new posts via email:

Quick & Easy

Dinner Favorites

Hearty and positively soul-warming, this beef barley soup simmers all day in the slow cooker, which makes for an incredibly rich soup recipe! #beefbarley #soup #slowcooker #crockpot #comfortfood #barley #beefsoup #easyrecipe #dinner
M

Crockpot Beef Barley Soup

white bowl of chicken and dumplings
T

Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings

HONEY GARLIC SALMON - Succulent and tender salmon filets cooked in a mouthwatering simple honey garlic sauce, then broiled until sticky and caramelized.  Made with simple ingredients, in one pan, and in just 20 minutes! #salmon #honeygarlic #onepan #easyrecipe #dinner #seafood #fish
W

Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon

Light and filling, this Italian Wedding Soup is perfectly delicious comfort food, all year round.  Made in one pan, and ready in 30 minutes, this recipe is great for a weeknight meal! #soup #souprecipe #Italianweddingsoup #onepot #30minutemeal #weeknight #dinner #easyrecipe #homemaderecipe
R

Italian Wedding Soup

This Honey Garlic Chicken is one incredible weeknight dinner idea. Juicy chicken coated and cooked with a glorious sauce made with soy, hoisin, garlic, honey and more! Toss it all in the slow cooker and let it do the work for you! #dinner #chicken #asian #honey #garlic #honeygarlic #easyrecipe #weeknight #slowcooker #crockpot
F

Honey Garlic Chicken

S

Swedish Meatballs

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
free e-book!

Download MY Free Recipe eBook!

Subscribe & receive my most popular recipes compiled into an easy ebook format!

get my copy!

Subscribe & Receive My Free Recipe Ebook!

As Featured On:

Back to Top

Recipes

Dinners

Appetizers

Desserts

Slow Cooker

Learn to Cook

Start Here

Tips & Tricks

e-Cookbook

Easy Recipes

  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy
  • Contact
© 2025 The Chunky Chef
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.