Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Recipe
Calling all lemon lovers! You are going to fall in love with this DELICIOUS Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Recipe.
It is the perfect lemony, light and flavorful complement to white, yellow, citrus, and even coconut cakes!
Table of Contents
Why We Love It
We love cream cheese frostings and this recipe is no exception. There are so many reasons to love this recipe. Here are just a few:
- Wonderful Lemon Flavor
- Silky smooth consistency
- Pipeable (as you can see in our photo below of lemon cupcakes)
- Makes a great filling and frosting
- So easy to make!
FAQs
How to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Aside from its wonderful flavor, another reason to love this recipe is how easily it comes together!
You can find the full, printable lemon cream cheese frosting recipe further down, but here is a quick look at our steps:
- First, cut the softened unsalted butter into smaller slices and add to the bowl of your mixer.
- Next, slice the softened cream cheese into smaller pieces and add to the butter, mixing until blended.
- Next comes the lemon juice and lemon extract. The lemon extract is optional but I really like the boost of flavor that it adds.
- Finally, add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Cakes and cupcakes frosted with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting should be refrigerated.
Tips for Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese frostings are a softer consistency than other buttercream frostings.
- If you need a thicker consistency, you can add additional powdered sugar in small amounts until you reach the desired consistency.
- If your Cream Cheese Buttercream becomes increasingly soft as you pipe, to the point that it no longer holds its shape, just pop the piping bag or bowl in the refrigerator for five minutes or so. This will firm up the consistency.
More Cream Cheese Frostings
We have many more cream cheese frosting recipes for you to try! You can find our favorites in our collection of Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes. Some of our most popular are:
Have you made this? We would LOVE for you to leave a ⭐️ rating as well as a comment and photo below! We really appreciate your feedback!
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
This lemon cream cheese frosting has amazing flavor is and so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
- 2 8oz packages Cream Cheese (453 total gram weight) Use full fat cream cheese. Do not use reduced fat or cream cheese in the tub containers. Soften
- 2 teaspoons (8g) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (4g) lemon extract
- Zest from 1 lemon, approximately 1 ½ teaspoons (3g)
- 6 to 6 ½ cups (690g - 747g) powdered sugar, adding more if necessary
Instructions
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of your mixer, mix until smooth.
- Cut the softened cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, mixing until blended.
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. 1 teaspoon lemon extract, for a stronger lemon flavor.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until well blended.
This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly and remix. Do not microwave to soften. If the frosting becomes too soft while using just refrigerate the piping bag or bowl for a short while to firm it up.
Will frost a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake.
Hi Stephanie, The lemon curd is a filling to spread between the cake layers. The recipe can be halved because it makes about 1 1/4 cups. The lemon curd filling is optional, you could use the lemon cream cheese frosting as a filling if you like.
Hi Bebe I can attest to the full fat cream cheese! I made the mistake of not using that in the past and I still currently have a container of runny icing in the freezer, That doesn’t even freeze.! Lol
Hi, Melissa! I made the caje and the frosting, but when I wanted dec
.. continuation. sorry
But, when I wanted to decirated the cake, the frosting was too soft to be spread it or make the rosette decoration om the side. And the funny part is that I put my frosting on the freezer. What to do next time to stabilize the frosteing and don't melt.
The frosting is was delicious.
Hi Trianny, I am sorry you had a problem. Did you use full fat cream cheese? Do not use reduced fat or cream cheese in the tub containers. Possibly the ingredients were not cold enough. If the frosting becomes too soft, putting it in the refrigerator for a short while will firm it up again for piping on the rosettes. Some people have very warm hands and when holding the piping bag it will cause the frosting to become too soft. If this happens to you, you can fill two piping bags keeping one in the refrigerator and piping with the other one. When the frosting in one bag becomes too soft just put in the refrigerator and pipe with the cold one. We have never used anything to stabilize the frosting. I hope this helps.
Thank you! Probably it was the butter was not cold enough. I used the regular cream cheese. Maybe the bag and hands were warm too, because after I got the frosting from the freezer, and started making the rosettes, later I saw they started melting. Thank you for the advise.!
Hello. How will this icing do under fondant??
Hello. How will this icing and your lemon cake do under fondant?? Is the cake sturdy enough??
Hi Michelle, The cake is sturdy enough for fondant but the lemon cream cheese frosting should not be used under fondant.
I am super excited to try this for a coworkers birthday. I LOVE lemon and I'm afraid the curd and frosting might not make it to the cake. LOL!
Hi Babs, so glad that you're making it!
Hi I have baked your pink lemonade cake doubling the recipe so I have 4 layers(8 in), do I need to double the icing if I want to pipe rosettes after crumb coat as well? Rosettes all Over the sides and top of the cake like in the picture for your lemon cake.
Hi Olga, I would probably double just to be on the safe side. If you have leftover, it freezes well.