Lemon Buttercream

This light, airy lemon buttercream will take your baking projects to the next level with its rich buttery flavor mixed perfectly with tangy lemon.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon Buttercream Recipe

Calories: 3605kcal

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the unsalted butter and whisk on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes to get the butter light and fluffy. You may need to stop the mixer every so often to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
To the bowl of whipped butter, add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until all the powdered sugar has been incorporated. You will want to start on low speed and work up to medium-high to avoid getting powdered sugar all over the counter.
Continue to add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar has been incorporated. You will need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk between each addition.
Add the salt, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, heavy cream, and optional yellow gel food coloring to the butter and whip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until your lemon frosting is light and fluffy and has almost doubled in volume.
Transfer your lemon buttercream frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large decorative piping tip and frost your cupcakes.

This recipe will frost 24 standard cupcakes with about 1½-2 tablespoons of frosting per cupcake. If you like frosting that stands tall on your cupcakes, you will need to double this recipe.
Make sure to rinse your lemon in cool water and wipe off any residue that may be on the skin before zesting and squeezing it.
Be sure to sift your powdered sugar to ensure that you do not have any lumps in your lemon frosting.
I used just shy of ⅛ of a teaspoon of Wilton brand lemon-yellow gel icing colors. Be sure to use a gel-based, food-grade color for the best results. Always start with a drop or two, mix it in, then add more coloring if needed to achieve the yellow color you want.