This easy homemade lemon cream cheese frosting uses only 5 ingredients and can made in less than 15 minutes!
Just as easy as traditional lemon buttercream, this lemon cream cheese frosting has a slightly tangy flavor from the cream cheese that pairs so well with tartness of the lemons.
This recipe is delicious in place of traditional cream cheese frosting in recipes like cinnamon rolls, carrot cake, or red velvet cake! But it is also so delicious on top of layer cakes, sheet cakes, cupcakes or zucchini bread, as a filling for macarons or spread on sugar cookies.
Plus, with only 5 ingredients in super quick and easy, you can whip up a batch in less than 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- Full-Fat Brick Cream Cheese: Using full fat block cream cheese like this helps ensure the frosting stays thick and pipeable.
- Unsalted Butter: You can substitute salted butter
- Powdered/Confectioner Sugar: You can add more or less powered sugar to adjust the sweetness. Be sure to sift to avoid lump in the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract: this is optional, but it is a great compliment to the lemon and cream cheese flavor
- Lemon: You’ll be using both fresh lemon juice and zest. You can also add lemon extract for extra lemon flavor.
How to Make
Step 1: Cream butter and cream cheese
Using a standing mixer with a whisk attachment (not a beater attachment) cream the butter and sugar. I prefer to cream the butter first until pale yellow before mixing in the cream cheese, but this is optional.
Step 2: Slowly mix in powdered sugar
Add the powdered sugar slowly can help ensure the cream cheese doesn’t break down and get watery. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything properly combined.
Step 3: Add lemon juice, zest, and salt
At the very end gently mix in the salt, lemon juice, and zest. Try not to over mix at this point.
If piping the frosting, you can pop it the refrigerator for 20 minutes for better piping consistency, otherwise it’s ready to add your to favorite dessert.
Tips for perfect frosting
- When zesting lemons, try to get only the yellow part of the lemon. The white part can be bitter and add a slightly bitter taste to the frosting if you get too much.
- Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are room temperature so they combine when mixing.
- Use full-fat block cream cheese. Low fat cream cheese or cream cheese in a plastic container can turn the cream cheese frosting runny due to the increased water content. You can read more about why and how to prevent it in this classic Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
- If using a standing mixer, be sure to use a whisk attachment and not the beater attachment. The beater attachment can lead to runny frosting.
- The frosting has a very slight yellow color, but you can add a few drops of yellow food coloring to make it darker yellow. Or, add what whatever food colors you want! It’s light enough it will hold food coloring well, although I do recommend gel food coloring rather that water based so it doesn’t alter the consistency.
- Still have issues with runny or lumpy frosting? Check out this post on why this happens and how to prevent it.
- This frosting will last 3-5 days in the fridge is an airtight container, or 2-3 months in the freezer. When ready to use let thaw in the fridge, then remix until creamy.
Looking for more Frosting recipes? Check these out!
- Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
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Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Hand Held or Standing Mixer
- Spatula
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup salted or unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 oz full-fat brick cream cheese room temperature
- Zest of 1 small lemon about 2 tsp
- Juice of 1 small lemon about 2-3 tbsp
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, or a hand held mixer and a large bowl, mix the butter for 2-3 minutes until pale and creamy.
- Add cream cheese and mix another 2-3 minutes until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary to ensure it’s probably mixed. It’s important that both the cream cheese and butter have been softened or else they won’t mix together properly.
- Mix in then powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, again scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add in lemon zest, juice, and salt. Mix until combined.
- If piping, chill for 20 minutes for better piping consistency. Otherwise, serve with your favorite dessert and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are room temperature so they combine when mixing.
- Use full-fat block cream cheese. Low fat cream cheese or cream cheese in a plastic container can turn the cream cheese frosting runny due to the increased water content. You can read more about why and how to prevent it in this classic Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
- If using a standing mixer, be sure to use a whisk attachment and not the beater attachment. The beater attachment can lead to runny frosting.
- Still have issues with runny or lumpy frosting? Check out this post on why this happens and how to prevent it.
- This makes 2 to 3 cups frosting and can easily be halved or doubled.
- This frosting will last 3-5 days in the fridge is an airtight container, or 2-3 months in the freezer. When ready to use let thaw in the fridge, then remix until creamy.
Nutrition
Julia Lawson says
Lovely lemony aroma and flavour. Not too sweet and very light. This was a big hit with our family and friends and paired beautifully with lemon cake. Thanks for sharing this recipe! Will make again!
Sophia says
so glad you liked it!