A simple lemon flavoured buttercream frosting. Made with only 4 ingredients, this recipe not only takes less than 5 minutes to make, it’s simple and tastes absolutely delicious!
This is my go to buttercream recipe, the one that I make time and time again. I use it as a filler in larger cakes and love to pile it high on top of my cupcakes, like my white chocolate and lemon bake.
To make this, start to make a basic buttercream frosting. Mix the unsalted butter in an electric mixer until creamy. Next, add the icing sugar in two batches, adding the milk with the second batch. I always recommend stirring the icing sugar with a spoon before using an electric mixer. This helps to prevent an icing sugar cloud explosion! After everything is fully mixed together, stir through the lemon zest. Give everything a mix until fully combined. With buttercream you can’t overmix, so blend on high until you have a nice smooth texture.
I would recommend using an unwaxed lemon for this recipe. This will not only give a better flavour and texture to the finished frosting but also helps to add a little bit more moisture to the buttercream as the natural oils in the lemons can help add flavour and moisture.
This buttercream is thick enough to be piped, but if you prefer then you can add a tablespoon of icing to each cake and using a palette knife or butter knife, ‘smear’ it to the top of the cake. I chose to pipe this on top of my cake using a Wilton 2D piping nozzle. I’ve also added a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest for the perfect finishing touch and final touch of flavour.
Ingredients
- 3 oz / 85 g Unsalted Butter
- 6 oz / 170 g Icing Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Milk
- Zest of 1/2 Lemon
Instructions
- Bring the unsalted butter to room temperature
- Add the butter to a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, blend until creamy
- Add half of the sieved icing sugar to the bowl and using a spoon, gently stir together until just combined (this helps to prevent an icing sugar explosion!), before mixing with the electric mixer
- Add the remaining icing sugar and milk and follow the steps above, do not be afraid to overmix, you want this to be nice and smooth
- Mix through the fresh lemon zest
- When everything is blended and smooth, apply to your cooled cake. This icing is thick enough to pipe if desired or can be placed on top of the cake in your chosen design
Want to stay up to date and receive exclusive content and recipes? Follow me and never miss a moment!