Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Irresistibly tangy lemon cream cheese frosting that's perfectly thick for decorating cakes and cupcakes and made with simple ingredients.
Servings 3 Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 Oz (226g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese*, room temperature NOT the spread
- 4 Cups (480g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt, or to taste
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed until light and creamy (no lumps), about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl and paddle between additions. Add the lemon juice and salt and continue mixing on low speed until fully combined and smooth.
Notes
*It’s very important to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in the lemon cream cheese buttercream recipe (I use Philadelphia brand), not the spread or low-fat variations. The spreadable kind and reduced fat versions contain much more water content and will add too much liquid to the frosting, making it impossible to work with. If you don’t have access to brick-style cream cheese, I recommend trying my lemon buttercream as an alternative.
Yield: This buttercream makes enough to:
- Frost 15-20 cupcakes with a piping bag
- Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.