Crusting Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

This is one kitchen experiment gone right! Cake Central user Jesa combined several favorite recipes and some tinkering along the way to yield some delicious results! Her recipe for CrustingLemon Cream Cheese Buttercream uses just the right amount of butter to achieve that flawless crust.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cream cheese
  • 1 pound butter
  • 4 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 7 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 pounds confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, half of lemon juice, and vanilla in mixer until creamy. 
  2. Scrape down sides and beater at least once and beat again. 
  3. Add half of powdered sugar and beat well. Scrape down sides and beater. 
  4. Add remaining lemon juice and beat well. Scrape down sides and beater. 
  5. Add remaining powdered sugar and eat well. Scrape down sides and beater again and then beat on high speed for 5-7 minutes to get fluffier texture. 

    Yields a soft, spreadable frosting, a little soft for serious stacking or thick layers of of filling without refrigerating in stages, but delicious and worth the effort. Add more sugar for stiffer texture if desired.

Comments (22)

on

Can this be left out of the fridge for a few or couple of days if I use it as a filling in a fondant covered cake ( in a house with AC)?

on

I actually use this recipe but sub 1/2 the butter for shortening, increase the zest to 1 T, and double the sugar (well, most times it's closer to 6 or 7 lbs). It pairs well with a triple lemon cake that I use for weddings. :)

on

I think this would be fine to leave out like you would a butter-based bc. I left it out unrefrigerated overnight and it maintained texture and flavor fine :)

on

I'm not sure how many cups--it was a lot though :) Specifically, enough to generously fill, crumb-coat, and thickly ice a 2-layer 10 inch round and a 2-layer 6 inch round with a good cup or so left over for the secret "hard times/spoons only" freezer stash.

on

hi jesa, it sounds really yummy!!

I will be making my first anniversary cake for my parents (as I'm new to all of this, I will only be making a 9" cake)......what quantities would I use for that??? x

on

can i use this as frosting in a cupcake? i would like to try this coz my eldest son loves anything about lemon..

on

Made this yesterday and WOW. Delicious! I thought the ingredients sounded like a lot so I halved it and I'm really glad I did. I had plenty to fill and crumb coat a 6" layer cake, an 8" layer cake, and 10 cupcakes :) It was just the right amount, had only a half a cup leftover! It's a great flavor, great texture. The lemon is very present but not overpowering. Will be my Go-To lemon buttercream from now on. Thanks for sharing!

on

This recipe was yummy. I put it on lemon cupcakes and everyone loved it. I only used about 3 lbs of p. sugar. This recipes does make a lot, I frosted 26 cupcakes and have probably 4 cups left (AT LEAST!).

on

Has anyone tried this with the WASC or yellow cake?? I'm making my sister's baby shower cake next month and trying to decide what cake would go best with this. She loves lemons. I live 3 hrs away and will be taking the cake down on a Friday but the shower isn't until Saturday in the afternoon. Will it be ok if the cake is covered in MMF?

on

Can't wait to try!!! Luv creamcheese frosting and lemon too. And I always add a little lemon juice to my cream cheese frosting! This will be worth the try!!

on

This sounds heavenly, I think I will try this with Orange as well.  My grandchildren love Orange Dreamsicle.

on

I loved this recipe. I am soon gonna try and hey weekend iis near so waiting to try it at home or will ask my mother to bake it for me.