Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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This homemade lemon cream cheese frosting recipe is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, cream cheese, and just the right amount of powdered sugar. It’s smooth, creamy, and ready in just 15 minutes!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

Standing or hand held electric mixer
sharp knife
cutting board
citrus zester

Ingredients

8 ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest

Instructions

Using a sharp knife, cut the block of cream cheese into small squares. Set aside.
Zest the lemon until you have 1 Tablespoon of zest. Set aside.
Add all of the cut cream cheese cubes, zest from the lemon, and 1 cup of powdered sugar into the bowl of the standing mixer. If using a handheld mixer, place the items in a large bowl.
Using the sharp knife, cut the lemon and squeeze 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into the large bowl with all of the other ingredients.
Turn on the mixer and beat the frosting ingredients on medium speed until fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Once the frosting is mixed and smooth, allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes so it can slightly thicken. Then, go ahead and pipe or spread it onto a cooled cake, cupcakes, or bread loaf for a perfectly creamy finish!

Notes

This recipe makes about 1 to 1.5 cups of frosting. This is enough to frost about 12 cupcakes or lightly cover a 9x9-inch cake.
If you don't have a citrus zester (this is the best way to get zest), you can use a box grater, a vegetable peeler, or a pairing knife. If you are using a box grater, lightly rub the lemon against the fine holes, rotating as you go. To use a vegetable peeler or knife, carefully peel or slice off thin strips of the yellow skin (avoiding the bitter white pith), then finely chop the strips with a knife on a cutting board.

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