Lemon Curd
This easy to make Lemon Curd, also known as lemon butter recipe is tangy and perfectly spreadable making it perfect for ice cream, filling cake and cupcakes or on toast!
What I love about my recipe is how much richer it is than other recipes. It’s also a little thicker which makes it spreadable. The flavor just doesn’t compare to store bought lemon curd. This is a full flavored, aromatic recipe because it uses real lemons. It’s tangy, creamy and not overly sweet! It’s quick and easy to make which makes it a no-brainer recipe.
Let’s talk lumps, you’ll be able to see lumps in my photos. Those aren’t egg lumps or flour lumps, those are little bits of lemon curd! You can soft them out of you like but I think they give the curd a real look.
While I’ve got you here, there are some other great sauces on the site, my Chocolate Sauce recipe is super glossy and easy to make, I have a great Salted Caramel Sauce and an Easy Raspberry Sauce recipe too!
What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon curd is an egg based spreadable sauce that is tangy, creamy and sweet. There are loads of different ways to use it and many different ways to flavor it.
Can I use other citrus like Lemon or Orange?
Abso-fruitly! Any zest in equal amounts will work for this recipe!
- Orange juice and zest
- Mango puree
- Lime juice and zest
- Passionfruit pulp
- Grapefruit juice
Things I wouldn’t recommend using are things like berries, they just don’t agree with this particular recipe, but I have a great Raspberry Sauce recipe here. I will get to making berry curds for the site so watch this space!
How to use Lemon Curd
- Fill it in cakes or cupcakes
- Spread it on toast
- Mix it into cakes
- Fix it into frosting or whipped cream
- Eat it with a spoon!
Ingredients You Need To Make Lemon Curd
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
- Egg yolks – I used large eggs. You can make any number of delicious recipes using egg whites like pavlova!
- Granulated sugar – also known as white sugar.
- Lemons – make sure you clean your lemons and dry them before zesting to get rid of the wax they coat them in at the supermarket.
- Salt – I used fine salt.
- Butter -I used unsalted butter. It’s important to make sure your butter is cold because it melts slowly in the hot curd which lessens the chance of it curdling and splitting as it’s mixed.
How to make Lemon Curd!
- Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and salt into a heatproof bowl and whisk together.
- Fill a large pot 1/3 of the way with water and bring to a boil.
- Add the heatproof bowl on top and whisk continuously.
- Whisk until thickened and pale, about 6 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and add the butter in three batches.
- Stir each time until completely melted.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until set. About 2 hours. Then it’s ready to use!
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Make sure you use fresh lemons for this recipe! It’ll give you a full flavored curd!
- Cook on a double boiler, not on direct heat otherwise your eggs will likely curdle
- Cut your cold butter into cubes and make sure it’s cold so that it slowly melts and mixes into the hot curd.
- Mix continuously while the curd is cooking until thickened.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lemon Curd
What does it taste like?
My Lemon Curd is a little richer, thicker and less sweet than most other recipes.
How do I store this?
Store it in an aright container like a jar with a lid, in the fridge for up to two weeks.
How do I make my curd smoother?
Run it through a sieve to get rid of the lemon zest. Honestly, who cares if it has lumps. I mean, if you do, that’s the best way to get rid of them.
Why is my curd lumpy?
The egg may have curdled. Run it through a sieve to get rid of the lumps!
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How To Make Lemon Curd
Serves 1.5 cups
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup / 105 g granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup / 85 ml lemon juice, (fresh!)
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup / 125 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Fill a large pot 1/3 of the way with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and place a large heatproof bowl on top. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
- Add the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt to the bowl and use a whisk to combine. Continue whisking (don’t stop otherwise the eggs will curdle) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. It will resemble a thick hollandaise sauce.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and add the butter in three batches whisking with each addition until the butter is completely melted and combine before adding the next batch of butter.
- Store in a jar with a lid in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
1 comment
Such a creamy, lemony treat that you can use in so many ways! N x