The Best Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

The Best Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

OK, you guys this lemon curd recipe is really close to my heart! This one is inspired by my mom when she brought me homemade lemon curd a while ago when she came to visit me. And she even used lemons from her very own tree in her backyard to make it! Ah, one of the many reasons I love California. And since I’m not there to enjoy this all year round as she can, she knew exactly what to bring me that would make me so happy! And, of course, I want to share the best homemade lemon curd recipe with all of you too to share the love. 

the best homemade lemon curd recipe. www.cakebycourtney.com

If you’re planning on making this lemon curd and incorporating it into a cake or other kind of dessert, take note that it will need to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before it’s ready to be used. But it can be stored in your fridge for up to 5 days! So don’t be afraid to make it a few days in advance before you plan on making the rest of the dessert that it will go with. 

I love splitting up the days that I make the different elements of my cakes! Baking layered cakes can take a LOT of time, as I’m sure all of you know, so any time you can make different elements throughout multiple days helps so much with not getting burnt out by the process. That way you can take your time baking and actually enjoy each step and feel good about the cake you’re making, every step of the way. 

What You’ll Need to Make Lemon Curd

tasty lemon curd recipe. www.cakebycourtney.com

Lemon is one of my favorite kinds of citrus flavors for dessert! I’ve made a handful of desserts and cakes using lemon elements like this lemon curd recipe, but I’ll talk more about those later. First, let’s talk about the ingredients and how to make this amazing homemade lemon curd recipe. 

You will only need a handful of simple ingredients to make the lemon curd:

  • Granulated sugar
  • Lemon zest from one large lemon
  • Lemon juice 
  • Eggs
  • Egg yolks
  • Unsalted butter

The lemon juice the recipe calls for usually takes about 3 lemons to get the amount you need. And the unsalted butter should be cold and cut into small pieces when adding it to your lemon mixture. Other than that, the recipe is pretty straightforward! You are almost well on your way to making the best homemade lemon curd. 😉

How to Make Homemade Lemon Curd

delicious lemon curd recipe for desserts. www.cakebycourtney.com

First, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs and egg yolks, and then whisk them into the lemon mixture. 

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it’s thick like pudding. This usually takes 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and then whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is all incorporated.

Once everything is all mixed in together nicely, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. It helps to push it through with a rubber spatula. Lastly, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate it until it is completely set. I recommend at least 4 hours. But it can be stored for up to 5 days!

lemon curd recipe you'll love. www.cakebycourtney.com

The Best Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

What will you be trying the best homemade lemon curd recipe on first? As I mentioned earlier, I love to use my lemon curd as a filling in my cakes, but there are so many ways to use this lemon curd! Check out my faves in the posts linked below. For more tips and recipes on all things cake, follow me on Instagram @cakebycourtney

Other posts you’ll love:

https://cakebycourtney.com/cakedecorating101/
delicious lemon curd recipe for desserts. www.cakebycourtney.com

Lemon Curd

5 from 2 votes
The best homemade lemon curd! You can use this as a filling for cake or a fun added element to many other desserts as well.
Prep Time 7 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Total Time 15 mins

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (9 g) grated lemon zest one large lemon
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3 large eggs
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 tablespoons (56.5 g) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture.
  • Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it's thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
  • Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days. 

Courtney Rich

I’m a self-taught baker, obsessed with cake.

I long ago ditched box mixes in pursuit of melt-in-your-mouth, to-die-for flavor combinations, fillings and textures. I believe cake must be decadent, life-changing and worthy of celebration! And I believe anyone should be able to bake that kind of cake – and I’m here to teach you just that!

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