This recipe for fresh lemon curd is so easy to make with none of the fuss of separating eggs. It’s the perfect consistency for filling cakes, cookies, and parfaits.
I’m not going to lie. I’ve been totally obsessed with lemon curd lately.
Hopefully there isn’t such thing as too much, because this Easy Lemon Curd Filling has been a staple here for the past few weeks!
I’ve always been afraid of making it myself, it just seemed finicky or too much trouble. Most recipes call for using egg yolks, and I really hate wasting egg whites unless I really have use for them ahead of time. Using only egg yolks will definitely give a smoother, creamier, and richer taste and color… but I didn’t care too much about that if I was using it as a cake filling first.
So this recipe gives you a wonderfully smooth lemon curd by using whole eggs!
This is my go-to recipe for cake filling, and I’ve used it to make a few lemon layer cakes lately. It’s also amazing when mixing it into buttercream for a very lemony frosting.
This lemon curd thickens a lot when chilled in the refrigerator and is a bit thicker than your normal lemon curd. It has a little cornstarch which helps to hold its shape/thickness when layering inside a cake. It would make a great filling inside thumbprint cookies, mixed into mousse for parfaits, or served on top of scones or even pancakes!
Or just eat it with a spoon. I’m definitely guilty of that.
How to Make Easy Lemon Curd Filling
What’s great about this recipe is that it’s not only done in about 10 minutes, but there’s no separating egg yolks or tempering of the eggs.
Just whisk together whole eggs and granulated sugar until smooth, then pour into a medium saucepan with lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk to combine, turn the heat up to medium-low, and continue to whisk for 5-6 minutes just until it starts to thicken.
Right when you feel it beginning to thicken, whisk in the cornstarch. The mixture will thicken very quickly.
At this point, just turn the heat down slightly and whisk in the cubes of butter one at a time until all have melted in and you have smooth, thick lemon curd.
Remove from the heat, strain through a mesh strainer and pour into a heat-safe jar or air-tight container. Allow it to cool for about 30 minutes before placing in the fridge to cool completely. The lemon curd will thicken even more once chilled.
This recipe makes around 1 ½ cups of lemon curd. It’s enough to fill the two inside layers of a three-layer 6” cake or the middle of a two-layer 8” cake. There should even be a little left over to add to frosting or even mix with just a few teaspoons of water to make a drip cake.
I hope you love this easy lemon curd filling! If you make it, drop a comment below or tag @zestandlemons on Instagram!
Easy Lemon Curd Filling
This recipe for fresh lemon curd is so easy to make with none of the fuss of separating eggs. It’s the perfect consistency for filling cakes, cookies, and parfaits.
Ingredients
- 3 whole eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Zest of two lemons (about 1 heaping Tbsp)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 5 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until smooth.
- Pour the egg mixture into a medium sauce pan and whisk in the lemon juice and zest until combined.
- Heat over medium-low heat while whisking constantly. In about 5-6 minutes (time may vary, see notes below), you will feel the mixture begin to thicken. Quickly whisk in the cornstarch and continue to mix until your lemon curd is very thick.
- Turn the heat down to low and whisk in the butter, 1 Tbsp at a time until it’s all melted and combined. You should have a nice thick, smooth lemon curd!
- Strain the lemon curd through a mesh strainer to get rid of any lumps and leftover zest. Pour into a heat-proof air-tight container such as a mason jar. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes with the lid off, then cover and place in the refrigerator until completely chilled and set.
- Use as a cake filling, mixed into buttercream frosting, on top of scones or pancakes, or layered in a parfait!
Notes
This recipe makes around 1 ½ cups of lemon curd. It’s enough to fill the two inside layers of a three layer 6” cake, or the middle of a two layer 8” cake. There should even be a little leftover to add to frosting, or mix with just 1-2 tsp of water to make a drip cake.
If you’re not adding this as a filling and don’t mind having a little runnier lemon curd, you can omit the cornstarch. The cornstarch is added to help it set up inside cake layers without spilling out when you cut the cake. To fill inside a cake, pipe a thick layer of frosting around the top edge of each layer to make a border, then fill with some of the lemon curd before stacking the next cake layer on top.
If desired, you can cut the sugar down to 2/3 cup. I find that 2/3 - 3/4 cup of granulated sugar gives the best result in this recipe: slightly sweet lemon flavor without being too tangy!
Cooking time may be up to 10 minutes depending on how fast your stove heats up.
Recipe adapted slightly from Epicurious
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