How to Make Lemon Curd – with video
Lemon Curd is an easy to make recipe that is incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Spread Lemon Curd on scones, use it as a tart filling, a cake filling or as the base for a feathery lemon mousse.
Table of contents
Why this is a standout recipe
This curd can be made on the stovetop without using a double boiler or other complicated methods. It’s quick to make, freezes beautifully and has 1001 uses.
For something with such a frankly unappealing name, curd is one of my favorite go-to ingredients for a wide variety of desserts. I think you’ll love it too.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Lemons – The juice from the lemons has a tangy, acidic flavor. The zest has lemon oil which adds a floral lemon flavor. After cooking, the zest can be strained out since it has already done it’s job.
- Eggs – This recipe uses whole eggs to set the custard. If you’ve got extra egg yolks from another recipe, make this Yolks Only Lemon Curd.
- Butter – Butter enriches the flavor of the curd and helps it to set when it’s chilled. If you use salted butter eliminate the salt listed in the recipe.
Process Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Put the butter in a large bowl. Set a strainer over the bowl.
- Combine the eggs and sugar in a medium sauce pan.
- Add the zest and juice.
- Whisk the ingredients together until well combined.
Recipe Tip
Always combine the sugar with the eggs before adding the lemon juice. If you add the juice to the eggs without the sugar, the acidic juice will “cook” the eggs.
- Cook the curd over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. The curd will start out opaque with white foam on the surface.
- Continue stirring, making sure to scrape the entire bottom of the pan and in the corners.
- The foam will begin to subside, the curd will thicken and become translucent.
- As soon as you begin to see a few bubbles, remove the pan from the heat.
- Immediately strain the curd into the bowl with the butter.
- Discard the lemon zest.
- Stir the curd until the butter is completely melted.
- Cover the bowl and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well-chilled.
How to Use/Serve Lemon Curd
Lemon curd is traditional on a scone with clotted cream and is insanely decadent when it’s warmed up and poured over ice-cream.
One of the most popular flavors for my custom cake business, Cake Art Studio, was the Luscious Lemon Cake with lemon curd filling. Lemon Curd also makes a great cupcake, tart or pie filling.
How to stabilize Lemon Curd for cake/tart filling
Add a little gelatin to stabilize the lemon curd when you want the curd to hold it’s shape, e.g., for a cake or tart that will be sliced. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Lemon curd can be used as filling for shortbread or to sandwich French Macarons.
Storage
Lemon curd will keep for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator and can be frozen for several months.
Recipe Variations
- This recipe can be adapted for other citrus fruits. See the notes section of the recipe card.
- You can also make Passion Fruit Curd, Raspberry Curd and Rhubarb Curd.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a quick comment. Ratings and comments help my recipes show in search results. Thanks!
Lemon Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz granulated sugar (1 ½ cups)
- 3 large eggs
- 4 oz lemon juice (½ cup, about 3-4 lemons)
- finely grated zest from all the lemons
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 oz unsalted butter (cut into 1″ chunks)
Instructions
- Thoroughly whisk together 12 oz granulated sugar and 3 large eggs in a medium saucepan. Add 4 oz lemon juice, finely grated zest from all the lemons and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
- Place 3 oz unsalted butter in a medium sized bowl. Put a fine mesh sieve over the bowl and keep it near the stove.
- Heat the egg/juice mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly. You must be sure to keep stirring across the entire bottom and corners of the pot so the custard does not have a chance to stick. The mixture will start out opaque with a fine white foam over the surface. As it heats up the curd will thicken, become more translucent and the foam will disappear.
- Cook until the curd just begins to boil. Don't allow it to come to a rolling boil. One or two bubbles is all you need to see.
- Immediately remove from the heat and pour through the sieve over the butter.
- Stir until the butter is melted and thoroughly incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature before putting in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate until chilled and set.
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Video
Notes
- 1/2 cup of juice (about 3-4 limes, 2-3 oranges, 1 grapefruit)
- 1 1/4 cup (10 oz) granulated sugar
- Zest from the fruits
If I quadruple this recipe, would I quadruple the gelatin? And if so, would I bloom it in 4x2Tbsp? or still in 2 Tbsp? Thank you!
Yes, if you quadruple the recipe use 4X the gelatin and bloom that in 4X the liquid.
Can this curd made with gelatin be frozen? I am planning to make brioche buns and I wanted to put frozen balls of lemon curd inside and bake. Thank you.
Yes, I’ve frozen this many, many times.
Thank you very much for this excellent recipe with detailed instructions! I wanted to make an orange curd that was stiff enough to use in cake layers (without running out the sides), and your suggestions on using your lemon curd recipe as a starter for other non-lemon curds were a terrific help. For 3 layers (4-layer cake), I doubled your recipe. Oranges are sweeter and less acidic than lemons, so for the orange curd (single recipe) I found I needed 2 Tbspn lemon juice substituted into the ½ cup orange juice, only 1 cup sugar and only half the gelatin. The curd is a beautiful orange color with sweet but zippy orange flavor and just firm enough to sit by itself on the cake.
This was a wonderful curd. I added an 1/8 the of lemon extract… I shouldn’t have… Gave it a metallicy taste and it was beautiful as it was. Thank you for the description in the tutorial: like adding the bits about the froth on the egg/lemon mixture and the detail about being careful not to cook the egg with the lemons’ acid. I cook better when I understand the why’s behind what I’m doing… So… Thank you. Wonderful recipe, and fabulously taught in how to make it. New family dessert for a lasting tradition.
That cake was my FAVORITE to order from you. I miss your studio so much!
Thank you Sonya. I miss my nice customers like you.