Healthy Lemon Frosting with Homemade Lemon Curd
This healthy lemon mousse frosting is made by folding whipped cream into a homemade lemon curd that’s sweetened with honey and thickened naturally with grass-fed beef gelatin. The result? A low-sugar, ultra-creamy frosting that screams lemon. Bright, tangy, and perfectly balanced between sweet and sour. It pipes beautifully and is dreamy on cakes, cupcakes, or just eaten by the spoonful!
Equipment
- Lemon juicer and microplane or box grater
- Measuring cups or scale
- Saucepan
- Whisk and spatula
- 2 large bowls
- Hand mixer or stand up mixer
Ingredients
For the lemon curd
- 2 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup (170 grams) honey
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp beef gelatin powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice for blooming gelatin
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 5 tbsp (80 grams) unsalted butter
For the frosting
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups lemon curd chilled
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1-2 tsp lemon zest optional
Instructions
Make the lemon curd
- In a small bowl, mix gelatin with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and let bloom.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk eggs and egg yolks until combined.
- Whisk in honey, salt, and remaining lemon juice.
- Heat gently over medium. Once hot (but not boiling), stir in bloomed gelatin until dissolved.
- Lower the heat and whisk in the butter, one teaspoon at a time.
- Continue cooking for about 5-10 minutes on low, whisking constantly. Don’t let it boil. Remove when it starts to thicken.
- Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin. Cool completely in the fridge. If you're making the curd in advance or want to store it, place it in a mason jar and close it with a lid before placing it in the refrigerator.
Make the frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip cold heavy cream to medium peaks on medium-high speed. Medium peaks means that when you lift the beaters or whisk out from the bowl, a semi-sturdy peak should form on them. The peak will slightly droop down, but not lose its shape entirely. Watch closely to avoid overwhipping the cream. You can reduce the speed to low when it's almost ready.
- In another bowl, whisk the chilled lemon curd.
- Add a few spoonfuls of whipped cream to the lemon curd and whisk gently to loosen it. This will make the lemon curd softer so that it will combine with the rest of the whipped cream more easily.
- Gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the lemon curd using a silicone spatula, working in an upward, sweeping motion. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream. Continue folding until the mixture is fully combined and airy.
- Add lemon zest for an extra boost of lemon flavor and fold until combined (optional).
- Use immediately to frost cakes, pipe onto cupcakes, or serve in ramekins as a lemon mousse. Refrigerate to firm it up. Keeps up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator.