This lemon ermine frosting is one of the best citrus buttercream recipes you’ll find. It doesn’t contain eggs, so the flavor is pure citrus goodness, and since it isn’t based on powdered sugar, it is creamy and fluffy without a hint of the grittiness that American buttercream can have.
You can find my recipe for plain ermine frosting here and for ease of browsing, you can find all my frosting and icing recipes in one place. Enjoy!
What’s So Great About This Frosting
You know how when you have lemon icing it is…underwhelming? It tastes kind of fakey and chalky. And then you’re sad.
Same goes for key lime. Or any other tangy goodness, for that matter.
The sharp wonderfulness of citrus seems to get muted by all the powdered sugar and butter and Other Stuff. A teaspoon of extract and some zest is just not enough to cut through the creamy sweetness.
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Well, citrus lovers. Be sad no more. I am Here to Help, and I have devised a citrus frosting with every bit of zing that a citrus lover could want. Seriously.
The first time I made ermine frosting, I Opined at the time that this method could work very well with citrus. Just substitute citrus juice for the milk and go from there.
Yesterday, I made that Happen, and I am here to tell you that I have found the Citrus Buttercream Promised Land. This lemon ermine frosting is the stuff of citrus-lovers’ dreams, friends.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon buttercream:
- lemon juice: provides the liquid for the “pudding” and a lot of the “zing” of the frosting
- lemon zest (optional): while optional, the oils in the zest provide a more rounded lemon flavor, because they add the floral notes missing in the juice alone
- sugar: provides the sweetness, and you really need a lot of sweetness to balance out the tangy citrus juice
- flour: in this case, the we’re using the starch in the flour to thicken our pudding and bind up liquid. This provides the body for the pudding so it can be whipped with butter into a light and fluffy frosting
- salt: important in all desserts, even when just a tiny bit is used. In this instance, salt counteracts the bitterness of the lemon leaving pure citrus tang
- vanilla: mellows and rounds out the citrus flavor. You certainly can leave it out if you prefer
- butter: tempers some of the tanginess and provides all the fat that gives the frosting its consistency
Procedure
This ermine frosting is pretty straightforward to make. For more detailed instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card itself.
In a nutshell, here’s what you’ll be doing:
- Cook lemon juice, zest (if using), salt, sugar, and flour over medium heat until it thickens.
- Strain and cool your lemon pudding.
- Beat butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cooled pudding, a bit at a time, until it’s all in.
- Whip the buttercream until light and fluffy.
Tips
Ermine icing can be a little temperamental, and this lemon ermine frosting is no different.
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If it seems a little thin, refrigerate your mixing bowl for about 15 minutes and re-whip.
If your frosting is too thick or not getting fluffy, it could be too cold. Heat the bowl over simmering water for a few seconds to melt some of the butter and warm it up, and rewhip.
Can I Make Other Citrus Flavors?
Absolutely. the same principle stands as for lemon. Substitute with your favorite citrus juice.
Options include:
- grapefruit juice
- orange juice
- key lime juice
- passion fruit puree (not citrus, but tangy and wonderful, so it will work here as well)
- mango puree (which isn’t technically citrus, but still)
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Lemon Ermine Frosting Recipe
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup sugar (to taste, I added an extra 1 1/2 tablespoons this time)
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt (it needs it–but use it to taste)
- zest of 2 lemons optional but lovely
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla (optional. I used it for a hint of Mellow)
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter softened
Instructions
- Put the juice, sugar, flour and salt into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.
- Heat over medium-high heat, whisking quickly and constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Let boil for about 1 minute, still madly whisking, and then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
- Press all of it through the strainer with a flexible rubber or silicone spatula, making sure to scrape any that is sneakily sticking to the underside of the strainer.
- Press plastic wrap onto the surface of your pudding (that’s what it is, after all), and cool to room-ish temperature in the fridge.
- With the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and fluffy.
- Once the butter is smooth, beat in the cooled pudding, a bit at a time, scraping the bowl as necessary.
- Switch to the whip attachment and whisk the frosting until light and fluffy, about 3 additional minutes.
Did You Make Any Changes?
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, y’all! I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and hopefully also learned a thing or two.
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So, for all of you looking for a Remarkably Citrus-y Frosting, you need look no more.
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Lilikoi!!! This is the only recipe for buttercream that actually has zing! I used pure lilikoi (passion fruit) juice, omitted the salt and used salted butter. I tried many other recipes, as I’m making cupcakes for my niece’s wedding and had to get it just right. This frosting bursts with flavor and is so creamy and pipes well. I used it on Tahitian vanilla bean cupcakes and it was an awesome combination. All the taste testers loved it! The wedding is in a week!
Oh, yes! Passion fruit is just THE best. I’m so happy you love it, and I can almost *taste* those cupcakes! I’m sure the wedding will be gorgeous!
Hello! I made this with passionfruit puree, which is thicker than lemon juice of course. It was very tasty, but the “pudding” was extremely thick, which made the rest of the steps much harder to follow. Do you have a suggestion for altering the recipe? Is there a way to thin the pudding after it has come together, or must I add more liquid (trial and error style) at the start?
Final question, it turned out I didn’t put enough sugar in at the start as it was very tart. Is there a way to add sugar after the “pudding” comes together, or must I add more sugar (trial and error style) at the start?
Thanks so much for your help! and thanks for a delicious recipe 🙂
Hi, Elizabeth! I think all of this will end up being trial and error, but a good place to start is by decreasing the amount of flour by maybe 1 Tablespoon when using a thicker puree. As far as adding additional sugar, you’ll be fine to do that as you’re whipping it. You’ll just need to let it hang out long enough for the crystals to dissolve so you don’t end up with gritty frosting. I bet the passionfruit is absolutely delicious. What a great substitution!
The pudding in ermine frosting is supposed to be thick once cooled! 🙂 You can get it into the butter by scooping it up with a silicone spatula, or just a regular metal spoon if needed. Do not thin the pudding- if you do this, the frosting may come out gloopy.
Hi Jenni, I’ve made lemon cupcakes before with cream cheese ermine frosting. But I’m intrigued to try this for a fact that I would love the frosting to stay true to its lemony nature. Just wondering on how pipeable this frosting would be for cupcake? Thanks love!
Hi, Sol. It has been a long time since I made this particular frosting, but to ensure it’s nice and pipe-able, add an additional ounce or so of butter and whip it for a good long time so it achieves maximum fluffiness. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you Jenni! I’ll give this a try and I have a feeling I’m gonna love it 🙂
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Sol! Take care. 🙂
Good morning. I am making this recipe today for my daughter’s birthday cake. I’ve made vanilla/milk And a cream cheese based ermine frostings before. First time for lemon. Wish me luck!
Oooh, yay! It is super lemony as advertised and I hope you love it!
This was amazing! I’d like to share a picture with you. Can this be done? I made a lemon cake with a lemon curd filling and the lemon ermine frosting was the crowning touch. ❤️❤️
Thank you the recipe. It’s a keeper!
Oh, I am so happy you liked it! Yes, you can email me one to [email protected] Or if you’re on Instagram, just tag me in your pic @onlinepastrychef
Can’t wait to see, Michelle! And with your permission, I’d like to use your photo in the post!
You are most welcome to use my photos and comments. I would be honoured!
Oh wow thank you so much! Looking forward to seeing you pix!
I am a huge fan of traditional Ermine & was intrigued with this recipe. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice & was so pleased with the outcome. Thank you!
I am so pleased you found it and that it worked out for you! Lemon sounds like an excellent variation, too!
Hi, I adapted this recipe to make it raspberry and it turned out well. It isn’t as strongly flavored as lemon or lime would be obviously, but it isn’t underwhelming either. It ends up turning out purple, I think mainly due to the egg white being so basic, plus I added a smidgen of cream. (The pudding prior to adding the butter is almost a shocking purple.) I’ve made a raspberry curd in the past using just egg yolks, and it stayed pretty well red. I don’t know how much the butter would affect the color in that case. (I wonder if cream of tartar would help?) Not an ugly color, just not the pretty red and pink I always hope for… Either way it went well with my unspiced carrot cake! 🙂 I’ll let you know when I get around to making it in a citrus version. I’m sure come blood orange season, I will be trying it out with those! Maybe a blood orange cake with raspberry filling and blood orange icing. (Can you tell I’m nuts about raspberries?)
Very cool! I’m glad to know that it worked well (even if the color was a little off). Since you are thinking it’s a pH issue, maybe a hit of lemon juice would help?
I made it raspberry also, and mine was pink. It is delicious, what a fun new creative frosting! I’m using it to fill an angelfood cake with marshmellow fluff frosting on the outside. I think the tartness of the raspberry will pair well with the sweetness of the fluff frosting.
Oh, wow, I love that you did this with raspberry! I really do need to get in the kitchen and play with all sorts of variations to see how they work. And I think you’re right–that cake is going to be Awesome!
I’m very new to your fantastic FB page & now your blog, but I will be here often! I love the sound of flour buttercream, & will definitely give it a go. Thank you so much!
I’m glad you’re here, Jane! I do hope you try it, and please let me know how you like it! Also, I’m always happy to answer any questions, either via email or on the fb page:)
I love citrus in anything – the tangier, the better:) I’ll have to give this buttercream a try!
I do hope you enjoy it:)
Mmmm I love these kinds of buttercreams. The kind you can eat with a spoon errr cake
Either way! 😉
This sounds yummy, must try!
It is tangy and delightful. I hope you like it!
JENNI,
What a fun-to-read site you have! I tend to be a “Jump to recipe” person, but BUTTTTT your site is like listening to a friend. A friend without quotes. Haha. I came here – Warning: unnecessary story ahead, but I’ll shorten because we’re now unofficial friends. Wink. My refrigerator took a permanent leave of absence after three parts were replaced. I went down to half the size -Thanks, Pandemic- & I’m in a situation of use to make room for something, anythinggg new. Food jenga adds to the fun. Blank face.
Woahhh, is that THE POINT ahead?! Yippeee & a big yeehaw. I have a container of previously frozen ermine frosting in the refrigerator awaiting a purpose. ‘Was thinking of trying a couple flavors from that little lady – & here WE ARE! Gasp.
I was thinking of just hitting the extracts; but I also have an overly fluffy, almost mousse-like, reminiscent of rocky road ice cream without the rocky if you can imagine, frosting occupying the freezer. I COULD defluff with a little ermine. I could. Hmmmm …
You’re the expert in the room. What are your thoughts? I don’t want to put a lot of effort in it. I say that, but rarely does food go to waste. Food can get reborn two or three times in my kitchen. 🙂
Hello, Lynn, new friend! I’m so glad you’ve found me and are enjoying the site!
If you’re trying to de-Jenga your refrigerator/freezer world a bit, I vote yes, whipping some of each together should work well. You may also consider making a peanut butter ermine by simply whipping some peanut butter into your ermine base. I call it Time To Experiment. Extracts are always an easy answer, for sure. You could also try some fruit flavors by whipping in some freeze-dried powdered fruits like raspberry or strawberry.
Have fun playing and never hesitate to get in touch if you have more questions!
Freeze-dried powdered fruitsssss! My mind just exploded. 😀 Maybe one day I’ll order online. I make a mean real strawberry frosting, but a melba combination with powdered could have me on the floor – in a good way. ;D
I have about three cups of each. This could be the plan: 1) Combine one cup of each. 2) Extract some. I have quite a few. 3) Spoon. I may just slip some pb in a little, too. Major nut allergy, I don’t want to get too happy. 4) Online search for freeze-dried fruit powder. 🙂
Do you have any tricks to keep frosting shelf-stable & ready-to-use from a container?
Thanks, M’Fren Jenn
All sounds like an excellent plan, but if you have a nut allergy–use Sunbutter or something that you’re not allergic too, please! Enjoy all the frosting, Lynn!