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Lemon Icing Glaze is very easy to make and consists of four simple ingredients. Read on to find out how to make this great, simple lemon glaze that will be amazing on your cakes, cupcakes, and more!
Lemon Glaze Recipe
In order to make my lemon blueberry bundt all it could be and more, I needed fantastic lemon icing. One needs to mix the icing sugar with lemon juice as the base to achieve this. I decided to add in a ton of lemon zest and a teensy, weensy bit of butter to try and give it an excellent, slick, crackly crust. This was loaded with lemon flavor; there was no taming the taste buds here! My lemon dishes have to scream lemon, then slap you in the face with flavor, and this is precisely what this glaze did.
What do you need to make lemon glaze?
- 1 3/4 cups of confectioner sugar
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice
- The zest of one lemon (or more!)
- 1 tsp of salted butter
Combine the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large Pyrex measuring cup—the 4-cup capacity ones are the best.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Lemon Glaze:
- Now, again, I use salted butter. If you want to add another layer to the lemon flavor, feel free to toss just a pinch of salt into the mix now. We all know how I think about salt in icings, such as my Buttercream Icing / Frosting Recipe. The salt is necessary to cut the sugar taste and add complexity past that overwhelming sweet rush. It’s just the tiniest pinch, depending on how salty your butter is.
- Add in the butter, then microwave on high for 45 seconds.
- Take out the measuring cup and whisk until smooth, making sure there are no lumps.
- Let it sit for a few minutes, then pour it over your creation. This would be beyond amazing on scones, cakes, bundts, and, of course, anything that needs a lemon glaze.
Troubleshooting this Lemon Glaze
- If you have a watery glaze, you have too little icing/powdered/confectioners’ sugar. It can get really packed together in the bags it comes in, so someone who uses 2 cups of packed icing sugar is going to have a very different result from the person who uses 2 cups of loosely packed or sifted confectioner’s sugar.
- Don’t use lemon juice to make the flavor more prominent; use lemon zest to make it as small as possible. It works wonderfully to add that lemon flavor!
What can you use this lemon glaze on?
You can use this lemon glaze on:
- Lemon Strawberry Bundt Cake
- Lighter Lemon Blackberry Muffins
- Glazed Meyer Lemon Scones
- If you want to try another amazing icing glaze, try my Cherry Icing Glaze!
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
How to Make a Lemon Glaze
- Prep Time
- 3 minutes
- Total Time
- 3 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 1 batch
- Calories
- 868
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon salted butter
Instructions
- In a large Pyrex measuring cup, the 4 cup capacity ones are the best, combine the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Now, again, I use salted butter. If you want to add another layer of taste, feel free to toss just a pinch of salt into the mix now. We all know how I feel about salt in icings, such as my buttercream icing recipe. The salt is a necessity to cut the sugar taste and add some complexity past that overwhelming sweet rush. Just the tiniest pinch, depending on how salty your butter is.
- Add in the butter then microwave on high for 45 seconds.
- Take out the measuring cup and whisk until smooth, making sure there are no lumps.
- Let it sit for a few minutes then pour it over your creation.
Recipe Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Now, again, I use salted butter. If you want to add another layer to the lemon flavor, feel free to toss just a pinch of salt into the mix now. We all know how I feel about salt in icings, such as my Buttercream Icing / Frosting Recipe. The salt is a necessity to cut the sugar taste and add some complexity past that overwhelming sweet rush. Just the tiniest pinch, depending on how salty your butter is.
- Add in the butter then microwave on high for 45 seconds.
- Take out the measuring cup and whisk until smooth, making sure there are no lumps.
- Let it sit for a few minutes then pour it over your creation. This would be beyond amazing on scones, cakes, bundts of course, anything that you can think of that needs a lemon glaze works.
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Jae says
Made this lemon icing today for blueberry muffins, followed the directions to the letter it is amazing, fresh and bright only thing I added beyond the recipe was a couple of drops lemon extract (we love lemon) this is a keeper, thank you so much for the recipe.
C.L. says
Absolutely delicious! I used a little extra butter and it came out great the first time, no troubleshooting needed. Yummy and easy recipe, made the glaze in just a few minutes and poured it over my frsh baked lemon bundt cake. Delicious even without lemon zest! Thanks!
sharon leffler says
Easy and tasty!
LL says
Karlynn. can you please tell me will this glaze a 9×13 cake ? Thank you ! making this for lots of school kids on Wednesday ! Can’t wait !
Cath Carroll says
This is a truly delicious lemon frosting. You want to lick every spoon and scrape every bowl. The perfect finish to my best friend’s light fruit birthday cake.
Deb says
I tried your recipe but did not have any zest. I have never gotten my recipe right. Yours is so good. Thank you. Hopefully my co workers will enjoy my blueberry bundt cake with lemon icing tomorrow.
Anonymous says
Recipe calls for “1 tsp” salted butter. Is that a typo? Should it be 1 tablespoon??
Juliane says
I just finished making it with 1 teaspoon and a tad more confectioners sugar- it’s sitting to cool currently. I tested on back of a spoon and it didn’t run. 🙂
Barbara Sheridan says
Made a single layer lemon cake in the microwave, looked on the web and found your blog and your great recipe for the lemon icing glaze. Followed your recipe to the letter, sifted the confectioners sugar added a pinch of salt and the 1/4 cup of lemon juice (from the bottle) ran out of fresh lemons, hence no lemon zest, and one tablespoon of melted unsalted butter. The glaze is delicious on the lemon cake, my family loves anything with a lemon flavor. Thank you, Karlynn, for publishing your lemon glaze recipe on your blog. I signed up to follow you on twitter as well. I will certainly come back to your blog to check out your other recipes.
Chey says
Perfect on my lemon bread loaf! Glad to have found you! : ) Looks like I’ll be back to try out the delicious recipes I’m finding. Thank you!
Rosie says
Don’t know if you have changed the receipe since the comments from a year ago BUT I followed the receipt to the letter and it came out perfect! Used on my Summertime Lemonade Cookies, Oh My Goodness! Lemon perfection. Thank you.
Kristy Rockney says
Absolutely WONDERFUL!!!!
THANK YOU
O says
Very moist and delicious!!
Leia says
This is by far the BEST lemon icing recipe I’ve EVER tasted. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Norma Villars says
Fatalistic icing!
Jackie Dale says
Best lemon frosting recipe I have found. I use it on lemon Bundy cakes and it a “big” hit everywhere I take it. Making Four this week to take to my church.
VegasDude says
First time here… 30 seconds reading this recipe.. and I already love you like a lifelong friend.. :0)… I’m glazing a Lemon Poppyseed Loaf as we speak.. and came online to look for something MORE LEMONY !!!.. I love the Salt idea adding complexity to it… I will add some Salted butter, and zest a lemon, … …. I once had a glaze fail with one that I wanted to be SUPER LEMONY.. and added more Lemon Juice, AND Lemon Extract.. Do NOT do that.. trust me…. And I’d Never thought something could be TOO Lemony…. til that one !.. I can’t wait to Peruse your Recipe Collection…. Dennis…
DanZcookieman says
Thank you, Karlynn, I believe that you nailed it on this recipe! I just found it today after a quick search for lemon glaze for my lemon cookies (which I’m happy to share with you if you would like). I don’t eat a lot of my own cookies, but I enjoy developing recipes. After adding your glaze, these have just become my favorite cookie! Awesome!
Tashawn Barlow says
I want your Lemon Blueberry Bundt recipe!
Leslie Brooks says
Delicious!! Mine was a little thick, so I added some Blue Chair Key Lime Cream Rum, and used lime zest, and key lime juice. I drizzled it over a key lime pound cake.
Thank You!!
Kim says
Can someone please define a few minutes…I’ve made this twice and I think that ‘few’ minutes must mean more that 5 or 10?? Both times it was too runny..ran off the cake and sat on the plate..I made a bundt cake this morning..and the icing this evening…this is my second attempt…was a tad thicker, added a bit more icing sugar but it still didn’t stick to the cake…Any information is appreciated.
Karlynn Johnston says
You need to use more powdered sugar
,to thicken it up . It only needs 3-4 minutes of rest time before . Make sure you make it thick to begin with!
Mary Barts says
This recipe was a bust for me. I baked a perfect homemade lemon pudding bundt cake and then tried to add this glaze. After adding double the sugar and a little cornstarch as a last stitch effort the glaze was still runny. Ended up pouring over to have it soak up and ruin the cake 🙁 Turned to goop. Very disappointed and too late to start over…Don’t recommend. A recipe that requires this much repair isn’t a recipe I want to start with.
brooke schweitzer says
I needed wayyyyy more confectioners sugar
Leon says
I made the frosting, following the directions to the letter. It came out watery, not creamy like the picture. I did 45 seconds in the microwave. I know I’m doing something wrong. Any help would be appreciated.
Joni says
Same here. I had to put the bowl in the freezer and whisk it every 10 minutes until it thickened enough to pour without pooling all over the plate. It finally thickened SOME but definitely not like pictured, and it still melted after sitting a while. The taste was AMAZEBALLS though, good enough that I’m willing to give it another try.
Karlynn Johnston says
Try adding more sugar and doubling the butter. The butter will set, just like it does at room temp. It shouldn’t be that runny, so add more powdered sugar for sure!
Karlynn Johnston says
Your powdered sugar must have been very light and not compact. Try adding more sugar when it gets like that!
Jenny says
Thank you for icing recipe!!!
Pooja says
Just tried this for my lemon cake and it was a perfect topping! Forgot to add the butter, will do so next time. Thanks for this recipe, all the way from India!
Karlynn Johnston says
You are welcome!
Karlynn Johnston says
You are so welcome!!!
Hucks Family says
Thank you for this recipe … If I could send a pic I would! It came out just like my sister likes it! My daughter and I added it to our lemon cake! Perfect holiday dessert!
Karlynn Johnston says
Glad it was awesome!
Frank McLain says
I made a lemon moist bunt cake and searched for an easy lemon glaze recipe that a guy like me could make. #thekitchenmagpie . This is the greatest recipe and easy to make. Wow….the lemon glaze had quite the bang. Just what I needed. Thanks Much.
Darlene McConnell says
Easy and good!
Candra says
I tried this and although it tasted good, it didn’t look as pictured. It came out almost transparent and yellow. This is my first time making an icing. Is there something I might be doing wrong?
Dani says
Absolutely fabulous! I put it on vanilla cupcakes then placed some fresh strawberry slices on top. The sweetness of the glaze was a nice compliment to the strawberries and was almost like a strawberry-lemonade. Will be keeping this recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
Devi G says
This sounds delicious! Gotta try it.
Sandra says
Thank you! Finally, an icing that actually works and looks as pictured!!!
Patty L says
Loved it! I didn’t have zest (using pre-packaged lemon juice) but it was delicious and just the right thickness.
Thank you!
Amelia says
Horrible. It didn’t work at all
Sharon Ramon says
It is ridiculous how little liquid it takes to make a great icing combined with confectioner’s (powdered) sugar. That’s probably why some are having problems and need to add more powdered. Start out adding just a small amount of liquid. Stir, stir,stir, adding just a bit more liquid till you get the consistency you desire. Don’t get discouraged.
Sharra Lannan says
I think temperature and humidity play a part too. I have found in the past if I add as much liquid as recipes state then my icing has trouble setting, so I just went slowly – slowly with this one and it came out great.
Sherie Waldam says
This delicious on lemon poppyseed muffins.
carrie aragon says
I made lemon poppyseed cake. Wish I had my bunt pan here, would have looked smashing. I didn’t microwave my icing. Looks like the picture.