Light and refreshing, this Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting recipe is the perfect addition to homemade lemon cupcakes. So quick and easy to make!
If you like these lemon-frosted cupcakes, try my Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe next. Pink Lemonade Cupcakes are another favorite!
Table of Contents
Why This Frosting is Best
When it comes to cupcakes, we can all agree (I hope) that the frosting is the best part.
I love all kinds of frosting, from tried-and-true vanilla buttercream to chocolate ganache frosting. It’s impossible to pick a favorite–they all have their place.
While I’ve made a lemon cake and lemon cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting in the past, today I was in the mood for something different. Something light, creamy and refreshing!
You’re going to love this Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting.
- It’s homemade whipped cream flavored with real lemon!
- The perfect thickness for piping onto cupcakes.
- Holds its shape like cool whip! We used our stabilized whipped cream recipe as a starting point!
- A balance of tangy, sweet and creamy flavors to tickle your tastebuds.
- Easy to make in minutes!
Serve today’s frosting on our super moist lemon pudding cupcakes for a delicious duo.
Ingredient Notes
To make this lemon whipped cream frosting, you’ll need a few basic ingredients:
- Heavy whipping cream – for creaminess and thickness.
- Powdered sugar – for sweetness.
- Lemon extract – A highly concentrated extract made from real lemons.
- Lemon zest – The colorful outer layer of lemon peel adds color and more “zesty” flavor to the frosting.
- Unflavored Gelatin- A flavorless, odorless thickening agent that makes the frosting easy to pipe with a frosting bag. You could also use clearjel for this too. You can find unflavored gelatin in the Jello and pudding aisle of the grocery store!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Serving Suggestions
Use this frosting on your favorite batch of cupcakes! Try it on these Lemon Coconut Cupcakes!
I love lemon on lemon on lemon, but I realize not everyone is that citrus obsessed. Balance out the lemon flavor by piping this frosting onto Vanilla Cupcakes instead.
Lemon Whipped Cream frosting is a delicious topping for a White Cake and Lemon Coconut Cake, too. You can’t go wrong with a frosting this good!
Perfect with fruit on our angel food cake, pound cake, or strawberry shortcake.
These Pineapple Orange Cupcakes are another easy, light dessert idea topped with a whipped cream style frosting. Less than 75 calories per cupcake!
What’s YOUR favorite cupcake and frosting combo? Share it in the comments!
Recipe FAQs
YES! After topping your cupcakes, keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The cold preserves the consistency and structure of the piped frosting.
No, lemon juice will not work the same. Juice is far less concentrated than the extract and won’t add much flavor to the whipped cream. The extract gives this whipped cream frosting a bright, lemony taste without adding excess liquid.
Substitute vanilla extract for the lemon extract and omit the zest. Easy. I also have a Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe that works as a Cool Whip substitute. It tastes great as a “frosting” on cupcakes too!
More Easy Desserts
- Grasshopper Cupcakes (with mint frosting)
- Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Ding Dong Cake
- Twinkie Cake
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- MORE CAKES
Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 24 lemon cupcakes baked and cooled
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat heavy cream with a whisk (attached to a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, lemon extract, lemon zest, and unflavored gelatin.
- Beat an additional 2-3 minutes until desired consistency.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and refrigerate for one hour. Serve cold and enjoy.
Notes
- Unflavored Gelatin- A flavorless, odorless thickening agent that makes the frosting easy to pipe with a frosting bag. You could also use clearjel for this too. You can find unflavored gelatin in the Jello and pudding aisle of the grocery store!
- Use on our lemon pudding cupcakes or any other variety!
- Keep cupcakes in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Light and refreshing, this Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting recipe is the perfect addition to homemade lemon cupcakes.
the worst icing recipe i have ever used. turned out thin and curdled looking. i couldnt do anything with it.
Mine came out a curdled looking mess. Not sure what I did wrong, but it’s all going in the garbage
Sounds like you beat it too long!
You really don’t need the gel because the powdered sugar is already a stabilizer.
What is the purpose of the gel?
Instant Clear Jel is modified food starch. It’s great for making stabilized whipped cream. I use 1/2 teaspoon per cup of heavy whipping cream. I blend it very well with about half of the sugar and add it to the cream when I think I’ll just have a minute or two left to whip. It works very quickly.
Would this hold up in a layer cake?
It’s a very thin and light frosting. I personally wouldn’t recommend it unless you knew the cake would be eaten the day of making.
I’ve used this on a blueberry layer cake and it worked fine.
Is instant clear jel the same thing as knox gelatin?
i like it
Is lemon extract just lemon juice? I do not really want to buy an expensive bottle of lemon extract.
They are not the same. If you don’t want to buy the extract, use a fresh lemon and zest it with some of the juice too.
Do you have to use the gel?
I have the same question. Could you answer us please?
I made without the gel and it turned out just fine 🙂
Lemon is my favorite sweets flavor. I can’t wait to use this frosting on so many my holiday baking!
I love anything lemon flavored! This sounds amazing!
What is the purpose of the gel?
My new favorite frosting — love the lemony flavor!
This was super light and super fresh! I honestly felt like I was biting into a piece of summer. Nom nom nom.
This frosting was so delicious and had the perfect amount of lemon flavor in it!
I love virtually everything lemon and these are divine!
This is very easy process for making this lemon whipped cream, i am surly trying to make this cream in my kitchen.
This frosting sounds so refreshing and perfect for spring time cupcakes. I’m a first time commenter on your blog, even though I have been following it for awhile. Please stop by my blog, I’ve just started so any support would be great.