Lemon Glaze

Name: Lemon Glaze
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar; 1 Tablespoon salted butter (melted and cooled); 2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (plus more as needed); 1 tablespoon lemon zest

This easy lemon glaze takes just minutes to prepare. It’s the perfect icing glaze for pound cake, bundt cakes, donuts, or scones.

a spoon drizzeling icing onto a pound cake

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A good lemon glaze is a must for any baking enthusiast. Flavored with lemon zest and juice this icing glaze is perfect drizzled over any lemon lover’s dessert.

Why This Recipe Works

Using Lemon Juice as well as zest gives the icing a deep lemon taste.
Adding Salted Butter adds extra flavor and buttery richness.
Sifting the sugar ensures a smooth, lump free icing.

This delicious, bright Lemon Glaze Icing is made with just a few staple ingredients you probably keep on hand. It’s fluid enough to create a beautiful drizzle, yet sets just enough for a good coverage on whatever baked goods you use it on.

Ingredient Notes

fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, and melted butter

Lemon Juice: For the best possible flavor, I recommend fresh squeezed lemon juice as bottled often has an unpleasant acidic flavor that doesn’t taste of lemons.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Use sifted confectionery sugar or powdered sugar/Icing Sugar can be used in its place.
Lemon Zest: Be sure to use only the yellow part of the peel as the white portion has a bitter flavor.
Melted Butter: Use cooled, melted butter as warm will thin out the glaze too much and cause the need for too much sugar.

Step By Step Instructions

Add the confectioners’ sugar to a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

powdered sugar in a bowl with melted butter

Add fresh squeezed lemon juice.

lemon juice added to a bowl with powdered sugar and melted butter

Whisk together until combined. It will be very thick. Whisk in more lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.

Lemon icing running through a whisk into a bowl

At this point, you can either mix the zest into the glaze or use it to decorate a glazed dessert.

An overhead shot of a lemon loaf cake with icing and lemon zest on top

Erren’s Top Tips

To get the most juice, choose large lemons that feel heavy for their size and let them reach room temperature before using. Roll the fruit back and forth under your palm on a hard surface using firm pressure before juicing.
One large lemon should yield about 2 tablespoons of juice, so to be safe, I would buy 2 lemons for this glaze. If you have leftover, you can freeze in an ice tray by adding 1 tablespoon per ice cube for future use.
To use on warm baked goods: Make a thicker glaze and smooth it on. Use on warmed (not hot) desserts as heat will thin out the glaze and can cause it to slide off it or soak into the crust and create a soggy result.
This icing glaze will harden slightly as it sets. Depending on the consistency you make, this typically takes approximately 30 minutes.
To thicken your glaze: Add additional powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time.
To thin out your glaze: Whisk in more lemon juice or water until it reaches the desired thickness.

Quantities & Make ahead Instructions

Quantity: This amount of lemon glaze icing is perfect for 12 muffins or donuts, scones, or a bundt cake. For a larger batch, recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Make ahead: Prepare the lemon glaze and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days. Bring to room temperature before using and whisk to recombine.

FAQs

What’s the Difference Between a Glaze, Icing, and Frosting?

Glazes and icings are fluid mixtures made with powdered sugar and a liquid such as milk or juice while frosting is a thicker, spreadable mixtures typically made with powdered sugar and butter or cream cheese.

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a spoonful of icing being drizzeled onto a pound cake

Let’s Make Lemon Glaze

A tart yet sweet icing glaze flavored with lemon juice, lemon zest and a touch of salted butter for richness and depth.

5 from 10 votes

Prep5 minutes

Total5 minutes

Serves: 1

Rate

Ingredients

▢ 1½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
▢ 1 Tablespoon salted butter melted and cooled
▢ 2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus more as needed
▢ 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, butter and 2 Tablespoons of the lemon juice. It will be very thick. Whisk in more lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
You can either mix the zest into the glaze or use it to decorate the glazed dessert.

Tips + Notes

This amount of icing is perfect for 12 muffins or donuts, scones, or a bundt cake. For a larger batch, recipe can easily be doubled or tripled

Tips:

To get the most juice, choose large lemons that feel heavy for their size and let them reach room temperature before using. Roll the fruit back and forth under your palm on a hard surface using firm pressure before juicing.
One large lemon should yield about 2 tablespoons of juice, so to be safe, I would buy 2 lemons for this glaze. If you have leftover, you can freeze in an ice tray by adding 1 tablespoon per ice cube for future use.
To use on warm baked goods: Make a thicker glaze and smooth it on. Use on warmed (not hot) desserts as heat will thin out the glaze can cause it to slide off it or soak into the crust and create a soggy result.
This icing glaze will harden slightly as it sets. Depending on the consistency you make, this typically takes approximately 30 minutes.
To thicken your glaze: Add additional powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time.
To thin out your glaze: Whisk in more lemon juice or water until it reaches the desired thickness.

Nutrition Information:

Nutritional Data Disclaimer

Author:Erren Hart

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:American

Keyword:lemon Glaze, lemon glaze recipe, lemon icing glaze

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