Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

This delicious and easy-to-make lemon curd will be on rotation at your house in no-time! I’m sharing all my tips and instructions for making homemade lemon curd to use in cakes, cupcakes, on toast with ricotta, drizzled on ice cream… it’s truly the perfect addition to so many things!

Homemade Lemon Curd

OK, you guys this lemon curd recipe is really close to my heart! This one is inspired by my mom when she brought me homemade lemon curd a while ago when she came to visit me. And she even used lemons from her very own tree in her backyard to make it! Ah, one of the many reasons I love California. And since I’m not there to enjoy this all year round as she can, she knew exactly what to bring me that would make me so happy! And, of course, I want to share the best homemade lemon curd recipe with all of you too to share the love. 

If you’re planning on making this lemon curd and incorporating it into a cake or other kind of dessert, take note that it will need to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before it’s ready to be used. But it can be stored in your fridge for up to 5 days! So don’t be afraid to make it a few days in advance before you plan on making the rest of the dessert that it will go with. 

I love splitting up the days that I make the different elements of my cakes! Baking layered cakes can take a LOT of time, as I’m sure all of you know, so any time you can make different elements throughout multiple days helps so much with not getting burnt out by the process. That way you can take your time baking and actually enjoy each step and feel good about the cake you’re making, every step of the way. 

What You’ll Need to Make Lemon Curd

Lemon is one of my favorite kinds of citrus flavors for dessert! I’ve made a handful of desserts and cakes using lemon elements like this lemon curd recipe, but I’ll talk more about those later. First, let’s talk about the ingredients and how to make this amazing homemade lemon curd recipe. 

You will only need a handful of simple ingredients to make the lemon curd:

• Granulated sugar
• Lemon zest from one large lemon
• Lemon juice 
• Eggs
• Egg yolks
• Unsalted butter

The lemon juice the recipe calls for usually takes about 3 lemons to get the amount you need. And the unsalted butter should be cold and cut into small pieces when adding it to your lemon mixture. Other than that, the recipe is pretty straightforward! You are almost well on your way to making the best homemade lemon curd. 😉

How to Make Homemade Lemon Curd

First, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs and egg yolks, and then whisk them into the lemon mixture. 

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it’s thick like pudding. This usually takes 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and then whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is all incorporated.

Once everything is all mixed in together nicely, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. It helps to push it through with a rubber spatula. Lastly, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate it until it is completely set. I recommend at least 4 hours. But it can be stored for up to 5 days!

The Best Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

What will you be trying the best homemade lemon curd recipe on first? As I mentioned earlier, I love to use my lemon curd as a filling in my cakes, but there are so many ways to use this lemon curd! Check out my faves in the posts linked below. For more tips and recipes on all things cake, follow me on Instagram @cakebycourtney! 

Other posts you’ll love:

• The Best Way to Fill Your Cake with Lemon Curd
• 3 Delicious Ways to Use Lemon Curd
• Top 3 Cakes Using Lemon Curd