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!
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. Or pipe it onto our easy coconut cupcakes.
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!
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 u0022frostingu0022 on cupcakes too!
More Easy Desserts
- Grasshopper Cupcakes (with mint frosting)
- Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Ding Dong Cake
- Marshmallow Frosting
- Twinkie Cake
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- MORE CAKES
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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.
I made this recipe for my son’s birthday lemon cupcakes, and it was a hit for 15 ten-year-olds! I wouldn’t have thought of putting the gelatin in to stabilize, but it worked perfectly! He doesn’t like icing so whipped cream is always the go-to
Happy birthday to your son! Glad the cupcakes were a hit!