Lemon Butter Frosting Remix
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Tangy lemon butter frosting with altered quantities and swapped ingredients. Uses fresh yuzu juice instead of lemon, almond milk replacing water for subtle nuttiness. Slightly less sugar and butter for lighter texture. Creamy, thick, with bright citrus aroma. Technique focuses on starch gelatinization for body. Whipping stage vital to get air in, texture light but stable. Adjusted simmer time for more pronounced thickening. Covers substitutions, troubleshooting curdling, and balancing acidity. Works well on vanilla or almond cakes. Tangy twist with grated lemon zest added at end for texture and aroma. Recipes emphasizes watching visual cues over strict timing in each phase.
Prep:
18 min
Cook:
6 min
Total:
24 min
Servings:
1 liter
#buttercream
#frosting
#yuzu
#almond milk
#baking tips
#citrus
#French-inspired
Started screwing around with lemon butter frostings years ago. Too sweet, too heavy often. Tried swapping juices, reducing butter. The bright yuzu juice hits differently—less harsh acid punch but complex citrus notes. Instead of water, almond milk brought subtle body, less dilution. Flour amount dropped; too much starch kills silkiness. The simmer timing tweaked to let starch fully gelatinize but avoid lumping. Found covering the curd right away essential; avoids that nasty skin that ruins the mix. Beat time? I learned slow creaming misses air. Whip it good, fluffy and cloud-like is where the magic hides. Added lemon zest last—tiny texture pop, aromatic zip. Watching the mixture bubble is like reading tea leaves; too rapid boil—breaks. Just right, glossy coats spoon, no grainy lumps. Helps to know the feel of the mix when cool enough to add butter, else scramble city. Kitchen chaos turned precision over time. Worth the tweaks.
Ingredients
- 100 ml yuzu juice
- 150 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 320 ml unsalted butter, softened
- 60 ml all purpose flour
- 220 ml granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
About the ingredients
Yuzu juice swapped in for lemon for a less tart, more floral citrus profile. You can use fresh lemon juice (125 ml) if unavailable but expect more sharpness. Almond milk replaces water, adding faint nuttiness and creaminess; coconut milk is another alternative for subtle tropical notes but richer fat content may change texture. Butter content reduced from original; too much butter dilutes acidity and lengthens whipping time. Flour amount dropped as over thick frosting feels pasty; tweak slightly depending on preferred body. Sugar cut down by about 25%; personal preference but keep enough to balance tartness. Freshly grated lemon zest brings bursts of aroma and slight textural contrast; dried zest or candied peel can substitute but adjust quantity and moisture carefully. Egg yolk is binder and thickener; separate carefully not to contaminate with white to keep final texture smooth. All-purpose flour is best for neutral flavor and starch content; cornstarch can replace with adjustment in quantity (around 40 ml) but watch thickening closely. Fresh ingredients assure best taste; bottled juice often alters balance. Butter must be soft, not melted, for proper creaming and air incorporation. Room temperature consistency essential for whipping stage; fridge hardened butter must be rested. Don’t rush cooling phase—final texture hinges on good timing here.
Method
Step 1
- Mix yuzu juice, almond milk, and egg yolk in a bowl. Whisk until just combined. Avoid over-whisking or yolk may foam unpredictably.
Step 2
- In a heavy saucepan, melt 40 ml butter over medium-low. Add flour all at once; stir continuously. Cook about 1 minute until raw flour smell evaporates and mixture forms smooth blond paste. Be vigilant: browning? Scrap pan off heat promptly.
Step 3
- Slowly pour citrus mixture into paste while whisking vigorously. The immediate glossy lumpy texture signals starch hydration starting. Adjust heat to medium-high and bring to gentle boil. Watch closely – bubbles spread through mixture like fine sand. Stir continuously; simmer roughly 3 minutes until thickened, coating back of spoon.
Step 4
- Transfer to bowl. Cover directly with cling wrap touching surface to prevent skin forming. Cool to room temperature. The frosting should feel cool, slightly gelatinous. This step crucial to avoid scrambled eggs later.
Step 5
- Add remaining butter and sugar to cooled mix. Using electric mixer, beat for about 6 minutes on medium-high speed. You want pale, airy, fluffy texture that holds shape but still soft. Longer beating incorporates air; texture lightens.
Step 6
- Fold in lemon zest. Gives slight texture contrast and bright aroma. Taste here; tanginess should feel balanced with buttery sweetness.
Step 7
- Keep refrigerated if not using immediately. Let come close to room temp and give quick whip before spreading. To fix any curdling, warm gently over double boiler and re-beat.
Step 8
- Use on vanilla cake base, sponge, or almond pound cake. Works best spread thickly to contrast tang and sweet. Avoid direct oven heat once frosted unless firm chilling first.
Cooking tips
Mix citrus and egg yolk first to avoid scrambling during cooking. Whisk gently; beating too much before heat can create foam and unstable mixtures. Melting small butter first to make roux helps avoid lumps. No browning allowed on flour; pale blonde paste purpose is starch gelatinization without flavor darkening. Pour liquid slowly into roux while whisking to prevent lumps. Simmer time extended slightly (3 mins vs 1-2 original) ensuring thickening but watch heat carefully; boiling aggressively breaks curd. Texture cues are vital—the mix should look glossy, smooth, coat spoon heavily but still pourable. Covering immediately upon removal and placing cling wrap on surface stops skin and drying—an easy trap for amateurs. Cooling must be at ambient temp, not forced chill, to help mix stabilize. Butter and sugar beating at least 6 minutes important; time ranges vary, trust your mixer’s speed but watch for change in color and volume. The addition of lemon zest at end maintains aroma integrity; stirring before risks zest oils being lost in extended whip. If mixture splits or curdles during whipping, warm gently over bain-marie and continue beating; avoid high temperature or stirring vigorously by hand. Use immediate or chill until frosting body firms up; bring to room temp and re-whip before use for best spreadability. Freeze if needed but textures can degrade slightly. This frosting can be tricky for beginners; focus on visual cues, tactile feedback more than strict times. Stack cakes promptly after spreading to avoid drying or cracking.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter must be softened, not melted. Cold blocks ruin creaming stage, skip fridge hardening by resting at room temp first. Whipping time shifts with butter warmth; cold means longer whip, risk dull texture. Stir flour in melted butter off heat right away; browning kills starch action, paste needs pale blonde. Timing is sensory - smell flour gone, soft paste forms. Avoid lumps by slow liquid addition, whisk vigorously. Sloppy stirring? Lumps show quickly when heat goes up.
- 💡 Simmer stage is a dance. Heat too high breaks custard. Fine sand bubbles signaling starch swelling; listen for subtle hiss, no rolling boil. Watch sheen on spoon back - thick, shiny but still pourable. Texture should feel sticky yet flow. It’s gelatinizing, no grainy lumps allowed. Stir nonstop. Not enough simmer? Runny frosting; too long? Clumpy or tough. Cooling covered with cling wrap pressed on surface stops skin. Skin ruins mixing later, always skip chilling here.
- 💡 Folding lemon zest last adds fresh aromatic bursts and subtle chew. Add too soon, zest oils fade during whipping. Fresh zest preferred; dried or candied changes moisture balance, adjust quantity carefully. Taste after folding, tang should balance trimmed sugar and butter. Sugar cut by 25% in remix for brightness; tweak if needed. Almond milk subtles nuttiness, skip if allergic or substitute with coconut milk but keep an eye on texture, richness changes whipping time and body.
- 💡 Egg yolk is thickener and binder here. Whisk it gently with citrus liquids before heat stage; avoid foam or bubbles that break protein structure and cause foaming later. Split yolk carefully, no whites, whites scramble and ruin smoothness. Cooling custard right is essential; warm mix adds butter too soon, scrambling risk. Use visual foggy shininess as cue to stop simmering; stirring texture changes when custard 'sets' but still soft. Rapid chilling or skipping cling wrap causes skin, tough patches.
- 💡 Curdling happens if mix overheats or whipped too hard cold. Fix by gentle warming over bain-marie; warm slowly, stir with electric mixer at medium speed. Don’t stir by hand vigorously or temp spikes. Butter cold? Texture less airy, increases whip time. Store refrigerated with airtight seal, frost usually stable 2-3 days but texture loosens if frozen. Bring close to room temp before using; quick re-whip restores airiness, avoids pastey spread. Freeze last resort; texture degrades visibly.
Common questions
How to avoid lumps during cooking?
Flour paste stage super critical. Stir constantly while cooking flour and butter; smell raw flour vanish means done. Add liquids slow pouring whisks lumps away. Heat too high causes clumps fast; medium-low key here. Watch for paste color, stop when pale blond, no browning.
Can I substitute lemon juice for yuzu?
Yes, fresh lemon juice 125 ml swap works but expect sharper acid punch, stronger citrus notes. Yuzu softer, floral. Almond milk still recommended for nuttiness. Coconut milk alternative but increases richness and frosting thickness; adjust sugar and butter slightly.
What if frosting curdles during mixing?
Warm gently over double boiler, beat slowly at medium speed to recombine. Don’t overheat or beat by hand too hard or scramble risk. Restart whipping only when temperature comfortable to touch or pale airy texture returns. Could skip butter chilling to reduce risk too.
How long can I store frosting?
Store airtight in refrigerator till 3 days safe, seals freshness. Longer storage needs freezing but expect slight texture breakdown. Bring to room temp before re-whipping. Avoid freezing if strong citrus oils present; might dull flavor. Use soon after mixing best for texture integrity.
