Lemon Curd
Recipe by:This lemon curd is rich enough to spread on toast and sturdy enough to hold its shape between cake layers. Made with egg yolks, fresh lemon juice and zest, sugar, and cold butter, it comes together in one pot in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 6 (102 grams) large egg yolks
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar see recipe notes
- 1 tablespoon (6 grams) lemon zest finely grated
- ½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) butter cold and cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Add the egg yolks and sugar to a medium saucepan and whisk vigorously for 1 minute, until the mixture lightens and thickens slightly.6 large egg yolks, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the lemon juice and zest, then whisk until fully combined.1 tablespoon lemon zest, ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- Place the saucepan over very low heat (on my stove, I used the notch in between medium-low and low) and whisk continuously. The mixture will warm gradually, start to thicken, and look slightly frothy.
- After about 2 minutes, begin adding the cold butter a few cubes at a time. Continue whisking constantly so the curd does not burn on the bottom.8 tablespoons butter
- Once the butter has melted, continue to whisk the mixture while cooking for an additional 5–8 minutes, keeping the heat low and steady. Do not let it boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat. For a silkier curd, strain through a fine-mesh sieve before transferring to a jar, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and cool completely.
The timing may vary depending on your stove temperature. The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and has the consistency of a thick, pourable sauce. If using a thermometer, it should reach 170°F (77°C).
Notes
Yield: About 2 cups
One recipe is enough to fill one 9-inch tart shell, layer between two 9-inch cake rounds, make roughly 32 thumbprint cookies, or top a standard cheesecake with some leftover.
This recipe scales up or down easily. Larger batches need more time on the heat, but don't turn up the temperature to rush it. If you are making more than 1.5x batch switch to a wider, shallower pan so the heat distributes evenly.
Granulated Sugar: You can safely adjust the sugar anywhere from ¾ cup to 1 cup, but anything less than ¾ cup begins to affect the creamy texture. A full cup gives you a sweet-tart curd that works for spreading and for cake filling. Closer to ¾ cup pushes it more tart, which is great on scones but can be a little too sharp inside a layer cake.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to 1 week. Freeze up to 3 months.
Troubleshooting:
If your lemon curd is still runny even after chilling overnight, it probably came off the heat too early. You can rescue it by returning it to a saucepan on low heat and whisking until it reaches 170°F, then chilling again.
If your lemon curd is still runny even after chilling overnight, it probably came off the heat too early. You can rescue it by returning it to a saucepan on low heat and whisking until it reaches 170°F, then chilling again.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.03mg
The nutritional facts provided are only estimates. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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