Egg yolk lemon curd is thick, tangy, and sweet with the perfect lemon-y pucker! This easy lemon curd recipe makes a velvety-smooth citrus custard that spreads beautifully in between cake layers. You can also enjoy our lemon curd filling swirled into yogurt or ice cream and even cheesecake for an extraordinary dessert that will please all lemon lovers!
Ingredients – 5 large egg yolks (93 grams) – ¾ cup sugar (150 grams) – 6 tablespoons butter, softened (85 grams) – ½ cup lemon juice (125 grams) – zest from one lemon – ⅛ teaspoon salt
Set a strainer over a large bowl and keep it readily available near the stove. In a medium saucepan, add the egg yolks, sugar, and softened butter.
Use an electric mixer to beat the yolks, sugar and butter until well blended. This step will prevent the egg yolks from curdling when you add the lemon juice.
Stir the lemon juice, zest, and salt into the egg mixture.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10-12 minutes. It should thicken and turn glossy.
You can use bottled lemon juice, but fresh lemon juice will give you a more vibrant, citrusy flavor. We tried several brands of bottled lemon juice. Although they claimed to be made with real lemons, none of them produced lemon curd that tasted as good as the one made with fresh lemon juice.
We love using this lemon curd as a cake filling because it is so thick. But you can use it just like any lemon curd which means the possibilities are endless!