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Basic Recipes

My Creamy Lemon Curd Made over a Water Bath

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Jar of creamy, glossy homemade lemon curd

5.0 (22)out of 5, 22 ratings

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Prep
5 min
Bake
20 min
Total
25 min
Makes
1

One little thing that is truly never missing in my bakery: a good jar of lemon curd. This English lemon cream is my secret weapon for cake fillings, for buttercream and for soaking cake layers. My mom even spoons it straight into her yogurt, and honestly, I totally get it. A homemade curd beats any store-bought jar by a mile.

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What sets my version apart from many others: I always cook it over a water bath, never in a pan directly on the stove. That way the cream cooks much more gently, the eggs don't scramble and the curd stays wonderfully velvety. Only one thing really matters: add the butter at the very end to the warm mixture. It melts in all by itself and makes the curd lovely and glossy. Here is my lemon curd recipe, super easy and foolproof for everyone:

Ingredients

Makes 1

  • ¾ cup150 ggranulated sugar
  • 6 tbsp90 mllemon juice
  • 1 tbspfinely grated lemon zestgrated from the peel
  • 3eggsGerman size L (US extra-large, UK large)
  • 6 tbsp90 gunsalted butterGerman butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter; European-style unsalted butter is closest. In the UK, unsalted butter.

Method

  1. Combine the lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs in a bowl and set it over a water bath.

  2. Stir regularly while the mixture warms up over the water bath to the temperature of bathwater. Once it is warmer than that, it's best to whisk constantly until the mixture thickens.

  3. Once the mixture has thickened, turn off the heat, keep stirring for a short while, then lift the bowl off the water bath.

  4. Cut the butter into rough pieces and stir it in.

  5. Pour into jars and refrigerate.

Questions and answers

What exactly is lemon curd?
Lemon curd is an English lemon cream made from eggs, sugar, butter and lemons, cooked over a water bath. It is much creamier and more intense than jam (any fruit jam or preserves, not only citrus marmalade) and great as a spread, filling or topping.
What is the difference between jam and lemon curd?
Jam is cooked down from fruit juice with a gelling agent, while lemon curd is thickened into a cream by eggs and butter. That makes the curd tender and velvety, and it melts in your mouth, while jam is firmly set.
How long does homemade lemon curd keep?
In a clean, tightly sealed jar my lemon curd keeps for two to four weeks in the fridge. The key is to fill the jars while it's hot and to always use a clean spoon, then it really stays fresh.
What can I use lemon curd for?
My favorite is using it in layer cakes and buttercream, as a filling or for soaking cake layers. It's also really good on cupcakes, in yogurt, on pancakes or simply spread on bread.
Why does my lemon curd curdle while heating?
Usually the heat was too high or the water touched the bottom of the bowl. Be sure to stay on medium to low heat and really work with steam only, then the eggs won't set and the cream stays nice and velvety.
Can I use regular lemons instead of organic ones?
For the juice that would work, but because I also use the zest, I always use unwaxed organic lemons. Sprayed peel carries wax and pesticides, and I don't want those in my cream.