Lemon Glaze For Cake {Lemon Drizzle Icing}

Quick, easy lemon glaze for cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. This lemon drizzle icing is full of fresh sour lemon juice, zest, butter, powdered sugar. Dries semi-hard on pound cakes, bundt cakes, cookies, muffins, scones.

This light lemon glaze brings tangy sweetness to your cakes and other baked goods. It's the best finishing touch to provide flavor and to create a perfect presentation. Use this Powdered Sugar Glaze {Vanilla Cake Glaze}, Coffee Glaze (In Mocha Brownie Recipe), and Cranberry Orange Scones {With Orange Glaze} to provide the same look with a different flavor. If you are looking for a lemon flavor in the form of a thicker frosting, then try this velvety smooth Lemon Buttercream. These two toppings are very different in that glazes are poured or spooned over cake, and buttercream frosting is spread on a cake with a spatula.

How To Make Lemon Glaze Recipe From Scratch?

1. Whisk Ingredients- This includes powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
2. Thin/ Thicken glaze- Add more lemon juice to thin it, or add more powdered sugar to thicken it.
3. Drizzle it- On top of your cakes or baked goods. Enjoy!

Do You Put Glaze On Warm Cake Or Cool Cake?

Glaze is always put on a cool cake because it will slide off and make a soggy mess. Only use it on a warm cake if you want the icing to seep through into the cake. A recipe would specify that. This is sometimes done with fruit cakes like this Christmas Fruit Cake {With Cake Mix}.

How Do You Glaze A Bundt Cake? Pound Cake? Cupcakes? Cookies?

Place on a cooling rack over a baking tray, and place the baked good on top of this. Then pour or spoon the glaze evenly over the cake. The baking tray underneath will catch all the excess glaze, making clean-up much easier.

Why Is My Lemon Glaze Runny? How To Fix It?

There is too much liquid in the glaze causing it to run. Fix this by simply adding a little more powdered sugar until it is your desired thickness.

Why Is My Glaze So Thick? How To Fix It?

This means there is too much powdered sugar. Simply add more lemon juice in order to thin it out.

Why Is My Glaze Grainy?

To prevent a grainy glaze you must use powdered sugar and not granulated sugar. Also be sure to sift the powdered sugar to prevent a clumpy, grainy glaze.

How To Store Dessert With This Glaze?

Desserts can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Does Glaze Icing Harden?

It partially hardens because of the ratio of sugar to fat, and liquid. It has enough fat and liquid to keep it semi-soft, and the addition of powdered sugar allows it to stabilize some and become partially hard.

Why Is My Glaze Not White?

Lemon juice does have a pale yellow color which will slightly tint the white icing. The only way to make white glaze would be to replace the lemon juice with milk or water and flavor with lemon zest or clear lemon extract. It won't be as delicious as this recipe though.

Clear Lemon Glaze

This is typically a lemon sugar syrup, and it's different than this recipe in that it is involves granulated sugar that you cook on the stove top with lemon juice, zest, and water to make a lemon simple syrup that is clear.

How To Use Cake Glaze? What To Pair With Lemon Drizzle Icing?

Bundt cakes– Such as this Lemon Bundt Cake or Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Pound Cakes– Such as Lemon Pound Cake, Buttermilk Pound Cake, Cream Cheese Pound Cake, or Sour Cream Pound Cake .

Cakes- Homemade Funnel Cake, Strawberry Shortcake Cake, 7 Up Cake {With Cake Mix}, Best Vanilla Cake Recipe {From Scratch}, or Moist Lemon Cake Recipe.

Muffins– Such as Cranberry Orange Muffins, Pancake Muffins, Lemon Blueberry Muffins,

Sweet Breads- Like this Orange Cranberry Bread or Easy Banana Bread.

Scones– Such as this Cranberry Orange Scones.

Cookies– Like these Pistachio Cookies , Easy Heart Cookies, Cream Cheese Cookies, Easy Lemon Cookies, or Gooey Butter Cookies.

Breakfast foods- Such as Lemon Blueberry Pancakes {So Fluffy}, Lemon Blueberry Waffles, and Cinnamon French Toast Sticks.

Dump Cakes- Like this Blueberry Dump Cake {Blueberry Cobbler Dump Cake}.

Cupcakes- Such as Strawberry Cupcakes {Soft And Moist}, Blueberry Cupcakes, Lemon Cupcakes, or Best Vanilla Cupcake.

Variations For Lemon Icing Glaze For Cakes And Cookies

Add food coloring– Liquid food coloring or gel food coloring can be used to match a theme for your next event or party.

Add zests– Replace half the lemon zest with orange, lime, or even grapefruit.

Add spices/herbs- Such as ginger, anise, even rosemary or basil for a savory spin.

Add shredded coconut– This adds some texture and more sweetness.

Add cocoa powder- For a lemony chocolate glaze.

Try other extracts– Such as almond, maple, vanilla, or orange.

Add fruit puree- Such as strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry for more color and flavor.

Tips And Techniques

Use salted butter- Because it cuts the sweetness a little to balance the flavors.

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice- Because it provides the best, brightest, and freshest flavor.

Don't omit the zest- Because it creates the best lemon flavor in combination with the juice.

Whisk until smooth– Because this makes the best velvety consistency, and produces a nice gloss finish.

Pour glaze slowly– So as to not drench the dessert, or make it too thick.

Sift powdered sugar– Because this breaks up lumps and makes for an ultra smooth consistency.

Storage of Sour Lemon Glaze For Cake

Make ahead instructions– Follow recipe below and then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It will have to whisked again, prior to being used. 

Refrigerate– In a sealed container for up to 2 days..

Freeze– This is not recommended as it may become watery and separate upon thawing

More Lemon Desserts

• Easy Lemon Bars {Lemon Squares}
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Lemon Cake Balls {Cake Truffles}
• Lemon Fudge {2 Ingredients}

Recipe