This easy Lemon Glaze recipe is the one I use for my cakes and cookies. It’s just 3 ingredients and ready in less than 3 minutes. Fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar produce a sweet yet tart lemon glaze that enhances the lemony flavor of your favorite baked goods. This lemon glaze is perfect for adding a lemon kick to your favorite baked goods.
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Why This Lemon Glaze is Worth Making
- Easy to make: With only three ingredients, this glaze is a simple, classic, and reliable recipe to learn and keep in your back pocket for when you want to add a burst of lemon flavor to your sweets.
- Versatile: Once you’ve made the glaze, there are so many great ways to use it. It’s such a simple way to add an extra layer of lemon flavor to cakes, cookies, scones, and more. I use it on my lemon shortbread cookies and lemon pound cake.
- Amazing lemon flavor: The fresh lemon that comes through in this glaze is bright, tangy, and perfectly lemony. It’s made for the lemon lovers out there who like sweet lemon treats. I love the bite of sweetness and tart lemon it adds to baked goods.
Lemon Glaze Ingredients
- Sifted Powdered Sugar: I prefer sifting powdered sugar first to avoid the possibility of any lumps in my glaze. You don’t want those tiny white bits to ruin that shiny smooth glaze on your cake. C&H Powdered Sugar is my preferred brand because I usually don’t have to worry about lumps.
- Lemon Juice: This gives the glaze that tart lemon flavor that pairs so well with the sweet cake or cookie. Some recipes use a combination of milk and lemon juice, but I want the full tart flavor of lemons in my glaze.
- Diamond Kosher Salt: Believe it or not, a pinch of salt modifies the sweetness and tartness of the glaze while and at the same time gives the glaze a more well rounded taste profile. Try it, you’ll see.
How to Make the Lemon Glaze
Sift the powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Add the lemon juice.
Stir the ingredients together. Add the remaining lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time, thinning out the glaze until your desired consistency is achieved.
How to Use Lemon Glaze
At first, this lemon glaze has a thick consistency, making it ideal for pouring on cakes like my Bundt cakes. For a thinner consistency, add lemon juice a little at a time until you reach the desired texture. This thinner glaze would be perfect for spreading on cookies, scones, or muffins. Add a sweet-tart flavor to these treats:
- Use it as a glaze for my Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- My Southern Lemon Pound Cake, a recipe I learned from my aunt
- My buttery and tender Lemon Poppyseed Scones
- Muffins like lemon blueberry muffins
Tip For The Best Results
- Sift your Powdered Sugar. Sifting the powdered sugar is important to make you end up with a silky smooth, lump-free glaze.
- Use Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice. Always use fresh lemon juice. Don’t use bottled lemon juice, as it can have a slightly tinny flavor. In addition to using regular lemons, this recipe also works well with Meyer lemons.
- Add a Pinch of Salt. A pinch of salt balances out the tartness and sweetness in this simple recipe. I define a pinch of salt as 1/16 teaspoon (half of 1/8 teaspoon).
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Easy Lemon Glaze (For Cakes and Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 3-5 teaspoons (15-25ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- Pinch of Salt use Diamond Kosher salt
Instructions
- This recipe makes about 1/2 cup of glaze.
Make the Lemon Glaze
- Sift the powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Add 3 teaspoons of lemon juice. The glaze will be very thick. Add the remaining lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
How to Store the Glaze
- The glaze can be stored at room temperature in a covered bowl for 24 hours. If not using it the first day, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- If refrigerated, remove it from the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature and stir until smooth. You made need to add a little bit of lemon juice to smooth it out. Add a little at a time, so it doesn't become too thin.
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