Wonderfully Sweet & Tart Lemon Whipped Cream

Love fresh whipped cream, but are burned out on vanilla? Feeling a little adventurous?

Well, this citrusy lemon whipped cream recipe will do the trick with its tart yet sweet flavor.

Use fresh lemon juice and zest, and tantalize the taste buds with creamy lemon goodness.

Tastes lovely on fruit, waffles, or pound cake.

Why You’ll Love This Sweet & Tart Lemon Whipped Cream Recipe

Lemon whipped cream is a delicious and versatile topping that can be used to elevate both breakfast and dinner dishes. It’s easy to make with just a few ingredients and adds a refreshing tangy flavor to sweet or savory dishes.

For breakfast, it pairs perfectly with pancakes, waffles, or fruit, while for dinner, it can be used as a garnish for roasted chicken, fish, or grilled vegetables. Plus, its light and airy texture adds a touch of elegance to any meal.

It pairs nicely with coconut-based dishes. But it’s an especially welcomed addition to food that’s a little more bland like angel food cake or pound cake which are begging to be punched up in flavor.

This simple recipe is a breeze to make and uses basic ingredients, many of which you may already have on hand. While you can try to use lemon extract (not recommended) to streamline and accelerate the process, I suggest using the juice and zest for a more natural and bright lemon flavor.

A Note on Flavor

I strongly suggest using fresh lemon zest and juice. I tried using an extract and found that the lemon flavor stayed pretty weak. But the more I added the stronger the alcohol taste became, producing an unpleasant flavor.

Using fresh ingredients will produce a light lemon flavor.

How Long Does It Take To Make?

Not long at all.

It only takes about 2 min to zest and juice your lemon, and another 3-4 minutes to whip it up. So all in, 10 minutes max, once you factor in getting your supplies together. It really couldn’t be any easier.

Kitchen Tools

• Mixing tool: Electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Some people recommend using a whisk attachment, but any beater will work.
• Mixing bowl: Or the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Citrus juicer
• Zester: I prefer a “rasp” style (Microplane is a name brand), but you can even use the fine holes of a cheese grater in a pinch.
• Measuring cups/spoons

Ingredients

• Cold heavy whipping cream: Regular whipping cream will also work.
• Sugar: Granulated or confectioners’ sugar (powdered).
• Lemon juice and zest
• Vanilla extract

Be sure to check out the recipe card for full quantities and ingredient information.

Should I Use Granulated or Powdered (Confectioners’) Sugar?

Some people prefer one over the other, but it really doesn’t matter. 

I favor granulated, but that’s my personal preference. If you only have one type on hand, then by all means use that one.

Can I Use Fresh Fruit Juice Instead of the Zest?

Unfortunately, using too much lemon juice will quickly cause weeping. That’s why the main flavor component is comprised of delicious lemon zest.

What Is Weeping?

If you add too much lemon juice to the whipping cream, an interesting event happens, called weeping.

This is when liquid separates from the solid it’s mixed in. In this case, you’ll have your homemade whipped cream sitting in a pool of lemon juice. Not very appetizing.

Substitutions

Heavy whipping cream (~36% fat) and regular whipping cream (~30% fat) are interchangeable. Just note that the former will allow for stiffer peaks, while the latter may be a bit softer.

Also note that “heavy cream” is the same thing as “heavy whipping cream.”

Half and half won’t work due to the low-fat profile (around 10%).

How to Make Lemon Whipped Cream

1. Zest your freshly washed and dried lemons.
2. Then juice your lemons.

1. Add all your ingredients, the heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, and juice/zest into a mixing bowl.
2. Mix on medium-high speed. This is an excellent speed to whip air into the cream in a reasonable amount of time without the risk of over-whipping. But by all means, mix as fast as you want. Just watch it closely.
   
   If using a stand mixer, don’t walk away because it doesn’t take long to overwhip.

1. Beat until stiff peaks form. Once you notice the cream starting to thicken, wait until stiff peaks form. This means the whipped cream fluffs up like mountain peaks and holds its shape. 

Storage

Refrigerator: It can easily be stored in an airtight container for several days.

Freezer: Need to store for a more extended period of time? Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for several months. Once thawed, mix it up. 

Serving Ideas

As easy as this recipe is to make, it’s even easier to pair it with another food for something truly delicious. Anything inherently on the bland side, such as angel food cake, pound cake, waffles, pancakes and French toast will work great with this lemon flavor.

And of course, other fruit and berries!

Troubleshooting

Here are some solutions to common problems you may face.

How to Fix Over-Whipped Cream 

If your lemon whipped cream curdles and gets lumpy from over-beating, use a spatula and stir in a little extra cream (about 1 tablespoon at a time) to smooth it out. Your mileage may vary, so if unsuccessful, just start over. I suggest buying double the whipping cream you plan to use if you are new to this. 

Why Won’t It Whip Up Properly? 

If the cream never whips up to the “peak” stage, the cream may be too warm. As the cream starts to warm up to room temperature, the fat can’t emulsify and hold air particles. Starting everything at a cold temperature is the key to success. 

Try freezing your whipped cream for 15 minutes or so and re-whip it.

Why Does It Fall Flat?

If it whips up properly but goes flat too soon, next time switch to powdered sugar, which contains some cornstarch.

If you already made it (even with powdered sugar), stabilize it further by adding 1 tablespoon of your favorite thickener (cornstarch, tapioca, arrowroot, etc.). 

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