2000s Recipes + Menus

Lemon Curd

Makesabout 1 1/3 cups
  • Active time:20 min
  • Start to finish:1 1/4 hr
January 2001
Lemon curd is perfect between cake layers and—with a little heavy cream added—also makes a surprisingly delicate frosting.
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits
  • Whisk together juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.
  • Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour.
Cooks’ note: Curd can be chilled up to 1 week.
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