Lime buttercream frosting only requires 6 ingredients and 10 minutes to make. This buttercream frosting is sweet and tangy and bursting with lime flavor! Perfect for cakes and cupcakes!
Ingredients for Lime Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – No need to sift unless it is lumpy. Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar.
- Lime zest – Use a zester or fine grater to get fresh lime zest for great lime flavor.
- Lime juice – Fresh is best! You will need about 3 to 4 limes.
- Salt – A pinch of salt contrasts the sweetness of the buttercream.
- Heavy cream – A splash of heavy cream helps the buttercream whip up and be silky smooth.
- Green/yellow gel food coloring – Optional.
Tools & Supplies for Making Lime Buttercream Frosting
How to Make Lime Buttercream Frosting
Lime buttercream frosting is incredibly easy to make. I recommend using a stand mixer. You can use a whisk or paddle attachment depending upon your preferences. You can also use an electric hand mixer and a large mixing bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the room temperature butter until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add half the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until the sugar is fully combined.
- Add in lime zest, lime juice, and salt, mixing on low speed.
- Drizzle in the heavy cream on medium speed and continue to mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the buttercream for about 3 minutes.
Lime Buttercream Frosting Recipe Tips
Room temperature butter
If the butter is too cold or too warm, the buttercream will not whip up well. Remove your butter from the fridge and let it hang out on your countertop for an hour or two before making your buttercream. The butter should be just slightly soft.
Fresh is best
For the best lime flavor, be sure to use fresh lime zest and juice. Be sure to zest the limes before you juice! For the juice, you will need about 3 to 4 limes. You could even use key limes to use key lime juice and key lime zest if desired to make key lime buttercream.
Yield
This recipe makes about 5 cups of buttercream which is enough to frost 3 dozen cupcakes or a 3-layer 7-inch or 8-inch cake! You can double or triple the recipe to make more! Just click on the 2X or 3X in the recipe!
Remove air bubbles
To remove air bubbles from the buttercream, switch over to a paddle attachment after the buttercream is done and mix on the lowest speed for several minutes until smooth. You can also mix the buttercream with a spatula by hand to remove air bubbles as well!
Tinting the buttercream
To give the buttercream a lime green color, you can use a drop of green and yellow gel food coloring if desired!
Storing and serving
Store the buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months! Bring the buttercream to room temperature and rewhip with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer until good as new! This buttercream is best enjoyed at room temperature!
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Lime Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer whisk or paddle attachment based on personal preference
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lime zest approximately 1 to 2 limes
- ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeezed, about 3 to 4 limes
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Add room temperature butter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the butter is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
- Add lime zest, lime juice, and salt and mix on low until combined.
- Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
- Once the heavy cream is added, turn the speed on the mixer to medium-high and mix for an additional 3 minutes until smooth.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
I substituted the lime juice with bottled key lime juice in this icing for my key lime whoopie cookies & it turned out perfect every time!
Hi Anita! Key lime whoopie cookies sounds soooo delicious! So happy to hear you are enjoying this recipe!
Sadly this barely tasted of lime at all. I added a bit of extra zest and a couple drops of lemon extract to boost the flavour and it just came through.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe. Did you use fresh lime juice?