Peeps flood grocery store shelves and Easter egg baskets sit next to an array of colorful plastic eggs. As families come into town to celebrate the holiday with each other, a theme of sweet, zesty treats lay on counters Easter morning. 

Southern Living’s Lemon-Orange Buttercream Frosting is soft, with deep notes of lemon and orange; it pairs well with a sweet cake or cupcake to help balance the zesty flavor from the lemon and orange.

Treats that the buttercream will lay on (cakes, cupcakes) need time to cool before any buttercream is added, otherwise it will melt and run off of the surface. To ensure proper cooling time, bake any sweet treat prior to mixing the frosting that coats it. At this time, also take 1 cup of butter out so it can soften to room temperature while you bake your cakes.

For this recipe you will need:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp. orange zest
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 32oz. (4 cups) package powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 5 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. additional fresh orange juice

To help the baking process flow better, gather all of the ingredients first. If your butter isn’t softened yet you can melt it in the microwave in 10 second increments until it’s soft, avoid melting it entirely, as this will cause the buttercream to turn out runny. 

Buttercream is a versatile topping; the flavor, color, and thickness can all be different based on preference and necessity. For this recipe, the buttercream should be relatively thick, so it can hold form when pipping onto cupcakes or cakes. To keep it thick, avoid over-mixing or adding too much liquid (juice) to the buttercream. 

Start by creaming the butter, orange zest, and lemon zest together. Once combined, alternate adding powdered sugar and the lemon juice and orange juice until all is combined. 

I didn’t add the extra tablespoon of orange juice because my frosting was rather soft, so use that amount according to your desired frosting type. I also ended up adding around 1-2 extra cups of powdered sugar, to help it thicken up, and let it chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Once my cupcakes were chilled and the frosting was thick, I added my buttercream to a piping bag, piped it onto the cupcakes, did a little decorating, and drizzled them with some chocolate.

Overall, this recipe turned out really good. It’s easy to follow, doesn’t require many tools or ingredients, and turns out deliciously zesty. I’d give this recipe a 9/10; I highly recommend it to any orange and lemon lovers.