Incredibly Quick and Easy Recipe Lemon Glaze For Angel Food Cake

Last Updated on August 10, 2022

This quick and easy lemon glaze for angel food cake is the perfect way to add some sweetness, moisture, a drool-worthy texture to your cake.

Let’s be honest, sometimes cake needs a little something extra. It is part of life! But, luckily, this incredibly flavorful lemon glaze for cake adds moisture and a touch of sweetness! You can easily adjust the consistency and even make it in advance. And, if you don’t feel like making a lemony glaze, you can always opt for our famous strawberry glaze.

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Types of lemon glaze for cake

Naturally, there are many different types of glazes for cake that vary more than just in their flavor. A lemon glaze for angel food cake can have mainly two consistencies; creamy and fluffy or like a traditional glaze. Today, we have chosen to show you how to make a traditional and easy lemon glaze.

A traditional glaze has more of a royal icing consistency. The ideal glaze should be completely smooth and lump-free with a prominent (in today’s case) lemon flavor. It should also have a thick consistency that will still run down. Another way to check the consistency is to look at how it sits on top of the cake. It should cling to the angel food cake without running down completely and it shouldn’t become transparent either.

A fluffy glaze is usually more of a meringue-like glaze that uses beaten egg whites. While it can still have a very strong flavor, it has a much thicker yet airy consistency. The glaze is able to sit well on the cake without giving it that dripping effect the traditional glaze does.

You can also make more of an icing with still only powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice. To get this consistency, you simply add less liquid, probably only the lemon juice. This icing will have to be frosted on (like the fluffy glaze) and won’t create a dripping effect. It is a nice glaze to decorate with as well.

And, lastly, you get an extremely runny glaze that is thinned with more milk and water compared to a traditional glaze. This glaze is often used to add a slight sweetness and paper-thin coating to the cake.

What You Will Need To Make A Lemon Glaze For Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3-6 tablespoons (45-90 ml) milk
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
• Zest of 2 lemons

Equipment

• Sieve
• Large glass mixing bowl
• Whisk

Step by step instructions

Step 1: Sieve the powdered sugar

It is extremely important to sift your icing sugar well – three times if you have to! There shouldn’t be any lumps or granules of powdered sugar, otherwise, it will show in the final texture of your glaze.

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients

Add 3 tablespoons of milk and the lemon juice to the powdered sugar and whisk the ingredients well. You can add more milk to the mixture to help thin the consistency, but 3 tablespoons are a good starting point.

Only once you are happy with the consistency should you add the lemon zest. This is also, in our opinion, a crucial addition that will add that extra lemony punch!

Step 3: Glaze your cake

You do not need to heat the glaze before pouring it over your angel food cake. You can simply give it a good whisk and pour immediately. This lemon glaze recipe is fantastic because it has a nice thick consistency that will sit beautifully on top of the cake instead of thinning or running down completely.

Adjusting the consistency of your angel food cakes’ lemon glaze

Unfortunately, the powdered sugar is constantly absorbing the moisture. This is why glazes are surprisingly technical; because you have to get the perfect glaze consistency to achieve the visual results you want. For this specific recipe, the glaze should sit on the cake thickly without running down all the way to the bottom. It should have some movement to it so it can create a drip effect. It should also not be transparent, which means that it is too thin.

To thin a glaze, simply add some more milk, but only a bit at a time. You will be surprised about how big of a difference a tiny amount of liquid makes! And, to thicken it, simply add more sifted powdered sugar.

Tips and tricks for this easy lemon glaze

• Even if you buy “pre-sieved powdered sugar”, we still highly recommend sifting your sugar. Again, you don’t want to go through the trouble of making the glaze only to find at the end that there are lumps.
• If you do happen to have some lumps, simply pass the lemony glaze through a fine-mesh sieve using the back of a spoon. This should help lemony any lumps bigger than the holes in the sieve or strainer.
• You can also easily change the flavor profile of this lemon glaze recipe by using any other type of citrus fruit. We personally like the citrus flavors more with the angel food cake, but you can use other flavored liquids that are similar in consistency. Remember to still add the zest of your citrus fruit.
• If you do not have fresh lemon juice, you can also use lemon extract or essence. You will only need about 1/2 – 1 teaspoon (2.5 – 5 ml) of essence or extract depending on the size of your batch. You will have to add more milk to help adjust the consistency.
• To store the lemon glaze for cake, simply place it into a glass bowl and place a damp piece of paper towel over it. This will help prevent the glaze from drying out completely inside the fridge.

Nordic Ware Angel Food Cake Pan, 18 Cup Capacity, Graphite

Servings and preparation time

Baking Time	Preparation Time	Servings
0 minutes	5-10 minutes	1 ½ cups glaze

The Best Lemon Glaze Recipe

Now that you have finally found the perfect lemon glaze for angel food cake, you can start experimenting with the flavor and texture. And, feel free to share with us your favorite way of using this glaze in the comments below!

Read more about Magical Angel Food Cake Roll With Strawberries and Cream Cheese Filling