Lemon Caramel

5 from 2 votes

This luscious Lemon Caramel is a step beyond your favourite salted caramel recipe. The lemon flavour will give your favourite caramel sauce a delicate citrus tang which is totally addictive.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Infusing Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Servings: servings

Calories: 125kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

350 ml double cream
1 lemon unwaxed
250 g caster sugar
40 g unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Peel the zest off the lemon in long strips, making sure not to get too much pith.
Pour the double cream into a medium sized saucepan and add the lemon peel.
Bring up to a gentle heat and then remove from the heat just before it reaches a boil.
Pour the cream and peel into a jug and leave to infuse at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Strain out the lemon peel once infused and weigh out 300ml of the cream to use in this recipe.
Tip the caster sugar into a medium sized saucepan and heat on a gentle temperature as the sugar begins to melt.
Avoid moving the sugar around too much but you can encourage an even melting by gently shaking the actual saucepan around occasionally if you need to. Keep a careful eye on the sugar and do not leave at all.
As the sugar has melted it will turn a dark golden tan colour. Watch to make sure it doesn’t get too browned as this means it’s burning.
As soon as the sugar has melted and has turned that dark golden tan colour then pour in the strained cream and the butter. It will rise dramatically up the saucepan so stand back at first for safety.
Stir the cream and butter into the melted sugar and it will quickly form a thick silky caramel sauce.
Stir for a minute or two once the caramel has formed then you can turn off the heat and add the salt.
Pour the caramel into a jug and leave for 20 minutes for it to thicken to a pourable consistency. Stir briefly before using.

Video

Notes

Ingredient substitutions

Double cream – you can use heavy cream.
Caster sugar – you can use any white sugar.
Kosher salt – you can use sea salt but maybe start with ½ teaspoon as it’s a little stronger.
Vegan Lemon Caramel Sauce – Swap out the double cream for a thick coconut milk and use a vegan butter in place of the unsalted butter.

Tips

This recipe begins with 350ml double cream when the actual caramel only needs 300ml. This is because during the initial heating and infusing of the double cream you may lose some of the quantity. By starting with more cream than you need you can assure you have exactly the right amount for your caramel.
Bring your double cream off the heat just before it starts boiling. If you watch the cream closely you’ll see a slight wobble across the surface. Take it off now before any bubbling starts to occur.
Pour the sugar into the saucepan so that it is in an even layer which means it should melt evenly.
Try to avoid moving the sugar about in the pan too much, if you need to swirl it around so that you can encourage even melting then give the saucepan a gentle shake rather than using a spoon. This will avoid making the sugar lumpy which then takes longer to melt and could result in the sugar burning before it has all finished melting.
The sugar is ready for you to add the cream and butter when it has all melted and is a dark tan colour. If it gets too brown then it is burning. If some of the sugar is still in little clumps and the melted sugar is getting too dark then add the cream and butter anyway. You can always strain the caramel at the end of the process.
Your cream and butter should be at room temperature to avoid the caramel rising up and spitting. Plus adding cold cream and butter will cause the sugar to harden again meaning your caramel will have to re-melt.
As soon as the cream and butter have been added you can stir your caramel. A silicone spoon is the best tool for this job.

Make ahead

Store the caramel in an airtight container where it will keep well for up to 2 weeks.

Re-heat

Pour the caramel into a saucepan and turn the heat on low/medium. Stir the caramel all the time whilst it gradually warms. As soon as you feel the caramel start to loosen you should remove it off the heat and use it for pouring.

US customary measurements

These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups

Nutrition information

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.

Nutrition