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Hi Bold Bakers!
Do you know what makes Lemon Semifreddo so incredible? Yes, homemade lemon semifreddo has an intensely lemon flavor, it’s creamy, it’s light, it’s super refreshing for a sunny spring dessert. But, personally, I think the best part is, this seemingly sophisticated dessert is SO EASY to make!!
Seriously, if you follow this recipe, it is foolproof.
Another bonus is this lemon semifreddo uses very few ingredients, likely things you already have in your cupboard and fridge! As the weather starts to warm up, you can’t go wrong with a soft, cold, lemony dessert. After this, make sure you try my other semifreddo dessert, Rich & Creamy Tiramisu Semifreddo.
What Is Lemon Semifreddo?
Semifreddo is an Italian dessert that translates to “half cold.” And if the shoe fits, wear it, right? The dessert is literally half-frozen!
Don’t get semifreddo confused with ice cream, though! They are similar but different. Ice cream is typically frozen first then air is introduced to it. Semifreddo, however, the air is introduced first, then it is frozen. This makes it feel like it is half frozen!
What You Need To Make Lemon Semifreddo
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9×5-inch (23×12.5cm) loaf pan
- Plastic wrap
- Mixing bowls
- Fine mesh strainer
- Large bowl filled with ice
- Small saucepan
How To Make Lemon Semifreddo
If you follow these directions, you’ll be shocked at how easy it is to make this delicious, refreshing dessert! Here is how you make lemon semifreddo (get the printable written recipe with measurements right here):
- Line a 9×5-inch (23×12.5cm) loaf pan with plastic wrap. Be sure to leave some extra hanging off the side.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl. Place the small bowl on top of a large bowl of ice and place it near the stove.
- In a small saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, and salt over low heat.
- Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and it coats the back of your spoon.
- Immediately, pour the curd through the prepared strainer to stop the cooking. Stir in the vanilla extract and let the curd cool completely. Stir it occasionally to speed up the cooling.
- Once the curd is cold, whip the cream to soft peaks in a large bowl.
- Gently fold the curd into the whipped cream until it is evenly mixed, then spread it evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Cover the semifreddo with the extra plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Lemon Semifreddo
- Make sure your curd is completely cooled before folding it into the whipped cream; otherwise, you could melt and deflate the cream.
- Make this recipe a berry-lemon semifreddo by gently stirring in 1 cup of fresh berries of your choice after mixing the curd and cream.
- For some added texture, make my graham cracker cookie crust and press it into the loaf pan before you pour in the semifreddo mixture.
- Semifreddo can be sliced or scooped, whichever you prefer. Try serving this with my homemade ice cream cones!
- You can pour the semifreddo into individual ramekins before serving for elegant, individual servings.
- For something different, try this with a drizzle of my homemade salted caramel sauce!
How To Store Lemon Semifreddo
You can keep any leftover lemon semifreddo in the freezer, wrapped well, for up to 2 weeks!
Make More Ice Cream!
- Homemade Ice Cream with Only 2 Ingredients
- Homemade Strawberry Gelato
- 3 Ingredient Ube Ice Cream
- Homemade Sorbet in 5 Minutes
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Fresh & Sweet Lemon Semifreddo Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup (5floz/142ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ⅓ cup (10½oz/296g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (16floz/450ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Line a 9x5-inch (23x12.5cm) loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving some extra hanging off the sides.
- Set up a small bowl with a fine mesh strainer on top of it over a large bowl of ice and place all this near the stove.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, and salt.
- Stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and coat the back of a spoon.
- Immediately pour the curd through the prepared strainer to stop the cooking. Stir in the vanilla extract and let the curd cool completely, stirring occasionally to speed the cooling.
- Once the curd is cold, whip the cream to soft peaks in a large bowl.
- Gently fold the curd into the whipped cream until evenly mixed and then spread into the prepared loaf pan. Cover the semifreddo with the extra plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours (or overnight).
- When ready to serve, remove from the pan, unwrap and serve slices with some fresh berries. Store any leftovers well wrapped in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
This recipe turned out perfect! See photo. And everyone loved it! Though we all agreed next time I should make it with graham cracker crust to give it a little texture.
This was amazing! I wonder if you could use orange juice instead of lemon? It might taste like a Creamsicle.
Can you use the recipe for Meyer lemon curd for this?
Can you kindly share video of the recipie please
Hi Gemma, ideas for using the leftover 8 large egg whites, please!! Thank you 😊
Rather than using the loaf pan and freezing, can I churn it in my Cuisinart ice cream machine?
I made this about 5 yrs ago from another chef…omg 😲it was amazing..my friend’s couldn’t believe how tasty and fresh this dessert was…enjoy
Hi, Gemma,
I made this for my kids and it turned out really well! We all loved it. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
I’ve recently been given a big tub of rhubarb puree; I was wondering if I could do the same thing – fold the puree into the whipped cream. But I suspect there’s a need for a custard base of some sort?
Could the sugar be substituted for a sugar free version like stevia?
Hello, Gemma. I know that this makes one loaf, but I do not know how many people a loaf serves. How many people does this recipe serve then?