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You’ll love how easy homemade Orange Curd is, and once you make it yourself, you’ll never look back. Try my foolproof recipe made with just 4 ingredients and a double-boiler. 20 minutes later, you’ll have a bowl of thick, creamy curd perfect for toast, scones, pancakes, and more.
Meggan’s notes
I learned everything there is to know about curds in culinary school, and my biggest takeaway is that temperature matters. This is an easy, 4-ingredient, 1-bowl recipe that you whisk while simmering over a double boiler, but if you don’t bring it to the right temperature, it’ll never thicken.
I’ve since noticed that many recipes leave this crucial information out. “Whisk until thickened” is a common instruction, but you could be there for an hour, whisking away, your arm about to fall off, no closer to thickness. Why?
Curd doesn’t thicken until it reaches 170 degrees. Double-boilers can be a bit mysterious since you can’t see the water once the bowl is covering it, so it’s hard to know exactly how rapidly the water is boiling. By monitoring your curd with a thermometer, you’re in control of when it’s done.
Beyond that, I add the extra step of straining your curd. That way, you remove any zest or stray cooked egg pieces, leaving behind nothing but luxurious, silky-smooth orange curd.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Oranges: Always zest your oranges before you cut them open to juice. It’s much harder to zest half of an orange.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and set a glass or metal bowl over the top to create a double boiler. In the bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar, butter, orange zest, and orange juice.
- Cook over the simmering water, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 20 to 25 minutes (the curd must reach 170 degrees on a thermometer to thicken).
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, then cover and chill completely.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 2 ½ cups of orange curd.
- Storage: Store orange curd covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Pack orange curd in a freezer-safe container, leaving 1 inch headspace for expansion. Label, date, and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Brunch time: Spoon orange curd over crepes, drizzle it over orange cake, or use it as a luscious filling for cakes and tarts next to a mimosa bar at your next brunch!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you don’t have a double boiler, you can easily create a makeshift one by placing a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Just make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water to prevent the curd from cooking too quickly.
Definitely! Orange curd is perfect as a filling for cakes, tarts, pastries, or even layered into cupcakes. For the best results, allow it to chill and firm up before using it.
Yes! If you prefer a sweeter curd, simply add a little more sugar to taste. Keep in mind that the natural tartness of the oranges will balance the sweetness, so adjust gradually and taste as you go.
While fresh orange juice provides the best flavor, bottled juice can be used in a pinch. Just keep in mind that the taste may not be as vibrant, so you may need to adjust the sweetness or add a bit of zest for extra zing.
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Orange Curd
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter cubed (1 stick)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (see note 1)
- 3 ounces orange juice
Instructions
- Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and set a glass or metal bowl over the top to create a double boiler. In the bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar, butter, orange zest, and orange juice.
- Cook over the simmering water, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 20 to 25 minutes (the curd must reach 170 degrees on a thermometer to thicken).
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, then cover and chill completely.
Notes
- Oranges: Always zest your oranges before you cut them open to juice. It’s much harder to zest half of a orange.
- Yield: This recipe makes 2 ½ cups of orange curd.
- Storage: Store orange curd covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
beautiful 😍 recipe.
Thank you so much, Melanie! I hope you love it! – Meggan