Strawberry Lemon Cream Pie
Sweet, delicious strawberries with rich tangy lemon curd whipped topping piled high with whipped cream and decorated beautifully with strawberry and lemon slices. This strawberry lemon cream pie is sure to bring summer vibes and smiles wherever you decide to bring it, regardless of season!
*Note: Calories and cost is estimated, if provided.
Equipment & Tools
- Stand Mixer with whisk attachment
- 9-inch Deep Dish Pie Pan
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- Measuring Cup(s)
- Knife
- Blender
- Medium Saucepan
- Double Boiler or heat-safe bowl to make a DIY double boiler
- Storage Container(s) (to store / cool the lemon curd)
- Piping Bag with Tip (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 Pie crust (use your favorite pie crust recipe or purchase it premade)
Strawberry Layer
- 4 cups Strawberries , chopped, divided
- ½ cup Water
- 1 Tbsp Lemon juice , freshly squeezed
- 4½ tsp Gelatin , unflavored (about 15g)
- ½ cup Water , cold
Lemon Layer
- 4 large Egg yolks
- ⅔ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp Lemon zest (from about 4 medium lemons)
- ⅓ cup Lemon juice , freshly squeezed (from about 2-3 medium lemons)
- ⅛ tsp Fine sea salt
- 6 Tbsp Unsalted butter , softened
- 8 oz Cream cheese , softened
Whipped Cream Topping
- 2 cups Heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tbsp Marshmallow fluff
- ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Decoration (optional)
- Strawberries , whole, sliced or diced
- Lemon slices , whole or halved
- Mint leaves
Instructions
Crust
- Prepare your favorite pie crust recipe or use a premade store-bought one, place it into the pie pan, punch a few holes into it with a fork then bake as directed. Set aside.
Strawberry Base
- Combine 4 cups Strawberries, ½ cup Water, and 1 Tbsp Lemon juice in a blender. Blend it until it is smooth.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add ½ cup Water and sprinkle in 4½ tsp Gelatin. Allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the strawberry mixture to a medium saucepan. Heat it over medium heat until it is hot. Remove from heat.
- Once the gelatin has bloomed, microwave for 30 seconds or until it is liquified. Do not overheat. Give it a stir then while whisking continuously, stream it into the hot strawberry mixture.
- Pour the hot strawberry mixture into the prepared pie crust. Then, pour in the remaining chopped strawberries.
- Put the pie in the fridge to let it cool and set completely. This will take about 3 hours.
Lemon Curd
- Immediately after finishing the strawberry base, you want to start on the lemon curd. In a small double boiler over a low simmer, add 4 large Egg yolks, ⅔ cup Granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp Lemon zest, ⅓ cup Lemon juice, and ⅛ tsp Fine sea salt.
- Whisk the curd constantly to avoid curdling the eggs. After about 10 minutes, the mixture should thicken in consistency. Think hollandaise-consistency.
- Once thickened, remove the mixture from the heat. Add the room temperature 6 Tbsp Unsalted butter , one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly.
- Pour the hot curd into a heat-safe container, cover it, and place it in the fridge to cool completely, will take about 2 hours. The curd will thicken more as it cools.
Stabilized Whipped Cream Topping
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip 2 cups Heavy whipping cream, ½ cup Powdered sugar, and 2 tsp Vanilla extract on high until soft peaks form.
- Add 3 Tbsp Marshmallow fluff to the whipped cream, and then turn the mixer to high speed, whipping the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Place the whipped cream into a seperate bowl, we will be using the mixer bowl again. No need to wash the bowl in between.
Lemon Base
- After making the whipped cream, add the softened 8 oz Cream cheese to the stand mixer and whip until fluffy and smooth.
- Add the cooled lemon curd to the cream cheese and mix on low-medium to combine.
- Fold half of the whipped cream into the lemon base. The remaining half of the whipped cream will be for the top layer and decoration.
- Gently spread the lemon layer on top of the strawberry base of the pie.
Finishing the pie
- Gently spread the remaining whipped topping on top of the lemon layer, reserving some of the cream for decorating, if you desire.
- Using a piping bag filled with some whipped cream, decorate the top of the pie as you like. I tend to make six to eight large swirls of whipped cream along the outside and place halved strawberries and lemon slices on and between the swirls. Then, I'll put a few mint leaves in the center, adding a pop of green to the pie.
- Place into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the pie to fully set up.
Storage
- Keep pie in the refrigerator until serving, as warm temperatures can cause the cream to melt. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.