Lemon Coffee Cake

Lemon Coffee Cake is a delicious, moist and sweet breakfast or snack cake, and also a very easy dessert recipe. Bursting with tangy lemon flavor, this coffee cake is the perfect treat to enjoy this spring or summer! You should definitely try my Blueberry Cheesecake Crumb Cake, too.

Tangy Lemon Coffee Cake Breakfast or Dessert Recipe

This tender and fluffy cake is super moist. It has a tart lemon curd layer in the center, cheesecake layer on top and irresistible, crunchy and buttery crumb topping!

As I said so many times before, I LOOOOOVE COFFEE CAEKES and CRUMB CAKES!!! They are perfect excuse to eat cake for breakfast. I’ve shared so many recipes so far: Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake Coffee Cake, Easy Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Coffee Cake and Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake.

However, this Lemon Coffee Cake is perfect choice for refreshing summer breakfast, snack or dessert.

Tangy lemon curd and cream cheese layer make this simple coffee cake really special and so delicious.

Easy Lemon Coffee Cake with Homemade Lemon Curd

Whenever I make coffee cakes, crumb cakes or muffins I like to add greek yogurt or sour cream in the batter. This time I used sour cream. You won’t be able to taste it in the cake, but it makes the cake so tender and super moist.

This Lemon Coffee Cake has so much flavor and amazing texture combo. Every single bite bursting with lemon. And crunchy crumb topping pair so good with smooth cheesecake and lemon curd filing and moist and tender cake.

Also, I made homemade lemon curd, but you can skip this extra step and use store-bought. Actually, I hesitated for years to try to make it myself. For the first time I made homemade lemon curd when I made my Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling. And that was a few years ago. Since I realized it’s not hard at all, I usually make my own lemon curd, but you don’t have to if you like to save some time.

However, if you are a lemon lover, then you will love this cake. If you need more lemon recipes check this Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins or Lemon Blueberry Muffins.

Lemon Coffee Cake Recipe:

Lemon Coffee Cake

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★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Vera Z.
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 45-55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 16 slices 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Lemon Coffee Cake is a delicious, moist and sweet breakfast or snack cake, and also a very easy dessert recipe. Bursting with tangy lemon flavor, this coffee cake is the perfect treat to enjoy this spring or summer!

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Ingredients

Crumb Topping:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Dash of salt
• 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 5 Tablespoons sugar
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter-melted and slightly cooled

Cake:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter-softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 cup lemon curd (store bought or homemade)

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese-softened
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons sugar

Homemade Lemon Curd:

• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

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Instructions

1. To make homemade lemon curd, in a sauce pan melt the butter.  Remove from the heat, add sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk well. Place over medium heat and cook for 5-6 minutes until all sugar dissolve and the mixture is thick enough to hold the marks from a whisk. Cool completely.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 8 x 8 x 2 inch square baking pan (or 9 x 9 inch pan) with parchment paper leaving an overhang the sides, spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
3. First make the crumb topping. In a bowl stir together flour, sugar, brown sugar and salt. Then add melted butter and stir with a fork until pea size crumb form. Set in the fridge until ready to use.
4. To make the cake beat softened butter for a minute, then add sugar and beat until creamy. Add lemon zest, vanilla and eggs and mix to combine.
5. Add sour cream and mix well, then mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Spread half of the batter in prepared pan.
6. Spread 1 cup of lemon curd over the batter but don’t go all the way to the edges (or it will burn during baking).
7. Spoon remaining batter on top.
8. Beat cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and egg until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture over the batter.
9. Sprinkle with crumb topping and bake about 45-55 minutes or until the center has set. If it browns too much tent the top with aluminum foil.
10. Cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then pull the paper and lift the cake and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
11. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.