Lemon coffee cake is a tender lemon cake filled and topped with sweet crumble. It's a great breakfast or afternoon treat when served with coffee or tea.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Buttery and tender lemon cake is filled and topped with sweet streusel crumble.
Pan size: 9-inch square
Serves: 9-12 people
Similar to: Applesauce Coffee Cake and Irish Tea Cake
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Dry ingredients - You'll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. I have only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, so I can't say for sure how it would turn out with substitutions. Baking powder adds lift and can't be substituted with baking soda.
- Lemon - We're using lemon zest and lemon juice to add lemon flavor to the cake base. For a stronger lemon flavor, add more lemon zest (not juice). Adding extra moisture can affect the rise of your cake in the oven. Lemon zest and juice could also be substituted with orange zest and juice if desired.
- Wet ingredients - Sour cream, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs add moisture and flavor to your cake. If you're using salted butter, omit the salt listed in the recipe.
How to make lemon coffee cake
- First, you'll make your crumble in a medium bowl and set it aside.
- Next, prepare the cake batter.
- Add half of the batter to your pan and top with half of the crumble.
- Add the remaining cake batter and top with the remaining crumble.
- Bake coffee cake until center pops back when gently pressed.
- Your cake will look golden brown across the top and begin to pull away from the edges of the pan when it's done (just like the photo above).
Heather's top tip
To test for doneness, gently press the top of your cake. If it springs right back, it's done. If an indent is left, it needs more time. For accurate results every time, use an instant read thermometer. Cake is done when it reaches 210F in the center.
Tips and tricks
Properly measured flour - Adding too much flour results in a dense, dry, and bland cake. For 100% accuracy, use a kitchen scale along with the gram measurements in the recipe card. If you don't have a kitchen scale, I recommend the spoon and level method. Give your flour a quick stir, then gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup until heaping. Level off the top with the straight edge of a knife.
Don't substitute or reduce ingredients - Ingredients like eggs, sugar, butter, and sour cream, and lemon juice add moisture and help your coffee cake retain moisture after baking. Substituting, reducing, or omitting those ingredients can make your cake turn out dry.
Don't overbake your cake - This may seem obvious, but if you've properly measured your ingredients and haven't substituted anything, the only reason your coffee cake will turn out dry is from overbaking. Set a timer and check your cake a few minutes early.
Frequently asked questions
Coffee cake will keep for 3 to 4 days when tightly sealed at room temperature.
Cake (either whole or in slices) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow cake to cool completely to room temperature, then tightly wrap before freezing. To thaw frozen cake, transfer to the countertop and unwrap, allowing to thaw for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Coffee cake is a cake that's meant to be served with coffee. The cake itself isn't made with coffee as an ingredient.
Make half the amount of topping and only sprinkle it on top of the cake (skip the middle layer). Don't reduce the amount of sugar in the cake itself. This will cause your cake to turn out dry.
This recipe is made in a 9x9 square baking pan. An 11x7 baking pan would also work in a pinch.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Lemon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Crumble topping
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
Cake
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) sour cream, room temperature
- ¼ cup (56 g) lemon juice, room temperature
Instructions
Topping
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 9x9 square baking pan and set aside.
- Add flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter to a bowl and stir until clumps form. Mixture will look thick and crumbly. Set aside.
Cake
- To a large bowl, add butter and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat until creamed and fluffy, about a minute. Add eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to remove clumps.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix to combine. Add the sour cream and lemon juice and mix to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the crumble mixture over the batter, then top with the remaining batter. Top with remaining crumble mixture.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until cake springs back when gently pressed and reaches 210F in the center. If an indent is left, cake needs more time.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Less-sweet variation: Cut the crumble topping in half and sprinkle it on top only.
- Stronger lemon flavor: For more lemon flavor, add additional lemon zest or lemon extract, not juice. Adding more lemon juice can affect the rise of your cake in the oven.
- Storage: Cake is best served the same day, but leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.
- Freezing: Cake can also be frozen for up to three months. Thaw on the countertop for 1-2 hours before serving.
- More tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cake, based on reader comments and questions!
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!