Lemon Coffee Cake
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.
Servings 9 -12 squares
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.
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!
Nutrition
Serving: 3inch square | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 722IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg
