The lemon coffee cake takes the classic coffee cake with buttery streusel topping and adds a zesty lemon twist by including a layer of lemon curd between the cake batter. If that’s not enough, this delicious cake also includes a cream cheese layer and a sugar glaze topping – perfect for a special occasion like Mother’s day or as a tasty sweet treat any day of the week alongside a cup of coffee!
While this lemon coffee cake does require attention in the preparation of each layer, it’s certainly one of those sweet treats that’s well worth the effort. At the end of the cooking process and once completely cooled, you’ll have yourself a cake that has a soft, moist texture with a beautiful lemon center contrasted with a crunchy topping.
If you love layered fruity desserts, don’t miss out on Lemon Dump Cake (with Cream Cheese), Banana Split Dump Cake, or Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake!
What do I Need for this Lemon Coffee Cake?
🍜 Ingredients:
- Butter – I’ve used unsalted butter for both the cake batter and the streusel topping. It’s best to use softened butter for the moist cake, while the crunchy crumb requires melted butter that’s cooled.
- Cream cheese – Softened for both the lemon crumb cake and the cream cheese layer.
- Packed light brown sugar – For the cake batter and the crumbled topping.
- Granulated sugar – For the cake, cream cheese later, and crumb topping.
- Eggs – At room temperature for the cream cheese coffee cake and the cream cheese layer.
- Vanilla extract – I’ve only added this to the cake, but you could also include it in the sugar glaze for extra flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Used in the cake flour mixture and the moist crumbs on top of the cake batter.
- Baking soda and powder
- Cornstarch – Adds texture and structure to the cake.
- Salt
- Buttermilk – Adds delicious moisture to the cake. You could also use sour cream.
- Lemon Curd – A thick and tangy lemon curd.
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bright lemon flavor.
- Cinnamon – Adds warmth to the crumbled topping.
- Powdered sugar – I like to sift the powdered sugar to eliminate any lumps in the glaze.
- Milk
Optional Garnish:
I’ve added a sugar glaze to this lemon coffee cake recipe as a topping. You could also garnish this cake with lemon zest, melted white chocolate, or candied lemon slices/wedges.
Equipment Needed:
You’ll need a large bowl and an electric mixer for the cake batter, a medium bowl for the cream cheese filling, and a small bowl for the sugar glaze.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Lemon pie filling can be used for the lemon curd layer as it does tend to provide a better consistency without sinking into the cake batter.
- Add lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon juice to the sugar glaze for a quick lemon glaze.
- The size of your prepared pan depends on your preference for how thick or thin you want the lemon cake to be. Make sure to adjust the baking time when using a deeper baking pan.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Preheat the oven and grease the baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
Step 1: Start making the cake batter by combining the butter, cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar, in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. The mixture should be fluffy after 2-3 minutes of beating.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, cornstarch, and salt.
Step 3: Slowly start to beat the dry flour mixture (about a third) into the cake batter and then half of the buttermilk. Continue to add more of the flour mixture with the rest of the buttermilk and beat until just combined.
Step 4: Add half of the cake batter to the prepared baking dish.
Step 5: Spread the lemon curd over the batter layer, leaving about ¾″ space free from lemon curd around the edge of the pan.
Step 6: Top with the remaining cake batter, working from the outside in to ensure that the lemon curd is contained within the batter layers.
Step 7: Combine the cream cheese filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and spread the mixture over the top layer of the cake batter.
Step 8: In another bowl, combine the streusel topping ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
Step 9: Add the streusel topping over the cream cheese filling layer and bake the cake for 20-30 minutes, covered with aluminum foil, and then remove the foil and bake for an extra 40-55 minutes.
Step 10: Remove the cake from the oven to cool. While cooking, prepare the sugar glaze.
GARNISH: Drizzle the sugar glaze over the top of the completely cooled cake and enjoy!
- When preparing the cream cheese layer you can choose to either just add in the zest as directed, or rub it into the sugar before adding the remaining ingredients. This action releases the oils of the zest into the sugar and adds to the aroma and flavor.
- Meyer lemons are sweeter lemons and have a more subtle flavor. Other lemons are perfectly good to use but it depends on personal choice and season availability. You can substitute limes for lemon 1:1. Always try to get organic lemons if possible.
- Use a baking pan or dish that is deep enough to prevent spillover. As directed in the recipe use either a 15”x10” baking dish or a deep 9×13 dish. Place your baking dish on a sheet pan in the oven to catch any potential overflow so that you don’t have unnecessary cleanup. The sheet pan also reduces the amount of browning on the cake base.
- One can also line the baking pans with parchment paper. If you decide to use a square baking dish (with high enough sides) line your dish with parchment paper hanging over the sides so that when the cake has cooled sufficiently you only have to pull up on the paper to remove the cake.
- Cooling is really important. If the cake does not cool properly for at least an hour, the lemon curd and the cream cheese layers will not have set and will ooze out of the cake when cut.
- If you live at a high altitude, just adjust the flour content of the batter mix by adding two extra tablespoons of flour.
- From experience, it’s best to make the crumble topping first and let it set in the fridge whilst you continue with the rest of the recipe.
Fun Fact
If you’re wondering why this cake is called coffee cake, it’s not actually because the cake calls for the addition of coffee. The history of traditional coffee cake stems from the 1600s Europe when the Scandinavians started a tradition of drinking their coffee with what they called sweet breads that were full of spices, nuts, and fruit. It was in the 1800s that the term “coffee cake” was introduced as part of having a coffee break.
Ingredients such as butter, cream cheese, and eggs will mix more easily and evenly together when at room temperature. You will find it less likely to overbeat the cake batter which can result in a tougher and denser texture.
For me, the answer is always fresh over bottled. Fresh lemon juice has the best flavor and depending on the type of lemons used, flavors can range from subtle and sweet to more intense. Bottled lemon is extremely tart and whilst it is convenient to use when fresh lemons are not available, I personally prefer fresh over bottled.
The consistency of the pie filling lends itself a bit more to make a good layer in the middle without sinking into the batter below. Whilst a lovely thick lemon curd also works, there is a slight chance that it might sink into the coffee cake more than the premade pie filling but it gives a much better and authentic lemon taste.
It’s important to cream the butter (and cream cheese)and sugar well until light, fluffy and pale because this action aerates the mixture and increases its mass. You will have a lighter textured cake with finer crumbs.
Being such a lovely moist soft cake that is naturally thicker than most other cakes, I always find that this baking technique helps to prevent the lemon coffee cake from becoming too dense.
Apply the jiggle test to see if the cake is cooked sufficiently. To do so, gently nudge the baking pan and if the cream cheese layer only jiggles and does not swish and move like milk in a bowl, then the jello-like jiggle will indicate that the cake is cooked through.
You can also use a toothpick to insert into the cake to test if it is cooked. The toothpick should come out with just a few crumbs sticking to it but nothing substantial. If it comes out without any attached crumbs whatsoever then the cake is probably somewhat overcooked.
Store the entire cake or any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 – 6 days. Do not store at room temperature!
Lemon coffee cake can also be kept in the freezer as well. Freeze it as a whole cake or as individual slices well wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in freezer bags or an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator to serve chilled or leave it for a short time at room temperature.
More Lemon Desserts You’ll Love
Lemon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz. block of cream cheese softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
Lemon Filling
- 15 oz. thick lemon curd
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz. block of cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- Zest of 1 lemon about 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crumble Topping
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease a glass 10” x 15” baking dish or a DEEP 9” x 13” baking dish. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in brown sugar and white sugar. Beat until fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Beat in both eggs until combined.
- Beat in vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and salt.
- Slowly beat in a third of the dry mixture into the wet then add in half the buttermilk. Then beat in another third of the dry mixture and the rest of the buttermilk. Then beat in the remaining dry mix into the wet. Beat just until combined – do not over mix.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish. The batter will be thick.
- Spread the lemon curd carefully over the batter in the baking dish. Leave about ¾” space between the lemon curd and the edge of the pan. Lemon curd that spreads to the outside of the pan will burn while baking. Carefully top with the remaining batter, working from the outer perimeter towards inner to make sure that the lemon curd stays contained within the batter layers.
- In a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the cream cheese filling ingredients: cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Spread the cream cheese layer over the top layer of batter.
- Whisk together flour, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon until well combined. Stir in melted butter with a fork until it is a crumbly mixture and there is no more visible white flour. Sprinkle over top of cake.
- Bake cake for 60-75 minutes or until the center is set and no longer jiggles. COVER the coffee cake with aluminum foil after the first 20-30 minutes of baking to prevent the top from burning while the layers underneath cook through. Let the cake cool before adding glaze.
- Stir together powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over top of completely cooled cake.
Nutrition
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