Lemon Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Crumble (Printable)
Moist, zesty cake with cinnamon crumble and lemon glaze.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 cup sour cream
06 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
07 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Crumble
12 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
13 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
14 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
15 - 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
16 - Pinch of salt
→ Lemon Glaze
17 - 1 cup powdered sugar
18 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
02 - Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Chill until needed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture in thirds, alternating with sour cream. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
06 - Spread half the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle half the crumble over it. Top with remaining batter and then remaining crumble.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cake to cool in pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The lemon keeps it from ever feeling heavy, even with the buttery crumble and glaze.
- It's forgiving enough to make on a weekday but impressive enough to serve when people drop by.
- One cake feeds a crowd, and it tastes even better the next morning.
02 -
- Don't skip the 20-minute pan rest—I learned this the hard way, and a warm cake is a crumbled cake.
- If your crumble seems to sink into the cake during baking, it's fine; the magic happens in those pockets where butter and sugar caramelize into the cake itself.
03 -
- Room-temperature ingredients mix more evenly and create a finer crumb than cold eggs and butter fighting their way together.
- If your kitchen is warm, let the crumble mixture chill for at least 15 minutes before baking—warm butter spreads instead of creating texture.