Lemon Coffee Cake with Crumble (Printable)
Moist, zesty cake bursting with fresh lemon flavor and topped with a buttery, crunchy crumble. Easy to prepare.
# What You'll 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 - 1/2 cup whole milk
06 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
07 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
08 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Crumble Topping
12 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
13 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
14 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
15 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
16 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Lemon Glaze
17 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
18 - 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
02 - In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.
03 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Alternately add dry ingredient mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top evenly.
07 - Evenly sprinkle crumble topping over batter.
08 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the crumble is golden brown.
09 - Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth and drizzle over cooled cake.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- That perfect balance between tart lemon and buttery sweetness makes this coffee cake impossible to eat just one slice I promise.
- The contrast between the tender, moist crumb and the crispy crumble topping creates a texture experience that store bought versions can never match.
02 -
- Room temperature eggs incorporate much better than cold ones I learned this the hard way after wondering why my cake had uneven texture throughout.
- Dont skip sifting the dry ingredients especially the baking powder and soda it makes the difference between a perfect rise and one side of the cake being mysteriously higher than the other.
03 -
- Use the fine side of your grater for the zest, and be careful to only take the yellow part of the peel the white pith underneath will introduce unwanted bitterness.
- For the most tender crumb, mix the batter only until ingredients are incorporated overmixing develops gluten that toughens the cake, a mistake I made countless times before learning better.