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A tender, light lemon coffee cake layered with a cream cheese filling and bright lemon curd, then topped with a buttery streusel. The perfect sweet-tart coffee cake for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
If you love lemon as much as I do, this coffee cake is going to be a favorite. Bright, fresh lemon flavor is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with, and it feels especially perfect for springtime and Easter. The combination of tender coffee cake and creamy cheesecake filling creates a delicious balance of flavors, with the option of adding a layer of lemon curd for even more bright citrus flavor.
You can easily use homemade lemon curd or store-bought, or even skip it altogether if you prefer a more subtle lemon taste. Finished with a buttery streusel topping, this coffee cake is special enough for Easter brunch but simple enough to enjoy with your morning coffee all spring long.
Ingredients Needed
- Sugar, granulated and powdered sugar
- All Purpose flour
- Eggs
- Butter, salted
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Lemons – juice and zest
- Vanilla Extract
- Sour Cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Cream CHeese
- Lemon Curd. Make homemade lemon curd or buy store bought.
How to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease or butter a 9 or 10 inch springform pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, mix together butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs, yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Pour in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat to combine, do not overmix.
- Spread batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
- In a medium size bowl beat together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. With a mixer, beat until light, fluffy and well combined.
- Spread cream mixture of over top of batter in pan. Leave about 1/2″-1″ border of batter showing.
- Spread 3/4 cup of lemon curd over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Leave about a 1/2 ” to 1″ border of batter showing.
- Combine streusel ingredients in a medium bowl. Add in lemon zest and stir to combine.
- Add in butter cut into small pieces and using a pastry blender, work the mixture until it resembles small pebbles.
- Sprinkle streusel over top of lemon curd.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees F or until toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cook on a rack for 20-30 minutes and then remove from pan and allow to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a good drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle over top of cooled coffee cake.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure your cream cheese, butter, eggs, and dairy are at room temperature. This helps the batter mix smoothly and creates a tender, even crumb.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can make the coffee cake dense instead of light and tender.
- Use fresh lemon for the best flavor. Fresh lemon zest and juice give this cake its bright flavor. The zest is especially important because it adds intense lemon aroma without extra liquid.
- Homemade or store-bought lemon curd both work. If you want extra lemon flavor, add a layer of lemon curd over the cream cheese layer. Homemade lemon curd is wonderful, but a good quality store-bought curd works perfectly and saves time. You can also leave it out for a more subtle lemon flavor.
- Spread the cream cheese layer carefully. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the batter and gently spread it. This helps keep the layers distinct and prevents the batter from mixing together.
- Cold butter makes the best streusel. Use cold butter when making the streusel topping and work it into the flour mixture until crumbly. This creates those delicious bakery-style crumbs.
- Check the center for doneness. Because of the cream cheese layer, the cake may take slightly longer to bake. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs or a bit of cream cheese on it.
- Let the cake cool before slicing. Allowing the cake to cool for at least 20–30 minutes helps the cream cheese layer set so you get clean slices. Also allow it to cool before drizzling with glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use lemon curd?
No. The coffee cake is delicious with just the lemon-flavored batter and cream cheese layer. The lemon curd simply adds an extra burst of bright citrus flavor. You can include it or leave it out depending on your preference. I’ve made it both ways and love it with the lemon curd.
Can I make lemon cream cheese coffee cake ahead of time?
Yes. This coffee cake can be made a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese layer. Let it sit at room temperature for a bit before serving, or warm individual slices slightly.
Can I freeze cream cheese coffee cake?
Yes. Once completely cooled, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Why is my coffee cake dense instead of light?
This usually happens when the batter is overmixed. Mix just until the ingredients are combined to keep the texture tender and light.
How should I store leftover coffee cake?
Because of the cream cheese filling, store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. You can enjoy it cold or warm a slice briefly in the microwave.
This lemon cream cheese coffee cake is the kind of treat that feels a little special but is easy enough to make anytime the craving for something bright and lemony hits. The tender cake, creamy center, and buttery streusel topping come together in the most delicious way, with just the right balance of richness and fresh lemon flavor. Whether you serve it for Easter brunch, a spring gathering, or alongside your morning coffee, it’s the perfect way way to celebrate lemon season.
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Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup butter salted, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup lemon curd
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 4 Tbsp butter salted, cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Grease or butter a 9 or 10 inch spingform pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, Mix together butter and sugar in a bowl, beat until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs, yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Pour in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat to combine, do not overmix.
- Spread batter into prepared pan.
Cream Cheese Layer
- In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar with a hand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy and well combined.
- Spread mixture over the top of batter in pan. Leave about 1/2"to 1" border of batter showing.
- Spread 3/4 cup of lemon curd over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
Streusel Topping
- Combine streusel topping ingredients into a medium size bowl. Add in lemon zest and stir to combine.
- Add in butter, cut into small pieces and use a pastry blender to combine. Work the mixture until it resembles small pebbles.
- Spread streusel over top of lemon curd.
- Bake in 350 degrees F oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack for 20-30 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.
- In a small bowl combined powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a nice drizzling consistency. Drizzle over top of coffee cake.
Tips & Notes:
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure your cream cheese, butter, eggs, and dairy are at room temperature. This helps the batter mix smoothly and creates a tender, even crumb.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can make the coffee cake dense instead of light and tender.
- Use fresh lemon for the best flavor. Fresh lemon zest and juice give this cake its bright flavor. The zest is especially important because it adds intense lemon aroma without extra liquid.
- Homemade or store-bought lemon curd both work. If you want extra lemon flavor, add a layer of lemon curd over the cream cheese layer. Homemade lemon curd is wonderful, but a good quality store-bought curd works perfectly and saves time. You can also leave it out for a more subtle lemon flavor.
- Spread the cream cheese layer carefully. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the batter and gently spread it. This helps keep the layers distinct and prevents the batter from mixing together.
- Cold butter makes the best streusel. Use cold butter when making the streusel topping and work it into the flour mixture until crumbly. This creates those delicious bakery-style crumbs.
- Check the center for doneness. Because of the cream cheese layer, the cake may take slightly longer to bake. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs or a bit of cream cheese on it.
- Let the cake cool before slicing. Allowing the cake to cool for at least 20–30 minutes helps the cream cheese layer set so you get clean slices. Also allow it to cool before drizzling with glaze.
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