Lemon Coffee Cake Recipe: Moist Citrus Bundt Cake for Brunch

Moist lemon cake with a crunchy crumble topping and a sweet lemon glaze. This lemon coffee cake is bright, tender, and perfect for brunch. Enjoy a moist crumb and refreshing lemon flavor.

This post was updated March 27, 2024 with new photos & recipe tips

This lemon coffee cake is ideal for lemon lovers. It works well for breakfast, brunch, or as a light dessert — not overly sweet, just bright and satisfying. Think of it as a sunny twist on a classic coffee cake: a buttery vanilla base infused with lemon, topped with a crunchy streusel and finished with a drizzle of lemon glaze for extra brightness.

The cake begins with a moist, buttery vanilla batter brightened by lemon zest and juice. A crunchy crumble topping adds texture that complements the tender cake crumb. A simple lemon glaze brightens the flavor and adds a touch of sweetness.

Making Lemon Coffee Cake

Below are clear step-by-step instructions and tips to help you get a moist, tender coffee cake every time.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare your pan. A 9-inch springform pan with high sides works best for this cake because the streusel and batter are easier to manage and serve. Lightly grease and flour the pan.
   • Wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent leaks.
   • You can also use a 9×9 inch (23×23 cm) square pan with high sides.

Make the crumb topping:

1. Stir together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt. The small amount of brown sugar keeps the topping from competing with the lemon flavor.
2. Mix in the melted butter until the mixture forms small crumbles. Using melted butter yields a more uniform, slightly moist streusel that slices cleanly once baked.
   

   

Make the lemon cake:

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to distribute the leaveners and remove lumps. This helps avoid overmixing later.
   1. Sifting the dry ingredients first removes lumps and reduces the need to overmix the batter.
2. In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingers to release the lemon oils and intensify the flavor.
   

   

3. Add the butter to the sugar and lemon mixture and beat until creamy.
4. Add the vanilla and beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the bowl between additions to prevent overmixing.
   

   

5. Mix in the sour cream and lemon juice. The mixture may look slightly curdled — that’s normal.
6. Fold in about half of the flour mixture on low speed or by hand until just combined. I prefer to start stirring by hand, then finish with the mixer briefly to avoid overmixing.
   

   

7. Whisk in the milk by hand or on low speed.
8. Gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients by hand to avoid overmixing. Stop as soon as you no longer see big streaks of flour. The batter will be thick and may show bits of lemon zest.
   

   

Assemble and bake:

1. Gently spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
2. Evenly sprinkle the crumble over the batter. It will look generous — some streusel will sink in and some will stay on top.
   

   

3. Bake in the center of the oven for about 45–50 minutes for a 9-inch round springform pan, or 35–40 minutes in a 9×9 square pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and the cake should not wobble. If the crumb is browning too quickly, tent with foil and continue baking until done.

Baking Tips & Tricks

• Use fresh lemons: zest first, then juice. You’ll need about 3 medium lemons (or 4 small) for the cake and glaze. Avoid bottled lemon juice.
• Bring ingredients to room temperature to ensure even mixing without excess beating.
• Measure flour carefully: whisk, spoon into a measuring cup, and level off, or use a kitchen scale for best results.
• Don’t overmix the batter — overmixing makes cakes tough and can create tunnels.
• Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients to keep the batter tender and uniform.

This lemon coffee cake is delightful for breakfast, brunch, or with afternoon tea. The lemon flavor is bright without being sour, the cake is moist, and the crumble adds a satisfying crunch. It’s hard to stop at one slice.

For more lemon recipes, try lemon sugar cookies, lemon loaf, lemon cheesecake with blueberry topping, or lemon bars.

5 from 2 votes

Lemon Coffee Cake

By: Fiona Dowling

Moist lemon cake with crunchy crumble topping and sweet lemon glaze. This lemon coffee cake is bursting with bright lemon and perfect for brunch.

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 1 hr

Servings: 12 Slices

Equipment

• 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan or a 9×9 inch (23×23 cm) square pan with high sides

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (70 grams), melted

Lemon Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (313 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
• 3 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter (150 grams)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream (120 ml), room temperature
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (60 ml), freshly squeezed
• 1/4 cup milk (60 ml), 2% or whole milk recommended, room temperature

Lemon Glaze

• 1 – 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (110 – 165 grams)
• 1 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice (15–30 ml), freshly squeezed

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil, lightly grease, and dust with flour. Set aside.

Crumb Topping

• Mix the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt.
• Stir in melted butter until the mixture resembles crumbly, wet sand. If too wet, add 1 tablespoon extra flour and sugar. Set aside.

Lemon Cake

• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk and set aside.
• Rub lemon zest into the sugar in a large bowl to release the oils.
• Add butter and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat in eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions.
• Beat in sour cream and lemon juice. Add half the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Whisk in the milk, then fold in the remaining flour until you no longer see streaks of flour. Do not overmix.

Assembling and Baking

• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter.
• Bake for 45–50 minutes in a 9-inch round pan, or about 35–40 minutes in a 9×9 square pan. A toothpick should come out clean and the cake should not wobble. If the topping browns too fast, tent with foil.
• Cool the cake in the pan before releasing the ring.

Lemon Glaze

• Whisk 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice with about 1 cup powdered sugar. Adjust with more lemon juice or powdered sugar until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle but still opaque.
• When the cake is cool, unclamp the springform ring and drizzle the glaze over the top.

Notes

1. Lemons: Use about 3 medium lemons for cake and glaze, or 4 smaller lemons.
2. Sour Cream: Substitute plain Greek yogurt if desired.
3. Nutrition: Nutrition shown is an estimate per slice, assuming 12 even slices and all crumble and glaze used.
4. Storage: Store covered at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days; best eaten fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcal, Carbohydrates: 76g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 19g, Sugar: 47g

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