February 9, 2017 53 Comments

Lemon Crumble Breakfast Cake

Name: Lemon Crumble Breakfast Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; zest of 1 lemon; 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; zest from 2 lemons (preferably organic); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste; 1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken (whole fat or whole milk mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar); 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons); powdered sugar for dusting if desired

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Lemon Crumble Breakfast Cake ~ from the first bite to the last, this cake is loaded with bright lemon flavor. This moist, tender cake is easy to make and topped with a sweet crumble topping then dusted with powdered sugar. Whether you serve it for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea or dessert, you’ll be basking in enthusiastic, sunny compliments!

I’m not sure who coined the phrase “breakfast cake” but I’m all over it. I guess you could call it coffee cake or brunch cake too, but I really like the idea of cake for breakfast. This lemony cake is not overly sweet, so adding the sweet crumble topping gives you a little extra bite of crunchy lemon goodness that’s like icing on the cake!

Sprinkle the warm cake with powdered sugar, or feel free to whip up a light lemon glaze to drizzle over the top. Fresh fruit is always a good idea so grab some blueberries to serve with this Lemon Crumble Breakfast Cake.

I used vanilla bean paste in this recipe and highly recommend picking up a bottle if you haven’t tried it yet.

While it’s not inexpensive, it lasts a long time and adds rich vanilla flavor to all your baked goods.

We had whipping cream and mascarpone cheese in the refrigerator leftover from a recent recipe so I made a Lemon Mascarpone Cream to serve on top. Oh boy did everybody flip for this combination! Moans were had by all. Lemon in the cake, lemon in the crumble topping and lemon in the whipped mascarpone cheese. Lemon rules!

Squeeze a little lemony sunshine into your weekend and enjoy a nice big slice of this crazy good Lemon Crumble Breakfast Cake!

Don’t forget to PIN to your favorite baking board!

Lemon Crumble Breakfast Cake

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr

An easy to make breakfast or coffee cake that is moist and tender and topped with a sweet crumble topping then dusted with powdered sugar. A wonderful addition to your sunny weekend brunch!

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the Crumble Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

For the Lemon Cake:

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
zest from 2 lemons (preferably organic)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken (whole fat or whole milk mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
powdered sugar for dusting if desired

Instructions

For the Crumble Topping:

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Add the flour, sugar, lemon juice and zest. Mix with a fork to combine. Set aside.

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Invert the bottom of an 8" springform pan (to make it easier to slide the cake off the bottom) then lock on the sides of the pan. Lightly grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, lemon zest, and sugar. Beat for several minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Beat in the egg and vanilla bean paste just until blended.
In a measuring cup with a spout, combine the buttermilk with the lemon juice. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat on low until incorporated. Add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture and blend until smooth. Repeat adding 1/3 of the flour, then 1/3 of the buttermilk until both are incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the crumble topping (leaving some in large clumps) and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes if serving warm, or cool completely before removing the sides. Carefully slide the cake onto a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar before serving. For a simple lemon glaze mix together 1/2 cup powdered sugar with enough fresh lemon juice for a drizzling consistency. Drizzle on top of the cake just before serving. Optional: serve with Lemon Whipped Mascarpone Cream and fresh fruit. Recipe below

Recipe Notes

A few of our readers said the cake was somewhat dry on the outside and wet in the middle. If you're concerned, please bake in a 9x9-inch square pan and adjust the baking time as listed below.

This cake can be baked in a 9x9" square pan, or a round 8" or 9" cake pan. If using a 9" pan, be sure to adjust the baking time. Check after 30 minutes to ensure it doesn't over-bake.

Lemon Mascarpone Cream

Prep Time

5 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 8

Ingredients

4 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and lemon zest. Blend until smooth. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the whipping cream until it's incorporated and starting to thicken. Increase the speed to medium, then high, and beat until soft peaks form. This won't take long! Serve with the Lemon Crumble Breakfast Cake.

Here are a few more breakfast cake recipes you might enjoy:

Cranberry Almond Breakfast Cake
Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Raspberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake
Caramel Apple Breakfast Crumb Cake ~ from Chef in Training
Swedish Almond Cake ~ from Shugary Sweets

We adore lemon everything here at SRFD and are always excited to try a new recipes! One of our new favorite lemon treats is this Easy Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake. I bet you will love it too. If you’re looking for lemon cookie recipes, we have you covered there too. We are over the moon in love with these Lemon Coolers. They are no doubt the perfect lemon cookie. Don’t miss our Lemon Macarons and these super popular Lemon Meltaways.

Would you believe it was 75 degrees here on Tuesday? And then today they’re calling for snow. You know what they say … if you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes! All this warm weather has made me long for the outdoors. I could use a good hike in the woods, or a leisurely paddle in our dusty kayaks. I guess I’ll settle for walking the dogs for now – but spring is not too far away! Hope you have a lovely weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

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