Lemon Crumb Cake Recipe

An ultra tender cake is topped with a tangy and smooth lemon curd topping and a buttery crumb coating.

This Lemon Crumb Cake is more than an ordinary coffee cake. This cake is a dessert fit for royalty!

Every once in a while we need a dose of lemon to brighten everything up! Whether lemon is a flavoring in your food or a scent in your home, it has a way of making everything feel sunny, bright, and fresh; I love it! When I am in the mood to liven things up, I always reach for lemons!

This lemon crumb cake is a perfect dessert for when you want something tangy and sweet. It’s a great recipe for any time of the year too, from springtime to summer and even in winter (imagine serving this up for the holidays!)

What is A Crumb Cake?

A crumb cake is a cake that is topped with a crumbly, flour-based topping. Often, the flour is combined with granulated sugar, and cold butter is cut in until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles in size. The mixture will bake up as part of the cake and it will be crumbly and tender.

Ingredients

For the lemon curd

• Melted Butter
• Eggs
• Granulated Sugar
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon Zest

For the cake

• Softened Butter
• Lemon Zest
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Lemon Juice
• Greek Yogurt

For the crumb

• All-Purpose Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Cold Butter
• Salt

For the exact measurements needed, please see the recipe card below.

How To Make A Lemon Crumb Cake

This cake will start off by making lemon curd. Lemon curd is quite easy to make, it just takes time to set up. Some people make lemon curd in a saucepan, but I think I use a microwave. This takes the cooking time down to just minutes and the taste is just as good!

STEP ONE – Whisk together the sugar and the eggs. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Slowly whisk in the melted butter and place the bowl in the microwave. Heat the lemon mixture in 1-minute intervals or until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Refrigerate the lemon curd until it has set.

STEP TWO – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with non-stick spray and set it aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and lemon zest. Add sugar and continue to mix until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down your bowl as necessary. Stir in lemon juice.

STEP THREE – Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternatively with the yogurt. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Spread lemon curd over the batter.

STEP FOUR – To prepare the crumb, combine the flour, sugar, and butter cubes in a bowl. Break down the butter with two forks or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like small pebbles. Sprinkle over the cake and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden and set.

Recipe Tips

• Do NOT overmix. When combining your ingredients, take care not to overbeat the batter, you want to keep the cake light and fluffy.
• Incorporating the butter. I like to use a pastry cutter to blend the butter into the flour and sugar mixture. You only want to cut until the mixture resembles small pebbles. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, two forks will work. You can use your fingers, however, the warmth of your hands will change the temperature of the butter. You want to use COLD butter. Cold butter will help the crumbs stay together and keep the crumb mixture from spreading and melting.
• Pan size matters. Make sure to use an 8×8 square pan, not an 11×7 as that will overflow. You can use a 9×13 baking dish but the results will not be as fluffy.

Substitutions

• Lemon curd. Store-bought lemon curd can certainly be used in place of the homemade lemon curd
• Yogurt. You can replace the yogurt requested in this recipe with sour cream. while you can omit it entirely, you want to have either the yogurt or sour cream being used because it adds a lot of moisture back into the cake to get that fine texture and richness we want.
• Lemon juice. If you don’t have a fresh lemon to squeeze or don’t get much juice from the one that you have, you want about 2-3 tablespoons of juice for the cake. This is roughly what you would get out of a freshly squeezed lemon.

FAQs

How to Store Crumb Cake

Keep this cake stored at room temperature for up to 3 or 4 days. This cake tastes best when eaten within 24-48 hours.

What Is The Difference Between Crumb Cake and Coffee Cake?

Crumb cakes and coffee cakes are pretty similar. The biggest difference in these cakes is the amount of streusel topping used. Coffee cake has less streusel topping and a thicker. Crumb cake has a thicker and chunkier layer of streusel on top and a thinner cake layer.

Can I Freeze This Crumb Cake?

Yes, this cake is easy to freeze! When your cake has cooled completely, cover the cake in plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil to prevent the cake from drying. Place the cake in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow the cake to thaw to room temperature before serving.

If you loved this lemon recipe then you are going to love my Mini Lemon Hand Pies and my Birds Nest Lemon Bundt Cake. They’re two more dessert recipes that are perfect for the sunshine.

Want more lemon desserts? Try this Lemon Crumb Cake, The BEST Lemon Pie, Lemon Frosted Zucchini Cake, Lemon Strawberry Scones, Lemon Zucchini Cookies, or Lemon Sugar Donuts!

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Yield: 1 dozen

Mini Lemon Hand Pies

Print

Mini lemon hand pies are buttery and flaky pie dough, shaped into a single-sized portions and filled with homemade lemon curd!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the lemon curd:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon zested
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Also needed:

• 1 14.1 package refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crust
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/8 teaspoon vegetable oil

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine sugar and eggs. Whisk in lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir in melted butter. Microwave lemon mixture for 1-minute stir. Continue to heat lemon mixture in 1-minute intervals until mixture begins to thicken and easily coats the back of a spoon. Refrigerate to set.
2. Meanwhile, bring piecrust to room temperature. Unroll one pie crust on a floured surface. Using a 3â?? biscuit cutter cut crust into circles and place dough on a cookie tray. You should get about 10-12 circles. Repeat with remaining piecrust. Place trays of dough in the refrigerator to chill about for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 425. Prepare egg wash by lightly beating together the egg and the water. Remove dough from the refrigerator and place a spoonful of lemon curd onto the center of one tray of dough. Brush edges with egg wash and place circles from second tray over each lemon topped pie. Using a fork, crimp the edges to seal the pies. Generously brush the tops of each pie with remaining egg wash. Using a pairing knife, carefully cute 3 slits onto the tops of each pie. Bake pies for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely.
4. In a small bowl, melt chocolate and vegetable oil together. Drizzle white chocolate over pies. Let set completely before storing.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1 mini pie
Amount Per Serving Calories 240Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 85mgSodium 152mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 1gSugar 20gProtein 4g

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Yield: 12

Lemon Crumb Cake Recipe

Print

An ultra tender cake is topped with a tangy and smooth lemon curd topping and a buttery crumb coating.  This Lemon Crumb Cake is more than an ordinary coffee cake.  This cake is a dessert fit for a queen!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the lemon curd

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 lemon zested

For the cake

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

For the crumb

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Prepare the lemon curd: In a microwave safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and the eggs. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Slowly whisk in the melted butter and place the bowl in the microwave. Heat the lemon mixture in 1-minute intervals or until the mixture becomes thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Refrigerate the lemon curd until it has set.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with non-stick spray and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and lemon zest. Add sugar and continue to mix until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down your bowl as necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternatively with the yogurt. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Spread lemon curd over the batter.
4. To prepare the crumb, combine the flour, sugar and butter cubes in a bowl. Break down the butter with two forks or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like small pebbles. Sprinkle over the cake and bake for 45-50 minute or until golden and set.
5. Serve cake with powdered sugar.

Notes

Jarred lemon curd can be used in place of homemade.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 471Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 129mgSodium 284mgCarbohydrates 65gFiber 1gSugar 47gProtein 6g

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