A sweet and decadent breakfast cake that could easily be mistaken for cheese cake!

Best Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

When I was still working my corporate job, I could only do the minimum when it came to taking pictures of my food. I was committed to not letting my hobby interrupt the limited time I had with my family, so I rushed and crammed a lot into a small window of time.

Even though I cared about the dishes or silverware that I used and the way my food looked, I couldn’t show it in my photography. And even though I preferred natural light, I was at work during the day so I had to use artificial light after my son went to bed.

There were days I was so desperate to see better pictures on the blog that I would take the food with me to work and take pictures of it on the patio on my lunch break!

Fast forward to today, and I feel soooooooooo much better about the pictures I am able to share with you! I have been blessed with the best job in the world and I now have time to spend on the details!

If I could only give one piece of advice to anyone struggling, I would say have faith and push through the hard! This Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake could easily pass as cheesecake. It is so creamy, lemony, and zesty sweet!

If you like lemon, then I think you’ll love Lemon Cheesecake Crumb Bars, Lemon Bars, Lemon Cake Mix Cookies, Lemon Sugar Cookie Cups, and Strawberry Lemonade, too!

What You’ll Need for the Crumble:

• 1/2 cup Butter, Cold & Cubed
• 3/4 cup Flour
• 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar

The Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 cup Sugar

The Coffee Cake:

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 2 tbsp Lemon Zest
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/3 cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

And the Glaze:

• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1-2 tbsp Milk

How to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9 pan with non-stick spray.
• In a food processor, make the crumble by pulsing together 1/2 cup cold cubed butter, 3/4 cup flour, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat together 8 oz softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.
• Make the coffee cake batter by whisking together 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp baking powder together in a small bowl.
• In a separate large bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 tbsp lemon zest, and 3/4 cup sugar until fluffy. Add in 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla and beat until well combined.
• In a small cup, whisk together 1/2 cup milk and 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and let sit.
• Add the dry ingredients into the coffee cake batter and mix until just combined. Then slowly pour in the milk and lemon juice mixture while beating the batter until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the pan.
• Spoon cream cheese mixture over the top of the batter, then spread out evenly. It doesn’t matter if the batter and cream cheese mixture combine slightly.
• Then sprinkle the crumble topping over the cream cheese mixture evenly.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• Make the glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tbsp milk. Drizzle over the coffee cake.

More Sweet Breakfast Recipes:

• Mini Cinnamon Roll Waffles
• Quick Cherry Coffee Cake
• Easy Monkey Bread
• Tik Tok Cinnamon Rolls
• Overnight French Toast Bake
• Apple Fritters
• 2-Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake
• Cinnamon Roll Peach Cobbler
• Rhubarb Breakfast Cake
• Donut S’mores
• Donut Strawberry Shortcake
• Crescent Roll Cheese Danish

Continue to Content

Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Print

Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, a sweet and decadent breakfast cake that could easily be mistaken for cheese cake!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Crumble

• 1/2 cup Butter, Cold & Cubed
• 3/4 cup Flour
• 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar

Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 cup Sugar

Coffee Cake

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 2 tbsp Lemon Zest
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/3 cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Glaze

• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1-2 tbsp Milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9 pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a food processor, make the crumble by pulsing together cold cubed butter, flour, and powdered sugar. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, make the cream cheese filling by beating together softened cream cheese and sugar. Set aside.
4. Make the coffee cake batter by whisking together flour, salt, and baking powder together in a small bowl.
5. In a separate large bowl, beat together softened butter, lemon zest, and sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
6. In a small cup, whisk together milk and freshly squeezed lemon juice and let sit.
7. Add the dry ingredietns into the coffee cake batter and mix until just combined. Then slowly pour in the milk and lemon juice mixture while beating the batter until just combined.
8. Pour the batter into the pan.
9. Spoon cream cheese mixture over the top of the batter, then spread out evenly. It doesn't matter if the batter and cream cheese mixture combine slightly.
10. Then sprinkle the crumble topping over the cream cheese mixture evenly.
11. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
12. Remove from oven and let cool.
13. Make the glaze by whisking together powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over coffee cake.