Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

 Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Lemon and cream cheese.  What can I say other than the two together are the perfect match.  Especially in a coffee cake...what a wonderful way to start your day. 

Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

For the Cream Cheese filling

8 oz. of cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Cake

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 egg

1/2 cup. buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the crumb topping

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the drizzle

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan, or 9 x 9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs and lemon juice. Mix until well blended. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly and looks like coarse sand. 

In another bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, lemon zest and juice. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir the mixture just until combined and a little lumpy. Spread half the cake mixture on the bottom of the sprayed pan. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly on top. Add the remaining cake batter on top and spread evenly with a spatula. 

Next make the topping by placing the flour, sugar, butter, lemon zest

and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Using a fork, work the butter into the ingredients until crumbs are formed. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the cake.

Bake cake for 40-45 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Halfway through, you may want to cover it with foil so the crumb topping does not burn. 

Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes or so and then make the drizzle by placing powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and mixing it up with a spoon. Drizzle over the top and serve.

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