Cream cheese coffee cake is tender and moist with a rich cream cheese filling and lemon and almond topping. It is just the right accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee. Some coffee cakes are overly sweet with lots of bells and whistles, which is sort of not the point. I think the perfect coffee cake is one that’s nicely balanced, and not too sweet.

Something that hits the spot when you’re feeling a little peckish. I love the simplicity of the flavors of this recipe, with a cream cheese layer reminiscent of those old fashioned tunnel cakes from the 70s and 80s. It’s a great breakfast cake, but equally at home on an Afternoon Tea tray or just a simple dessert, no need to save it for a special occasion.

This cream cream coffee cake differs from a classic coffee cake. A cinnamon streusel topping, is replaced by lemony slivered almonds.

Ingredients for this cream cheese coffee cake recipe

This moist and buttery cake has a hint of lemon, but don’t expect citrus jolt, the small amount of lemon juice gives this cake balance.

Cake:

unbleached all-purpose
flour baking powder
teaspoons baking soda
fine salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
white sugar
2 lemons
4 large eggs
vanilla extract
sour cream (full fat)
8 ounces cream cheese

Almond topping:

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup sliced almonds

How do you make cream cheese coffee cake

This recipe is adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, 2010. A tube pan is best for this recipe, as the center of the tube helps cook the denser batter. Read through the directions before beginning.

While it’s not a difficult recipe, but the lemon zest is used in both the topping and batter, the vanilla is divided between the filling and the cake. I’ve made notes below.

Making the topping for the coffee cake

Make the topping first. Zest the lemons and divide the zest. 1 1/2 teaspoons for the topping and 1 Tablespoon for the cake batter.
In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Set aside.

Making the cake batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10 inch tube pan.

Whisk the dry ingredients together; flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter, 1 cup and 2 Tablespoons sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Next, add 4 of the 5 teaspoons vanilla, mixing just until combined.

Reduce speed to low, and add 1/3 flour mixture and 1/2 sour cream, mixing until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Repeat with 1/3 flour mixture and 1/2 sour cream, mixing until blended. Add last 1/3 of flour mixture, scraping sides of the bowl and making sure all the flour is combined.

Remove 1/4 cup batter. Reserve for later.

Pour 1/2 cup batter into the prepared cake pan.

Without rinsing out bowl, beat cream cheese, remaining 5 Tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla on medium speed until smooth and blended.

Next, add the reserved 1/4 cup batter to the cream cheese mixture and blend until incorporated.

Spoon the cream cheese filling on top of the cake, keeping it towards the center of the batter and avoiding the edges or it can leak out.

Smooth cream cheese mixture.

Top with the remaining batter.

Use an offset spatula and swirl the top of the cake and cream cheese mixture.

Tap the whole pan on the counter a few times to eliminate any bubbles in the bater.
Sprinkle with lemon and almond topping, pressing into the top of the cake gently.

Bake in center of the oven at 350 degrees F. until top is golden brown and firm to the touch and skewer inserted into the edge (not the center where the filling is) comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool cake in pan for about 1 hour, then invert pan, remove cake and continue cooling on a wire rack top side up.

Once cake is cool, store well wrapped in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. This coffee cake actually tastes better the next day!

If you like simple cakes that go well with a cup of coffee or tea, try these.