Lemon Curd Crumb Cake

Revel in the tangy-sweet goodness of this simple lemon cake recipe made with lemon curd and streusel crumble. This easy single layer cake is bursting with bright lemon flavor, perfect for any occasion (like the upcoming weekend, babes).

There is nothing finer than starting the weekend off with a thick slice of cake for breakfast on Saturday morning.  It’s a signal to our senses that the next few days can be different.  Less structure, a slower pace, and for goodness sake more cake.

This is the weekend cake!  This is the cake we’ll leave on the kitchen counter and sneak slices off as we pass.  This is afternoon snacking cake and, if we do it right, we’ll share the last slice on Sunday night.

This is a simple cake with no cake layers to fuss with. Lemon desserts are my favorite so this easy vanilla cake is swirled with big spoonfuls of lemon curd which bakes up to extra jammy and concentrated.  If lemon curd doesn’t appeal to you, any preserves you have in the pantry would be delicious.

I hope this brings a sparkle of sweetness to your weekend, friends!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy lemon cake recipe:

•  all-purpose flour, or a gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum

•  unsalted butter

•  granulated sugar

•  large eggs

•  baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, ground coriander

•  vanilla extract

•  sour cream

•  store-bought lemon curd (though you’re welcome to make your own lemon curd with lemon zest and lemon juice.  Make a double batch – it’s delicious!)

•  rolled oats

•  powdered sugar

Let’s make our cake batter.

In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand beater cream together room temperature butter and granulated sugar.  Beat on medium speed until the butter is pale and aerated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and powder, and ground coriander.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed for 1 minute each to fluff the batter. Add the vanilla extract, too.

For the wet ingredients, it’s just a single important dairy: sour cream.  Sour cream will create the most delightfully tender crumb – it’s absolutely the magic ingredient.

BUT! In the absence of sour cream you can use whole milk yogurt or buttermilk.

Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed into a thick batter.

Let’s make an oat crumble for this cake! Oatmeal adds a little chew to the texture and makes the cake feel like a hearty, everyday cake.

Plus, the addition of oatmeal absolutely pushes this cake into the breakfast category.

Line the bottom of a greased 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper as well.  The cake batter will be thick. Spread half of that batter across the bottom of a pan.

Dollop with lemon curd and swirl it into the batter.

Top the first layer of lemon curd with oat crumble then spread the remaining cake batter across the cake, edge to edge.  Top with crumble and swirl with the remaining lemon curd.  It’s lovely, right?

Bake the cake in a 350 degrees F oven until puffed and golden around the edges.  Test the cake with a toothpick to make sure the centermost part of the cake is baked through.  She’s a thick lady.  If the toothpick comes out with moist batter alongside the lemon curd, she needs a bit more time in the oven.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 inutes before turning out onto a wire rack  to cool or a platter to serve.

Slice into big wedges.

This cake is lovely with a simple dusting of powdered sugar but a lemon glaze is also nice.  Lemon desserts are notoriously delicious with fresh berries and cream.  There’s no wrong answer here, especially if there’s hot coffee too.

Enjoy your weekend cake, friends!

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