Description
Lemon crumble breakfast cake brings zesty sunshine to morning tables with its delicate crumb and tangy profile. Homemade comfort emerges through simple ingredients that you’ll savor slice by slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 252 g all-purpose flour
- 170 g granulated sugar
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 113 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 56 g unsalted butter (melted)
- 4 oz buttermilk (ensure it is well shaken before use)
- 2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately juice from 2 lemons)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Zest from 2 organic lemons
- Zest from 1 lemon (ensure no white pith is included)
- Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting purposes)
Instructions
- Infuse granulated sugar with lemon zest using a food processor until it turns a pale lemony shade.
- Melt butter, then blend with lemon-infused sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Mix completely and set aside.
- Process remaining sugar with additional lemon zest in the food processor until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare an 8″ springform pan by lightly greasing, flouring, and lining with parchment paper.
- Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
- Using a stand mixer, cream butter with processed sugars until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs individually, ensuring thorough incorporation after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Combine buttermilk and lemon juice in a separate container. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter in three stages, mixing on low speed. Stop mixing once ingredients are just incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Distribute crumble topping across the surface, focusing on creating varied-sized clusters.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick – it should emerge with moist crumbs but no raw batter.
- Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Optional: dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with lemon glaze made by mixing powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. Remove from pan and serve.
Notes
- Use fresh, high-quality lemons for the most vibrant citrus flavor and aromatic zest.
- Ensure butter and eggs are at room temperature to create a smoother, more uniform batter.
- Gently fold ingredients to maintain air bubbles, which help achieve a light, tender cake texture.
- Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent a dense, tough cake consistency.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Enhance moisture by not overbaking; a few moist crumbs on the toothpick indicate perfect doneness.
- Create a dairy-free alternative by using plant-based butter and non-dairy buttermilk substitute.
- Store cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain optimal freshness and softness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 291 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 134 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 56 mg