Indulge in a moist cream cheese coffee cake topped with a heavenly streusel made with the zesty essence of lemon and the rich nuttiness of almonds. This irresistible coffee cake is an ideal accompaniment to leisurely mornings or as a sweet ending to brunch. Made in a bundt pan for a beautiful presentation.
This cream cheese coffee cake recipe is absolutely heavenly. Moist, decadent cake surrounds a sweet and creamy layer of cream cheese. It’s topped with sugared sliced almonds flavored with lemon zest for the perfect mix of soft and crunchy.
If you don’t think it’s possible to improve on a coffee cake with peaches and streusel or a streusel coffee cake with as much streusel as cake, you’ll be surprised at how much the cream cheese layer and the light lemony almond streusel add to this scrumptious breakfast cake.
Even with the extra step of adding the cheesecake layer, it comes together quickly and you’ll find that it’s worth it. It tastes even better than it looks, making this an excellent choice for a brunch spread, great for serving guests, or simply enjoying by yourself with a cup of coffee for an afternoon treat. It has a completely different flavor profile from a traditional brown sugar streusel coffee cake.
Cheesecake layers are always a big hit whether swirled in cream cheese banana bread or as a layer mixed with strawberries in a strawberry cream cheese coffee cake. So it’s no surprise that adding a layer to this sourcream cake would make it so moist.
Easy Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe
Say goodbye to dry, crumbly cake. This coffee cake is incredibly moist from the inclusion of sour cream and the cream cheese filling. A lemony streusel gives it a light and fresh taste. Caramelized, lemony sliced almonds are nutty, sweet, and a little tart. They get toasty and crunchy in the oven for the perfect topping.
I didn’t think there was anyway to improve on the texture of this cake with the cheesecake like filling, but adding lemony almonds instead of a traditional brown sugar streusel may be my favorite part of this amazing coffee cake.
Why you’ll love this Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- The Texture: Crunchy almond topping, tender and moist cake, and a smooth cream cheese filling make this cake a wonderland of textures and flavors
- Great for Company: Easy to make for a crowd and perfect for sharing
- The Topping: The almond topping really makes this cake special and makes it feel fancy
- The Incredible Flavor: The lemon flavor is pronounced but not overpowering and is just plain tasty
Can I make this recipe with a streusel topping?
Part of what makes this recipe so enjoyable is the crunchy, nutty almond topping. If you can’t imagine a coffee cake without a streusel topping, I would recommend using the crumb topping from my rhubarb coffee cake recipe. It’s a brown butter crumble that has so much flavor and a beautiful buttery texture.
Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe Ingredients
- Sour Cream – Sour cream brings lots of moistness to the cake. Its fat and water content both give this cake its incredibly soft texture. If needed, you can substitute the sour cream with an equal quantity of Greek yogurt.
- Butter – Butter brings a richness to the coffee cake that you can’t get using oil. Creaming the butter also gives the cake lift and makes it perfectly light and airy.
- Cream Cheese – Filling this coffee cake with a cream cheese filling really brings it to the next level. Learn some tips for how to soften cream cheese quickly.
- Almonds – Sliced almonds are bound together in a crackly, caramelized coating of sugar to form the crunchy topping.
- Lemon juice and zest – The acidity of the lemon juice reacts with the baking soda to create a light, airy dessert. The zest provides a delicious lemon flavor in both the cake and the topping.
- Pantry Staples – flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, vanilla
Pro Tip: did you forget to set out the butter, learn how to soften butter quickly so you don’t have to wait to make this amazing coffee cake.
How to Make Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients.
In a bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly with each addition. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
Step 3: Mix the batter together.
Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture and beat to combine; then, add half of the sour cream. Alternate adding flour and sour cream, mixing thoroughly in between each addition until the batter is fully combined.
Step 4: Make the cream cheese layer.
Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat until light and fluffy. Add some of the cake batter to the cream cheese and mix thoroughly.
Step 5: Make the almond topping.
In a small bowl, combine sliced almonds with sugar and lemon zest and stir to coat.
Step 6: Assemble and bake the cake.
To assemble the cake, grease a bundt pan. Then, add in most of the cake batter. Spoon in the cream cheese mixture around the center of the pan, keeping it away from the edges. Pour the remaining batter over the top and use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the batter and the cream cheese.
Sprinkle the almond topping over the top and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Step 7: Cool the cake and serve.
Place the cake pan onto a wire rack and cool the cake in the pan for an hour. After an hour, carefully invert the cake onto a rimmed baking sheet. Then, place the wire rack over the top of the cake and invert once again so that the almond layer is facing up.
Cool for at least 90 minutes before slicing and serving with your favorite hot beverage.
How do you know when coffee cake is done?
You know your coffee cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch for the cake to just be golden on the top, and for the streusel topping to appear melting together, and getting slightly bubbly.
Tips for Making Perfect Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Make sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin making the cake. This will give the fluffiest cake with the best result.
- Don’t try to remove the cake before it has cooled for at least an hour. The cooling time is essential for making sure the cake doesn’t fall apart as you remove it from the pan.
How to Serve Cream Cheese Filled Coffee Cake
This coffee cake is beautifully served with the obvious: coffee! And, of course my favorite, tea.
This looks so elegant it would be perfect for a baby shower or Mother’s day brunch, but it’s too good to save for special occasions, so enjoy on a lazy weekend or take to your next breakfast meeting.
Storing Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese
You can store your coffee cake at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer. Here’s how:
At room temperature: At room temperature, this cake can be stored in an airtight container for a day or to but is better off refrigerated due to the cream cheese layer.
Should coffee cake be refrigerated?
Storing coffee cake in the fridge is not always necessary, but since it has a cream cheese filling it’s best to store in the refrigerator where it will stay fresh for about a week.
In the freezer: This cake can be kept for up to three months in an airtight container or bag. Thaw on the counter for at least two hours before serving. Try slicing it before freezing so that you can take out the number of slice you’ll need.
Help! My cake is stuck in the pan.
Bundt pans make beautiful cakes, but their many ridges and small areas can be hard to get a stuck cake out of. If your cake is not budging, try one of these tips to help remove it in one piece.
- Let it cool for a longer period of time.
- Fill your sink with about 3 inches of hot water and roll up a kitchen towel. Create a sort of “nest” in the sink with the towel and cover the cake with foil. Carefully place the cake into the towel nest and cover the sink with another clean towel. Wait about 15 minutes and the cake should slide right out of the pan.
- You can also try placing the cake into a 250° oven for about 5 minutes.
- Another method is to try cooling the cake instead of heating it. Place it in the freezer for 30 minutes and then run a flexible spatula around the pan into all of the crevices to loosen the cake from the pan.
Cheese Coffee Cake FAQs
What is another name for coffee cake?
In some regions, coffee cake might be called “crumb cake” or “cinnamon streusel cake.”
What makes a coffee cake a coffee cake?
Coffee cake is usually characterized by its crumbly texture and a sweet, often cinnamon-flavored streusel topping. It is called a coffee cake because it pairs nicely with a cup of coffee and is typically served for a mid morning or afternoon snack.
Does coffee cake use real coffee?
Coffee cake doesn’t actually contain any coffee! Coffee cake is named because this delicious treat is traditionally served with a cup of coffee. Coffee cake also has some similarities to crumb cake, but crumb cake usually has a higher ratio of topping to cake.
What makes a coffee cake dry?
A coffee cake can become dry for several reasons. It may have been overbaked, you could have used too little fat or liquid in the recipe, or you may have used a recipe that has a higher ratio of dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Plus, if the coffee cake is left uncovered or stored improperly, it can dry out very quickly. To prevent dryness, try to follow the recipe carefully, watch the cake carefully as it bakes, and store it properly so it stays moist.
How do I keep the cream cheese from oozing out?
To keep the cream cheese inside the cake, don’t put it too close to the edges when you spoon it into the cake pan. Keeping it centered ensures there is batter all around the cream cheese filling. Combining some of the cake batter with the cream cheese also helps to give it structure and keeps it from falling to the bottom of the cake.
More Breakfast Cake Recipes to Love
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
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Cream Cheese Coffee Cake with Lemon Streusel
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 ⅛ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ⅛ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup sugar plus 7 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice 2 lemons
- 4 eggs
- 5 teaspoons vanilla Divided
- 1 ¼ cups sour cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese
For the Topping:
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest 1 lemon
- ½ cup almonds sliced
Equipment
- Electric mixer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a bundt pain with cooking spray.
Cake:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add 4 teaspoons of vanilla and mix.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture followed by half of the sour cream and repeat ending with the flour. Mix at low speed until combined. Add all but 1 ½ cups of the batter to the prepared bundt pan.
Cream Cheese Layer:
- Add cream cheese to a clean bowl and beat with 5 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Add ¼ cup of the reserved batter to the cream cheese mixture and beat until combined.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture down the center of the batter, keeping it away from the edges. Spread the remaining batter over the cream cheese layer. Take a knife and swirl the batter with the cream cheese, keeping it away from the edges of the pan.
Topping:
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers. Stir in the almonds. Sprinkle over the cake and press lightly into the batter.
- Bake until a skewer comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove and firmly tap the pan on the counter. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour and carefully invert onto a rimmed baking sheet then immediately place a wire rack on top and invert it so that the topping is on the top. Let cool for 1 ½ hours.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Make sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin making the cake.
- Don’t try to remove the cake before it has cooled for at least an hour. The cooling time is essential for making sure the cake doesn’t fall apart as you remove it from the pan.
Nutrition
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