Spring is finally here, which means I’m in the mood for brunch! One of my favorite things to serve when I host brunch is coffee cake. It’s buttery, delicious and always a hit. We’re lucky enough to have Diamond® Culinary Ambassador Tiffany, the blogger behind Crème De La Crumb, here to share her recipe for almond-topped lemon coffee cake!

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I really wish that brunch was a standard in the three-meals-a-day lineup. In my perfect world it would go brunch, lunch, and then dinner. Because I really am not a big early morning eater, never have been. But when 10 o’clock rolls around I’m in the mood for something tasty and usually sweet, which is why a brunch coffeecake has my name alllll over it!

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This lemon and almond coffee cake is out of this world delicious with a buttery almond streusel that gets layered through the middle as well as on top of the cake. If that’s not enough yum for you, it’s topped off with an almond icing and sliced almonds! It’s really the perfect dish for any brunch you might be planning – like Easter or Mother’s Day (hint hint!)

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Here’s the ingredient list:

For the cake:

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the streusel:

  • 1 cup flour
  • ⅔ sugar
  • ¼ cup finely chopped almonds
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted

For the icing:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 2-3 tablespoons Diamond of California® Sliced Almonds

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Here’s how to make it:

1)First make the streusel by stirring together the flour, sugar, almonds, lemon zest, and melted butter until the mixture comes together. Set aside.

2) Next, make the cake batter. In a large bowl mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, almond extract, and Greek yogurt and mix well. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until flour mixture is incorporated.

3) Transfer half of the cake batter to a greased 9×5 inch bread pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Spread the rest of the batter on top of the streusel layer, and then top with remaining streusel.

4) Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (a few loose crumbs are okay but no wet batter).

5) Whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk for the icing. Drizzle over coffeecake and sprinkle with shaved almonds. Serve warm.

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