Meyer Lemon – Olive Oil Coffee Cake
Meyer Lemon – Olive Oil Coffee Cake
Spring is slowly creeping in… much more slowly than any of us would like. I was at a gardening seminar this week and was told that spring will be at least 3-4 weeks behind this year. This was very depressing news to say the least, as we are all chomping at the bit, coaxing and cajoling the flowers and plants into springtime action, after months of snow on the ground. Well, we will just all have to be very, very patient because even though the days are noticeably longer, the weather is still winter; cold, dreary, dark and rainy. What to do? Bake a lemon cake of course! But not just any lemon cake – a Meyer lemon cake! We all know that citrus has the ability to lift our spirits and bring us out of our blues, but in my opinion, Meyer lemons have a very special power – almost transcendent. Just to grate the peel from these orangey-yellow orbs, brings warmth and sunshine into the room. One burst of juice offers the optimism of a spring day.
I found a huge bag of Meyer lemons at Costco a few days ago and was so excited to bring them home, dreaming the whole way about all of the cheery dishes that I could create. I had seen this recipe in the Jan./Feb. 2017 issue of Bake From Scratch, and was excited to try making it. It was just what I needed – an injection of spring! The cake was moist and not too sweet with the gorgeous, bright flavours of Meyer lemons. I used the lemons to make a luxurious lemon curd (recipe here) which is layered into the cake. But then it was so good, that we ate it on top of the cake as well!
I will be sharing this sunny cake with my buddies at Fiesta Friday this week, as well as Saucy Saturdays @ Take Two Tapas. Please come and join the fun!
This cake is a shot of spring!
Meyer Lemon - Olive Oil Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
Streusel:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cake:
2 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
1½ teaspoons Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon juice
1¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ cup (or more) prepared lemon curd (commercial or homemade)
Confectioner’s sugar for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch round deep cake pan.
For the streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, lemon zest and juice and salt. Drizzle with melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Crumble with your fingers.
For the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and oil at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the melted butter and lemon zest and juice until combined.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until just combined. Stir in the sour cream. Pour ¾ of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread with the lemon curd and top with the remaining batter. Smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with the streusel.
Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with confectioner’s sugar if desired. Slice and top with a dollop of the lemon curd. You will believe that spring is just around the corner!
This sunny cake will lift your spirits and sustain you until spring arrives!
Foodie On Board 
40 Responses to “Meyer Lemon – Olive Oil Coffee Cake”
Such a happy cake, bright and beautiful. I love lemons and anything made with them, meyer lemons are the best.
Thanks so much, Suzanne! Yes, I have only recently started using Meyer lemons, and I am quite taken with them! Have a great week! 😀
Yes please! So gorgeous too!
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Hey Johanne! Thanks so much! 🙂
How fantastic; lemon desserts aren’t even usually my thing and I still could go for a slice of this 🙂
Haha, well I’m glad that I could convince you, Jess! 😀
Looks bright beautiful and delicious:)
Thanks Zeba! Kind of like soul food, right? 😉
I bet this cake tastes like heaven. I want to make it but don’t want to mess it up. I made some brownies the other day and they were delicious! Maybe I’ll try my skills with this cake for easter or something!
Oh, it would be perfect for Easter! Good luck! Its is very easy to make!
Thanks! Hopefully, I’ll have an income too!!!
I am so intrigued by this cake, looks gorgeous. I wonder how the olive oil plays out. Nice work (:
Well, I found that the olive oil does give it some flavour, but it blends so nicely with the lemony flavour. Glad that you like it!
You had me at lemon…glad to see you are using the good lemons! 💖
Ah yes! The bag was huge, so now I have to do a few more dishes with them! 😀
Love Olive oil cakes! We have a recipe also. Cannot wait to share. (:
Well, now I am really looking forward to that! 😀
Yes! Keep an eye out for it. 🙂
This cake is gorgeous! I love the deep yellow/gold color. I agree that lemons can really lift the spirits and we definitely need that right now! It’s snowing/sleeting here this afternoon! Until spring, bring on the citrus! 🙂
Oh, I hope the snow stops soon for you!! Definitely go for the citrus until the sun comes out! 😀
It’ll be so awesome if you can fax over these beautiful lemon cakes!
Haha! I wish I could fax you over a piece too! Maybe one day they will invent that! Until then, you have to make your own… 😀
what? I am sad now… LOL 😀
That looks so amazing and mouth watering 😀😁
So glad that you think so! 😀
Very elegant posting indeed. The cake looks delicious.
Thanks so much, Conor! I’m glad you think it is elegant! 😀
This looks amazing and I’d love to try it but I have celiac. Do you have any experience with alternative flours? Do you think I could make this with almond flour?
Well, I really have little experience with alternative flours, but I bet you can find a recipe with almond flour. I have made a few cakes with almond flour and they have a wonderful, rich texture. This would be amazing with this cake. Good luck to you.
What a beautiful cake! I love olive oil cakes and lemon is my favorite! Spring can’t get here soon enough for me!
Hey Julie! Thanks so much! Here’s hoping that spring is just around the corner! 🙂
Sunshine in a cake! This looks so delicious, Chef Julianna!
Thanks so much, Jhuls! Yes, I like to think of this as sunshine in a cake! Glad you think it is delicious. You have a great week! 😀
I have been craving lemon and it’s so perfect for this time of year. Bad news about a late spring…yuck.
I LOVE lemon! Especially Meyer lemons; how lucky for you to have found them at Costco! This cake looks like the perfect spring-time treat 🙂
I have spring on my mind too. Just made a lemon meringue pie to be symbolic of the season lol. Your meyer lemon cake looks so flavorful and beautiful. I must go to Costco and grab a bag!
Looks so good! Will definitely try it, thanks!
Your lemon cake with curd sounds wonderful for spring…I love all things citrusy.
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe, really have to try it out 😁
What a wonderful cake !! It looks delicious !! I would try it out !!