Bake, Run, Live

I found a bag of Meyer lemons at the grocery store the other day, and I knew I needed them. It’s kind of funny how that happens

Meyer lemons are “a citrus fruit native to China thought to be a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange.” Source

I find that Meyer lemons are not as tart as regular lemons. They are delicious without making your mouth pucker! Ok, I just though of a horrible analogy (my apologies). Lemons are like a head-banging rock song, while Meyer lemons are like dancing to a slow song. (I told you I was sorry!)

Anyways! I made this coffee cake for a family get-together. I also made brownie bites, and marshmallows (vanilla bean and salted caramel (recipe to come!)), for S’mores. I wasn’t the only one to bring dessert…and there were only 21 of us. To say we had enough sweets is an understatement! Oh well, whenever I have an event or get-together, it’s always “go big, or go home”!!

Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake
Recipe lightly adapted from Martha Stewart

For the streusel:
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter

For the cake:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest (from 4 or 5 lemons)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Greek yogurt

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

To make the streusel:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Using a fork, cut in the butter until it resembles small pebbles. Set aside.

To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch angel food cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the lemon zest, then mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Turn the speed to low and add in the eggs and the vanilla. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Turn the mixer back on low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the Greek yogurt (start and end with flour).

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter. Bake in a preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife along all the edges and the bottom of the pan. Remove the outer ring and let cool completely. Note: if you want to move this from the pan, after it has cooled, use 2 spatulas to move it.

To serve:
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the Meyer lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Note: I used half of the glaze on the cake, then the other half I spooned onto plates before adding slices of the cake. Enjoy!

Made with love, not calories!