Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Skillet
Ok, guys, I’m really excited about this one! I’m finally back to blogging after a few months off for school, but I have a few special recipes planned for the next couple of days! This lemon cream cheese coffee cake skillet is baked in a cast iron so the edges get extra crispy and a little caramelized. Then, in between the layers is a pocket of gooey cream cheese. All topped off with a crunchy streusel. Every bite is layered with sweetness, a creamy surprise, and crunch. It’s easier than you think and a must-have for your next breakfast gathering!
I’ll let you in on a little secret, this recipe is actually from a few months back and I’ve been wanting to share it for so long but never got around to it! It also has a video!
inspiration
In my mind this recipe is pretty special because I had never heard of a coffee cake made in a skillet before, let alone stuffed with cream cheese. Through social media, I had been seeing a few good breakfast videos and coffee cakes and I knew I needed to test it out.
However, I thought to myself why not make it in a skillet? (At the time I couldn’t find my bundt pan so I was trying to find an alternative ;)) It might possibly be the best idea ever because it gets extra crispy on the edges and super yummy. #neverlookingback
Now for the stuffed part, I mean, why not just stuff it with some cream cheese goodness? This adds the perfect creamy elements and is the perfect pairing for the lemon coffee cake. Just looking at this coffee cake reminds me of spring, and I certainly could use some of that right about now with all this snow!
what you need
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Brown sugar
- Sugar
- Butter
- Lemon juice + zest
- Sour cream or yogurt
- Cream cheese
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
tools to have
This coffee cake skillet is pretty straight forward and there’s just a few tools that I like to have on hand for it.
- 9″ or 10″ cast iron skillet (I love my Lodge Cast Iron one!)
- A few bowls
- Hand mixer
- Spatula
recently…
Like I mentioned earlier, this is my first recipe in about 5 months! It’s crazy to think that because I used to be popping them out left and right but when you go to college, it certainly puts a stop on that. Needless to say, it’s been nice to get back to baking every now and then.
It’s been a long 6 weeks at home for break so I’ve made a few tasty things here and there, but mostly enjoying the company of friends and family, the holidays, and this terrible snowy cold weather.
the delicious details
Now, onto the easiest details of how to make this lemon cream cheese coffee cake skillet!
There are 3 parts to this coffee cake, but don’t worry, each step is super easy and comes together so nicely. First, the crumble. Simply, all you do is combine the crumble ingredients together like sugar, butter, flour…etc until it becomes clumpy. Set aside.
Next is the lemon cream cheese filling. Whisk together your cream cheese, sugar, flour, and lemon until smooth and creamy. Next, add in the egg and mix until just combined. There’s not much to mess up here– the most important tip is making sure your cream cheese is softened enough, otherwise it’ll be chunky.
Lastly, the coffee cake comes together similar to any other one. Whisk your dry ingredients together and set aside. Next, I like to mix my zest and sugar because it makes the citrus flavors stronger. Cream your zesty sugar with the butter and continue making your batter with eggs, lemon, and sour cream.
Spread half of the batter into the bottom of your greased skillet. Spread the cream cheese filling on top of that and top with the remaining batter and crumble.
Bake until just set through the middle and golden.
a few helpful tips:
This skillet really is one of the easiest breakfast or brunch goodies you could make, but just in case, here are some of my best tips for success.
- Make sure your ingredients are room temp! If not, the batter or the cream cheese filling will be chunky and not have the right consistency.
- Don’t under bake the skillet, but also don’t over bake it. Since we’re making it in a cast iron skillet pan, it will retain heat and cook a little faster, so be careful of the time.
- It’s ok if there is a little jiggle when you go to check it. The filling is similar to a cheesecake so that is totally normal!
Want more of my favorite lemon recipes? Check these out:
Did you make this recipe? I would love to hear about it on Instagram @tuesday.treats or in the comments below. I love seeing your creations!
Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Skillet
Course: Cakes and CupcakesCuisine: Breakfast, DessertDifficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes45
minutes2
hours25
minutesThis coffee cake skillet is ultimate brunch goals! The soft cake has slightly crispy edges, is stuffed with the creamiest cream cheese filling, and topped with the perfect crunchy crumble. It’s totally out of the box and worth the bake!
Ingredients
- Crunchy Crumble
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
Dash of salt
- Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 egg
1-2 tbsp flour
- Lemon Coffee Cake
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup butter, softened (One stick)
3 eggs, room temp *Notes
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
Directions
- Crunchy Crumble
- First start by making your crumble. Add all of the crumble ingredients to a small bowl and mush together with a fork or your fingers until it becomes clumpy. It should be somewhat wet but still crumble between your fingers. Set aside.
- Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, cream together your cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and flour until combined. You can use a whisk, fork, or mixer for this.
- Next, add in your egg and mix until just combined. It should be similar to a cheesecake consistency. Set aside.
- Lemon Coffee Cake
- Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Grease a 9″ or 10″ cast iron skillet with butter or non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Whisk together your dry ingredients including your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Now, in a small bowl, mix together your sugar and lemon zest. This will help the citrus flavor to be stronger and more yummy. Add the zesty sugar to a large bowl with the butter and cream together until light and fluffy. Next, add in your lemon juice and vanilla. Continue to mix.
- Add in your eggs one at a time mixing in between. Next, add in the sour cream and continue to mix.
- Lastly, add in your dry ingredients and fold them in with a spatula until just combined. We don’t want to over mix here!
- Add half of the batter to the cast iron and smooth to the edges with a spatula. Top the batter with the cream cheese filling leaving about a 1/2″ to 1″ border on the edge. Lastly, add the remaining batter on top and sprinkle the crumble on top of that. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is just set and outside is golden. (Since we’re baking it in a cast iron, it will cook a little faster so keep an eye on it.)
- Once baked, remove from the oven and let fully cool. Place it in the fridge for 45 minutes to an hour. This will help the cream cheese filling to set similar to cheesecake.
- Dust the top with powdered sugar and serve warm!
Recipe Video
@tuesdaytreatsco Obsessed with this song and my new lemon cream cheese coffee cake skillet #FastTwitchContest #fyp #bakingaesthetic #easyrecipe ♬ Flowers – Miley Cyrus https://www.tiktok.com/embed.jsNotes
- If you’re in a pinch and don’t have room temp eggs, here’s a little hack: Fill a large glass with slightly warm water. Plop your eggs in there and let them sit for a few minutes. Just make sure the water isn’t so hot it’ll cook the eggs.
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