Raspberry Coffee Cake with Lemon (Gluten Free Option)

Perfect for breakfast or dessert, this raspberry coffee cake with lemon is sweet, refreshing, and tangy. This recipe is perfect for entertaining, and one you’ll want to keep in your back pocket for holiday gatherings, bake sales, and an easy make-ahead breakfast, brunch, or snack to enjoy alongside a warm cup of coffee or tea. It utilizes creamy yogurt or sour cream for a moist texture and the perfect crumb, and can be made gluten free, if needed. This coffee cake gets topped with a yummy honey-sweetened lemon sour cream sauce, making it a healthful coffee cake recipe that is full of lemon and raspberry flavors.  

What is Coffee Cake? 

Traditional coffee cake (also known as kaffekuchen) is a single-layer cake that’s often infused with a sweet cinnamon swirl and finished with a crumbly streusel topping. It is believed to have originated in Germany. Today, there are many different varieties of coffee cakewith common additions such as raspberries, blueberries, almonds, pecans, and cream cheese.

Despite its name, coffee cake is not often made with coffee. Instead, it was created with the intent to be served as a breakfast cake alongside a cup of coffee or tea. No matter what flavors are used, coffee cakes are a fairly dense treat made with a sweet flavor and a moist crumb texture that has made it popular as a breakfast or brunch addition for years. 

Ingredients to Make Raspberry Coffee Cake 

Here are the ingredients to gather to make this delicious raspberry coffee cake with a lemon sour cream sauce topping:

• flour – depending on whether or not you’d like this raspberry coffee cake recipe to be gluten-free, you can use unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour. When it comes to gluten-free baking, we always reach for Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. We’ve tested this crumb cake with both flours with great results
• baking powder
• baking soda
• fine salt
• eggs
• plain yogurt or sour cream – the use of plain Greek yogurt, regular plain yogurt, or sour cream helps to create a moist, tender crumb. If you use yogurt, we recommend using Siggi’s plain whole milk yogurt because it’s made with minimal ingredients and contains much less sugar than other yogurt varieties. You may also use either yogurt or sour cream in the topping
• maple syrup – this sweetener replaces white sugar or brown sugar and even provides a subtle maple flavor; in the topping, use either maple syrup or honey
• lemon juice and lemon zest – you’ll need 1 large or 2 small lemons to make this recipe
• pure vanilla extract
• fresh raspberries
• sliced almonds

For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition information, listing kcals, protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol, fiber, sugar, sodium, total fat, and more per serving.

How to Make Raspberry Coffee Cake with Lemon 

With a prep time of 10 minutes and less than 30 minutes of baking time needed, this coffee cake is quick to prepare. All you need are two mixing bowls and a baking dish. Here’s how to make it:

1. Prep baking dish and preheat oven: Preheat the oven, and use unsalted butter or cooking spray to liberally grease your baking dish or springform pan, making sure to coat the edges.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the eggs, yogurt or sour cream, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the flour mixture, and whisk until smooth. If preferred, you can use an electric mixer to combine your cake batter instead of whisking by hand.
3. Bake the raspberry coffee cake: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan, and sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake until the top is light golden brown, set in the center, and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
4. Make the lemon sour cream sauce. Set the cake aside to cool, and combine the lemon sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve your cake with a dollop of sour cream sauce on top of each slice, and enjoy!
5. Serve cake with a dollop of Lemon Sour Cream Sauce on top of each slice.

Recipe Swaps & Substitutions

Make it Dairy-Free

To make this coffee cake recipe dairy-free, use a non-dairy yogurt or sour cream in the cake and topping.

Make It Nut-Free

For a nut-free coffee cake recipe, simply omit the sliced almonds. Or, replace them with chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or extra raspberries.

When to Serve this Raspberry Coffee Cake

One of our favorite things about this spring dessert is how versatile it is to serve. There’s never a bad time to indulge in a slice. However, it’s particularly great for:

• A make-ahead breakfast: give yourself something yummy to look forward to during busy weeks when you make this recipe in advance.
• Weekend brunch: wow your guests and improve any brunch with this beautiful baked good. Serve it right from the cake pan. Or, add individual slices to a charcuterie board, and don’t forget the sour cream sauce on top.
• Special occasions: whether you need something sweet for your Easter menu, are looking for a Mother’s Day dessert, something to bring to a baby shower, or just a gift for a friend. This raspberry coffee cake checks off all the boxes.

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The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.

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