Lemon Curd Crumb Cake

Updated: Apr 17, 2026 by christina.marsigliese · 99 Comments

This luscious Lemon Curd Crumb Cake is a soft and tender lemon butter cake with homemade lemon curd swirled through and topped with a buttery lemon crumb topping. Some of the lemon curd bakes into the cake making it moist, and some of it stays as a distinct swirl and when you get a bite of thick lemon curd, it is heaven! Consider this your perfect brunch cake that suits any weekday and it's super easy to make. If you love this idea, then try my popular Strawberry Crumb Cake, Lemon Blueberry Crumb Cake and Brown Butter Peach Crumb Cake.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE:

Soft and tender lemon butter cake - this simple melt-and-mix recipe makes the softest, most tender lemon butter cake.
Homemade lemon curd swirl - a thick swirl of homemade lemon curd goes right through the batter and some of it bakes right into the cake to make it nice and moist. When you get a bite where the swirl is deep, it has a silky smooth mouthfeel and it's pure heaven for lemon lovers!
Buttery crumb topping - you just need 4 ingredients to make a delicious crumble topping. Mix together flour, sugar, butter and lemon zest and sprinkle it over the cake.
Big lemon flavor - there's lots of lemon flavor coming from the lemon curd of course, and then there's lots of lemon zest in the cake batter and the crumb topping.
Easy to make - you won't believe how easy it is to make! Although there are three components (the cake, lemon curd and crumble), it comes together in no time without even pulling out your mixer. You can make this all by hand, and you can use store-bought lemon curd if you want.

INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for tender butter cake. I would avoid cake flour which absorbs more moisture and could actually make this cake a bit dry without altering the other ingredients.
Salted butter - this recipe uses pure butter. It is so buttery and delicious even with only 6 tablespoons in the cake batter! It's surprisingly light compared to most crumb cakes and you won't even know it. You'll need butter for the cake batter and the crumb topping.
Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps this cake soft and doesn't interfere with the pureness of the butter cake and lemon flavor.
Brown sugar - a bit of brown sugar gives the crumb topping a bit of a caramel-like richness.

Eggs - two large eggs will add nice structure for the butter cake.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to make this delicious butter cake. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Sour cream - use full fat sour cream to balance the sweetness and add more richness to this recipe. If you don't have sour cream where you live, read down below in my FAQ section for my substitution recommendations.
Lemon curd - I use my easy one pot lemon curd recipe that really is as delicious as it is easy to make! It's thick and rich in lemon flavor and you can make it up to a week in advance.
Milk - any type of milk will do. I prefer whole milk for baking. It should be at room temperature so measure it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Make the crumb topping. Combine the flour, sugars and melted butter in a medium bowl and blend well so it forms clumps. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside.
STEP 2). Make the cake batter - mix butter with sugar. Melt the butter and then let it cool slightly. Mix the melted butter with sugar and vanilla using a whisk until it looks creamy, pale and fluffy.
STEP 3). Add eggs. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until the batter looks smooth and custardy. Mix in sour cream.
STEP 4). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder salt into a separate bowl and whisk it to blend evenly.

STEP 5). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and fold gently to combine the ingredients until they are mostly combined.
STEP 6). Add milk. Pour in the milk and fold it in gently until the batter is homogeneous. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
STEP 7). Swirl in the lemon curd. Take spoonfuls of chilled lemon curd and dollop them randomly over the batter. Swirl it in with a knife.
STEP 8). Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the crumb topping is golden. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR LEMON CRUMB CAKE

Use room temperature ingredients. Since this is a simple melt-and-mix method, it is important to have all ingredients at the same temperature (not cold!) in order to help them blend evenly together. Make sure the milk is at room temperature since you need to mix it in at the end.
Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the batter. It will give you the best results for a finer texture crumb as well since the sieve will break up all the flour particles.
Do not over-mix the batter. It's ok if there are a few streaks of flour remaining when you fold in the dry ingredients since the last step is to fold in the milk which will continue to incorporate all of the ingredients.
Use salted butter for the crumb topping. Salted butter will add extra richness to the topping and it means you don't need to add salt. If you use unsalted butter, it's no problem - just add a pinch of salt.
Cover all the lemon curd with the crumbs. When adding the crumbs over the cake batter at the end, be sure to cover the lemon curd swirl because it will protect from drying out and burning. This way you will be left with pockets of creamy lemon curd in each bite.

RECIPE FAQ

What is the difference between crumb cake and coffee cake?

They are in fact very similar! Coffee cake is often made with sour cream and is a denser cake. This crumb cake has a combination of sour cream and milk for a lighter, softer texture. Coffee cakes are also topped with a streusel topping which is a finer crumb than the larger clumps on crumb cakes.

What makes crumb cake soft?

This cake is soft thanks to the proportion of eggs to flour. It's just the right balance to make a sturdy yet soft and tender cake.

Why is my cake not fluffy?

If your cake turns out way too dense with a gummy layer, then it could be that you added too much flour (make sure to weight it or spoon it into the measuring cup gently without packing it down), or that it is under-baked. Also, check the shelf life of your baking powder - it could be expired.

What causes cake to be dry and dense?

Too much flour and not enough sugar is the main reason why cake can turn out dry and dense. It is important to have the right proportions of liquid to dry ingredients for successful baking.

What can I use as a substitute for sour cream?

If you can't find sour cream where you live, you can also make this cake with full fat Greek yogurt or crème fraiche.

Can I use store-bought lemon curd?

You can use any type of lemon curd for this recipe but it is important to understand that they vary in quality. I highly recommend my one pot lemon curd recipe for this which is thick and creamy and it is SO easy to make. A lot of shelf-stable lemon curd sold in jars in the supermarket contain a lot of corn starch to thicken them instead of eggs and butter.

Can I make this in a round cake pan?

Yes, you can make this in a 9-inch round cake pan and the baking time will be about the same.

STORAGE AND FREEZING

How to store lemon curd crumb cake?

This cake will keep well in an airtight container for 1 day at room temperature, and then keep it refrigerated for up to 5 days. To serve, pull it from the fridge about 20 minutes in advance.

How to serve lemon curd crumb cake?

This cake is so delicious that I serve it with nothing else! It is best served warm, yet still absolutely delicious at room temperature. If you want to jazz it up, I'd suggest some lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream with some fresh sliced strawberries on top.

Can I make this lemon curd crumb cake in advance?

Yes, you can make this cake the day before you plan to serve it and keep it covered overnight after it cools. Since the lemon curd has a lot of moisture, I would recommend keeping this cake refrigerated.

Looking for more recipes with lemon? Try these:

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