This fluffy coffee cake with tart lemon curd filling is the perfect complement to your springtime brunch! Dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free

table spread of cut coffee cake in a baking pan with pink plates, lemons, yellow linen and text overlay

My Meyer lemon tree had another productive growing season and I’m still reaping the benefits, so I finally was able to properly develop this recipe I’ve had in mind since at least last year. I have a few other coffee cakes in my arsenal, but this one is quickly becoming my favorite.

Ramekins full of baking ingredients on a wooden cutting board

I’d be remiss if I didn’t address that there’s been a lot less blogging going on over here. And if you follow me over on instagram I did post about this shift in my professional life to mostly food styling and doing photography work, which has been really good for my mental health. I love the community here, but social media, as a whole has become… not my favorite place for creating.

Collage of process to make vegan lemon curd in a saucepan

So, I’ll continue developing recipes here because it’s something I truly love sharing with y’all and I still am incredibly passionate about food, specifically vegan food! But, it will just be a bit more sporadic compared to years past. Enough about that, let’s get to the deets of this recipe!

Hand adding sugar to a mixing bowl, and mixed batter

Substitutions & Tips:

Unbleached all-purpose flour – this brings a light crumb to the coffee cake, but if you’d like more whole grains, replace half of the flour quantity with whole wheat pastry flour.
Lemons – as I mentioned before, I used Meyer Lemons which are sweeter than traditional lemons. You are welcome to use regular yellow lemons, you may have to adjust sugar levels in the curd if you want it less tart.
Soft silken tofu – this is the protein that replaces egg in the curd, and fortunately does not clump when cooked!
Corn starch – this works with the tofu to help thicken the curd but also give it a smooth texture.
Lemon extract – though there’s lemon juice and zest in this recipe, the extract makes it a lil’ more punchy!
Turmeric – this is for adding color to the curd, but you don’t absolutely need to add it if you prefer not to, or just don’t have it on hand.
Non-dairy milk + vinegar – this combo creates vegan “buttermilk” that helps with the flavor and leavening of the coffee cake.
Ground flaxseeds – this is for the egg substitute in the cake base, you can also use chia seeds if you have those on hand.
Vegan butter – make sure it is chilled so that the crumb has more texture. You can also use vegetable shortening in its place, but make sure to add a little salt to compensate for what the butter would have added.

4-panel collage of steps to assemble vegan lemon curd coffee cake before baking

Other brunch-y recipes you’ll love!

Baked lemon curd coffee cake on a cooling rack

Yield: 12 servings

Best Vegan Lemon Curd Coffee Cake

Name: Best Vegan Lemon Curd Coffee Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Dairy-free
Ingredients: 1/4 cup (30 g) unbleached all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons (30 g) cane sugar; 2 tablespoons (28 g) cold vegan butter; Pinch of salt; 5 ounces (150 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk; 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) hot water; 1 tablespoon (7 g) ground flaxseed; 1 1/2 cups (200 g) unbleached all-purpose flour; 2/3 cup (145 g) cane sugar; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup (56 g) cold vegan butter; 2/3 cup (145 g) cane sugar; 1/2 cup (120 g) soft silken tofu; 3 ounces (90 ml) lemon juice + 2 teaspoons lemon zest; 1 tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract; Pinch of salt; Pinch of turmeric

This fluffy coffee cake with tart lemon curd filling is the perfect complement to your springtime brunch!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Vegan Lemon Curd

2/3 cup (145 g) cane sugar
1/2 cup (120 g) soft silken tofu
3 ounces (90 ml) lemon juice + 2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Pinch of salt
Pinch of turmeric

Coffee Cake Base

5 ounces (150 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (45 ml) hot water
1 tablespoon (7 g) ground flaxseed
1 1/2 cups (200 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (145 g) cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (56 g) cold vegan butter

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup (30 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (30 g) cane sugar
2 tablespoons (28 g) cold vegan butter
Pinch of salt

Instructions

For the lemon curd: Place sugar, tofu, lemon juice + zest, cornstarch, vanilla extract, lemon extract, salt, and turmeric in a blender and puree until very smooth. Transfer filling mixture to a sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Once simmering, lower heat to medium and while whisking frequently, simmer for 7 to 8 minutes or until mixture is almost a gravy consistency. Once thick, take off of heat and work on the coffee cake base.
For the cake base: preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4), and lightly grease an 8x8-inch (20x20-cm) baking dish with vegan butter or cooking oil spray.
In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine non-dairy milk, vinegar, and vanilla, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together hot water and ground flaxseed to make a vegan "egg", set that aside to gel further. In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Cut the vegan butter into to the flour mixture, using a pastry blender, or fork, until it becomes crumbly.
Add the flax "egg" and the milk mixture, whisking until combined, then add it to the flour mixture, stir together until there is no loose flour, but do not over mix the batter, it will still be slightly chunky. Spread roughly 2/3 of the batter into an even layer in the baking dish.
Carefully, pour the lemon curd filling on top of the dough, then spread it out evenly. Use a spoon to place the remaining 1/3 of the dough into 3 rows on top of the filling. Don't press too hard or it will disturb the lemon layer.
For the crumb topping: whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl, then cut the vegan butter into it until it is finely crumbled. Sprinkle this over the top of the cake rows. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is a light golden brown. Wait at least 30 minutes for it to cool, as it is best the closer it is to room temperature.

close up of piece of lemon curd coffee cake on a spatula, hovering above a baking dish

I do have a soup recipe I’ve been developing the off and on the last few months, but it’s not really soup season anymore? (I don’t abide by seasons for soup, tbh) But, would y’all be interested in it? Or would you rather I refine my sourdough discard hot dog bun recipe? Let me know in the comments!