Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

I think I may have a sugar addiction - before I even get out of bed in the morning - I'm craving sugar. My normal breakfast consists of a sunny side up egg on a piece of whole grain bread with a slice of avocado. It is super good and it gives me the energy and protein that I need to get through my morning workout.

Even with all of that though, my body still craves a little something sweet in the morning. I have to grab either a biscotti or a little something sweet to finish off my breakfast. (Pretty sure that having a dessert for breakfast isn't healthy but it gets me through my morning. Whatever it takes, right?)

Surely, I'm not the only sugar fanatic out there who craves sugar the moment that they get out of bed in the morning. (Please tell me I'm not alone.) If you happen to be one of those people who like a little breakfast dessert - like me - you may want to try this lemon cream cheese coffee cake. It's just the bit of sweetness that I crave in the morning.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Lemon Sugar- Almond Topping
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Cake
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter
1 cup + 7 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon + 4 teaspoons lemon zest
juice from 2 lemons
4 eggs
5 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups our cream
8 ounces cream cheese

For topping, stir together sugar and lemon zest.  Stir in almonds.

For the cake, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In mixer, combine butter, 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar and lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, 1 at a time.

Add 4 teaspoons vanilla and mix.



Add 1/3 of flour mixture followed by 1/2 of the sour cream and repeat.  End with remaining flour mixture.

 Reserve 1 1/4 cups batter.








Spoon remaining batter into greased tube pan.



Beat cream cheese, 5 Tablespoons sugar, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy.



Add 1/4 cup of the reserved batter.



Spoon cheese filling over batter in pan, keeping 1 inch from sides.  Gently swirl batter with a knife.

Spread remaining cup of batter over top.



Sprinkle lemon sugar topping over cake and press to adhere.



Bake until golden brown, 45-50 minutes at 350.

I think it might be easier to become a morning coffee drinker - then I could add a little sweet creamer to my coffee to get my morning sugar.  Nah, this coffee is way better than coffee creamer.

Ciao!