The Sunday Sip & Luscious Lemon Coffee Cake

Baking has always been a favorite hobby of mine, and I have truly come to enjoy the challenge of baking healthfully for our family by reducing or replacing sugar for healthier options and experimenting with different types of flour to make the product more wholesome.  However, certain times and occasions call for those crazy good recipes that you just shouldn't mess with.  Father's Day is definitely one of those occasions!

Yesterday, I made a surprise brunch for Steve and his dad (more on that here).  There were NO recipe makeovers here, and I wanted to include Steve's two favorite flavors: lemon and cinnamon. Here's what I served up:

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole

Crispy Bacon

Fresh Fruit Salad

Cinnnamon Bun Ebelskivers, 

(The world's easiest, yet oh-so-luscious) Lemon Coffee Cake

The Sunday Sip

Coffee

The lemon cake is really like having dessert for breakfast, because it's so sweet, so serve it with a cup of hot coffee or tea!  Finally, just for sipping, a twist on the traditional mimosa, made with ginger liqueur and citrus flavored sparkling water.  Since the cake and the cocktail are two of my favorite recipes that can make a brunch truly special, I thought I would share the recipes with you!

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Cake:
1 box lemon cake mix (with pudding in the mix)
1 package (3.4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Filling:
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 TBS lemon juice

Directions:
Combine topping ingredients and set aside.  In a bowl, combine cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, eggs and oil.  Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour 1/2 of the batter into a greased bundt pan (the batter will be very thick).  Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan.  Then, sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the batter.  Finally, top with remaining batter, again spreading evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until cake tests done.  Turn upside down onto a cake to cool.  Pour powdered sugar and lemon juice into a ziplock back and work until smooth.  Snip off a very small corner of the bag and pipe glaze onto the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.  Enjoy!

{View Printable Version Here}

Ingredients:
3 oz. fresh orange juice (not from concentrate)
1 oz. Canton ginger liqueur
Citrus sparkling water (La Croix), or club soda

Directions:
Measure orange juice and liqueur into a shaker filled with ice and shake well.  Strain into glass of ice and top with sparkling water.  Optional: Garnish with a lemon wheel or mint sprig.  Cheers!!

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