Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a sucker for anything containing lemon, be it sweet or savory. I’m an even bigger sucker for anything containing Meyer lemons. I love them so much that I have planted a Meyer lemon tree in every single residence I’ve lived in since moving to the Bay Area 22 years ago. And I’ve lived in quite a few.

Having just recently moved (again! and hopefully for the last time), I went out this past weekend and purchased our first planting for our garden: a gorgeous Meyer lemon tree. I also grabbed a couple of strawberry plants at the request of my daughter.

While dreaming of our crops to come, I figured I should bake something with these compatico ingredients. And since Easter is just a bunny hop, a jump, and a skip away...why not something that would be an awesome addition to Easter brunch! (Or really any brunchtime gathering, especially in the springtime.)

Put streusel on a cake and you’ll find the crowds will gather, mouths watering. To a tender, zest-laden vanilla cake, I added a healthy layer of lightly sweetened strawberries and a nice thick buttery streusel topping. (Streusel, for those who are uninitiated, is a crumbly topping made from sugar, flour, butter, and sometimes a bit of spice or some nuts, similar to what you find on top of a crumble.)

This coffeecake turned out so well that I had to force myself to stop eating it. It’s dangerous! But soooooo good.

Here are some ideas for switching it up:

• Use other berries like blueberries or blackberries
• Use regular (Eureka) lemon instead of Meyer lemon
• Swap out the lemon zest for orange zest
• Add about 1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans to the streusel

Recipe: Strawberry – Meyer Lemon Coffeecake

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Makes 1 coffeecake or 10 servings

Ingredients:

Streusel

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Strawberries

• 1 lb strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
• Finely grated zest of 2 to 3 lemons
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

Instructions:

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish then line it with parchment so that the parchment rises about 1 inch above the rim of the dish on both of the long edges. (You can also use cooking spray to grease the dish but when I baked it like this a tiny amount of the batter rose up and out of the dish, so you’re better off with the parchment lining.)
   2. To make the streusel, in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. In another bowl, stir together the melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. The mixture should be mixed but lumpy in texture. Set aside.

1. 1. To prepare the strawberries, toss together the strawberries, sugar, jam, lemon juice, and flour. Set aside.

1. 1. In a bowl, sift together the 2 cups flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
   2. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, and the lemon zest on medium-high speed until it all comes together, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream. Beat just until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and beat to make sure the ingredients are well-mixed. Do not overbeat.

1. 1. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the strawberry mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the outside of the batter (so that the berries don’t touch the sides of the pan and stick). Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter.

1. 1. Bake until golden and set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before serving.