Lemon-Rosemary Coffee Cake

I've always been intrigued by the lemon/rosemary/olive oil cakes that seemed to be all over the food magazines recently, but I'll admit I've never tried one.  Ran across this similar recipe the other day and, since I had several Meyer lemons still on the tree we're overwintering in the garage, decided now was the time to try it.  It was quite good.  I'll confess I didn't have lemon curd on hand, so skipped that step.  It was wonderful without it...frankly I wonder if it wouldn't have made the final product TOO sweet, but you be the judge if you make the recipe in its original, unedited form.

Lemon-Rosemary Coffee Cake
 From Southern Living.

3 large lemons
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold butter, cubed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk or Greek yogurt
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 (10-oz.) jar lemon curd
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. I made mine in a well-sprayed cake pan and it worked fine.)

Grate zest from lemons to equal 1 tablespoon. Cut lemons in half; squeeze juice from lemons into a bowl to equal 5 tablespoons. Reserve zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in bowl of a food processor; pulse 3 to 4 times or until blended. Add butter; pulse 6 to 7 times or until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup flour mixture.

Transfer remaining flour mixture to bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Add baking powder and baking soda; beat at low speed until well blended. Add buttermilk, egg, and 1/4 cup lemon juice; beat at medium speed 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until batter is thoroughly blended, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Stir in rosemary. Spoon half of batter into prepared pan.

Whisk lemon curd in a small bowl about 1 minute or until loosened and smooth; carefully spread over batter in pan. Top with remaining half of batter.

Stir together reserved lemon zest, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and 1 cup flour mixture; sprinkle lemon zest mixture over batter in pan.

Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Gently run a sharp knife around edge of cake to loosen; remove sides of pan. Cool cake completely on wire rack (about 1 hour). Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.