Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Posted May 25, 2022, Updated Aug 12, 2023
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This lemon poppy seed cake is moist with a rich lemon flavor and the most delicious lemon glaze. This lemon and poppy seed cake is easy to make and is a bright and cheery dessert for any time of the year.
Lemon poppy seed cake is one of my all-time favorite desserts. This recipe is dense and moist with a beautiful crumb. It has a rich lemon flavor with hints of vanilla and is topped with an irresistible lemon glaze.
This lemon and poppy seed cake is easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients. I tend to think of it as a spring dessert, but it really is the perfect treat to enjoy all year long.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. I don’t recommend making substitutions for the flour. I suspect gluten-free all-purpose flour would work, but I have not tested it with this recipe.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter is an acceptable substitution.
- Granulated sugar. use regular white granulated sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
- Sour cream. I suggest using full-fat ingredients for the best texture and flavor, you can use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Whole milk. I suggest using whole milk or half and half. 2% milk is acceptable, but not preferred.
- Canola oil. you can replace the canola oil with an extra ¼ cup of melted butter, however it will change the texture of the cake slightly.
- Pure lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice or organic lemon juice found in most juice aisles.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
This lemon and poppy seed cake is easy to make. We’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Make the lemon Poppy Seed Cake
To begin, grease or butter and flour an angel food cake pan or Bundt cake pan, set it aside.
Then, in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set the dry ingredient mixture aside
Then, in the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes).
Next, add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy (60 seconds).
Then, add the sour cream, milk, canola oil and lemon juice and beat on low speed until combined.
Next, combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Lastly, fold in poppy seeds until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Pour mixture into prepared cake pan and bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is just barely set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few wet crumbs (the top will look wet, test the cake at 30 minutes to ensure you don’t over-bake).
Set the poppyseed cake in the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Gently run a knife around the edges and the inside (all parts touching the pan) to release.
Or, if you want a loaf, try this lemon poppy seed bread recipe.
After 30 minutes carefully remove the lemon poppy seed cake and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
Make the lemon glaze:
Once the cake is cooled, make the lemon glaze. If you prefer, you can serve it with lemon buttercream frosting instead!
Begin by combining lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl.
Then add the powdered sugar and stir or whisk until smooth.
Immediately pour the lemon glaze over the cooled cake. Then let it sit at room temperature until hardened (about 30-60 minutes). Or chill in the refrigerator.
Serve
Serve the lemon poppy seed cake at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Don’t forget to try our other favorite lemon desserts like lemon cookies (with a delicious lemon glaze), lemon pie, lemon poppy seed bread, and lemon bars!
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze
You can freeze individual slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Or you can wrap the entire cake (without glaze) in plastic wrap, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly airtight container or storage bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.
To serve, remove the cake from the freezer and let it thaw to room temperature. Then make the glaze and pour it over the cake.
Recipe FAQS
No, this recipe does not call for soaking the poppy seeds. They are added directly to the batter from the spice jar.
About 1 to two lemons makes ¼ cup lemon juice.
I suggest adhering to the expiration date on your spice jar. They can last up to 2 years when stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup poppy seeds
Lemon Glaze
- 2 TBS lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Poppy Seed Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an angel food cake pan or Bundt cake pan, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes).
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy (60 seconds).
- Add sour cream, milk, canola oil and lemon juice and stir until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Gently fold in poppy seeds until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour mixture into prepared angel food cake pan and bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes , or until the top is just barely set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few wet crumbs (it will look wet, test the cake at 30 minutes to ensure you don’t over-bake).
- Set the poppyseed cake in the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Gently run a knife around the edges and the inside (all parts touching the pan) to release.
- After 30 minutes carefully remove cake and let cool completely on the wire rack.
Make the lemon glaze:
- In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice and vanilla.
- Then add the powdered sugar and stir or whisk until smooth.
- Immediately pour it over the cooled cake.
- Let sit at room temperature until hardened (about 30-60 minutes).
- Serve at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. I don’t recommend making substitutions for the flour. I suspect gluten-free all-purpose flour would work, but I have not tested it with this recipe.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter is an acceptable substitution.
- Granulated sugar. use regular white granulated sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
- Sour cream. I suggest using full-fat ingredients for the best texture and flavor, you can use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Whole milk. I suggest using whole milk or half and half. 2% milk is acceptable, but not preferred.
- Canola oil. you can replace the canola oil with an extra ¼ cup of melted butter, however it will change the texture of the cake slightly.
- Pure lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice or organic lemon juice found in most juice aisles.
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Freeze
You can freeze individual slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Or you can wrap the entire cake (without glaze) in plastic wrap, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly airtight container or storage bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, remove the cake from the freezer and let it thaw to room temperature. Then make the glaze and pour it over the cake.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This cake is DELICIOUS and SO easy to make. I don’t consider myself a baker but it’s nice to make a dessert you know your family and friends will love. THIS IS IT! My daughter asked for this cake for her birthday she loved it so much. Comes out looking professional and tastes just as good as it looks; a “must” try! 💛