Poppy Seed Cake
Posted Mar 24, 2021, Updated Mar 01, 2024
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This poppy seed cake is moist, and sweet and easy to make in one bowl! It’s an old, tried and tested recipe – and topped with a simple glaze – it is the best poppyseed cake ever.
Some recipes are special because of the memories they evoke – and such is the case for me and this Poppy Seed Cake. Not only is this the best poppyseed cake ever because it’s moist and flavorful with a delicious glaze, but one bite transports me back to my childhood.
When I was growing up a wonderful elderly woman named Bee lived in the house across the street. Her husband passed away, leaving her to live on her own until age 92. My dad often removed the snow from her driveway and sidewalks during the harsh Chicago winters. Bee always made this Poppy Seed Cake for us to thank my dad for taking care of her, and it was my favorite treat to receive.
She shared her recipe with me, and I have since made this poppyseed cake often. Not only is it incredibly delicious, but it’s easy to mix together in one bowl in 5 minutes. A great dessert to feed a crowd, give as a gift, or enjoy as part of a special brunch.
Poppy Seed Cake Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
I don’t recommend making many substitutions in this poppyseed cake recipe but we’ll discuss the ingredients below.
- All-purpose flour. Cake flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
- Fine sea salt. If using iodized salt, reduce the amount by half.
- Granulated sugar. regular white sugar or organic cane sugar are great choices in this poppy seed cake.
- Canola oil. I don’t recommend making substitutions for the canola oil. It keeps the cake moist.
- Evaporated milk. Another ingredient for which I do not recommend making substitutions. However, if you must, here is an article about the 5 best substitutes.
- Eggs. Use large eggs at room temperature for the best results.
- Poppy Seeds. No substitutes here – or else it’s not a poppy seed cake! 😉
- Vanilla extract. In both the cake and the glaze you can use almond extract in place of some or all of the vanilla extract if you want a slightly almond flavor.
- Whole milk. In the glaze you can use 2% milk, half and half or heavy cream in place of whole milk if necessary.
How to Make Poppy Seed Cake
As I stated above, this poppy seed cake recipe only takes 5 minutes to mix together in one bowl (or two depending on your preference).
Begin by combining the flour, sea salt and baking powder in a small bowl, set aside.
Then, whisk the sugar, canola oil, evaporated milk, vanilla and eggs together in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth.
Next, combine the wet and dry ingredients and whisk until smooth
Next, add the poppy seeds and whisk until they are evenly distributed throughout the cake batter.
Bake
Pour the poppy seed cake batter into a prepared angel food cake pan and bake it in a 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).
You can use a different cake pan like a bundt cake pan if you’d prefer! Just be sure to grease it very well.
Cool
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 cooling rack.
Make the Glaze
In a small bowl whisk together glaze ingredients.
Transfer the cooled poppy seed cake to a serving plate and then pour the glaze over the cake. Let the glazed cake sit at room temperature until the glaze is hardened (about 30-60 minutes).
Serve
Slice and serve the poppyseed cake at room temperature!
Store
Store any leftover poppyseed cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
You can also freeze individual slices, or the entire cake, for up to 2 months. Just be sure to wrap it well and store it in an airtight container or plastic bag.
FAQs about Poppy Seed Cake
Nope! Measure them straight from the jar and use to bake your favorite goodies.
Insert a cake tester into the middle of the cake and if it comes out with a few wet crumbs and the top is set, the cake is done.
This cake is perfect as it is. If you’re looking to make it lemon, try one of these recipes: lemon poppy seed cake or lemon poppy seed bread.
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Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 12 ounces evaporated milk (1 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tablespoons poppy seeds
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Very lightly grease an angel food cake pan, set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder, set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, canola oil, evaporated milk, vanilla and eggs until mixture is smooth.
- Add dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Add poppy seeds and stir until evenly distributed.
- 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 overbake).
- 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 Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.
Assemble & Serve
- Immediately pour it over the cooled cake.
- Let sit at room temperature until hardened (about 30-60 minutes).
- Serve at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour. Cake flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour, but that’s the only substitution I have tried and can recommend.
- Fine sea salt. If using iodized salt, reduce the amount by half.
- Granulated sugar. regular white sugar or organic cane sugar are great choices in this poppy seed cake.
- Canola oil. I don’t recommend making substitutions for the canola oil. It keeps the cake moist.
- Evaporated milk. Another ingredient for which I do not recommend making substitutions.
- Eggs. Use large eggs at room temperature for the best results.
- Poppy Seeds. No substitutes here – or else it’s not a poppy seed cake! 😉
- Vanilla extract. In both the cake and the glaze you can use almond extract in place of some or all of the vanilla extract if you want a slightly almond flavor.
- Whole milk. In the glaze you can use 2% milk, half and half or heavy cream in place of whole milk if necessary.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve never done this before but I actually left the sugar out of the cake. I was hoping that after I iced it, it would still be edible. However, I decided to try a piece without any icing but just a little salted butter instead. It was fabulous. It tasted exactly like cornbread. The crunch of the poppy seeds mimicked the texture of cornmeal. If you ate this with your eyes closed you’d have no idea this was poppy seed cake. I will make this the right way, but will also make it again without any sugar. What a happy accident.
Hubby approved. He said the taste and texture are very good.
Thank you, Tamara!
Tasty and moist!
My wife would have preferred a more lemony taste… a little zest maybe?!
This is not a Lemon Poppyseed Cake (there is no lemon in the recipe at all). It’s just a regular poppyseed cake. I have a recipe for lemon poppyseed cake coming this spring though.