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.
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.
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
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.
StoreStore leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.FreezeYou 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.