This homemade Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is sweet, soft, packed with fresh lemon flavor, and has the right amount of poppy seeds. Made with the simplest dry and wet ingredients, just two bowls, and a whisk, this lemon cake is super easy to throw together. It’s sweet, easy, and delicious, with a moist yet fluffy texture that stays fresh for a few days.
Lemon zest and lemon juice are added to the cake batter, lightly perfuming the cake with lemon. After baking, the cake is doused with homemade lemon syrup and drizzled with lemon icing, ensuring a pop of intense lemon flavor in every bite. The flavors are perfectly balanced, not overwhelmingly sweet, allowing you to enjoy it any time of the day.
Serve this lemon cake on its own or with some fresh berries and whipped cream. If you’re a fan of lemon cakes, you’ve got to try this tender and amazing cake!
If you have too many fresh lemons, there are lots of tasty ways to use them! You can make my delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Cake or try Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Lemon Curd Linzer Cookies, or Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. They’re all easy to make and full of bright, lemony flavor.
INGREDIENTS FOR EASY LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find the printable recipe with exact measurements and directions. Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour- Spoon and level the flour when measuring.
- Lemon zest and juice- Use fresh lemons, lemon juice from concentrate just won’t be the same. Using both the zest and the lemon juice will give you the best lemon flavor.
- Greek yogurt- Adding yogurt to loaf cakes adds moisture and helps keep the cake soft for days.
- Milk- Whole milk is best.
- Poppy seeds- Adding extra flavour, crunch and bite.
- Baking powder- Help the cake rise in the oven.
- Salt- Balances out the sweetness in the batter.
- Eggs- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before mixing the batter.
- Olive oil- It makes cake more moist and add extra flavor.
- Powdered sugar- Is mixed with lemon juice to make lemon glaze for the cake.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and line it with a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom and extends past the sides of the pan. I like to clip the parchment paper with small bulldog clips while transferring the batter to the pan, but be sure to remove the clips before baking.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a whisk, mix together the Greek yogurt, eggs, olive oil, lemon juice, and milk. Add the lemon zest and poppy seeds, and mix until well combined.
- Gently combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. To test if your lemon poppy seed cake is done, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is finished baking!
- While the cake is baking, make the lemon syrup. In a medium saucepan, bring the lemon juice and white sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar; set the syrup aside.
- Remove the cake from the oven. While the cake is still in the pan, use a toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the hot cake. Slowly and carefully pour the hot lemon syrup over the cake, using all of it. Keep the cake in the pan and allow it to soak up all the syrup.
- Let the cake cool completely before decorating with the lemon glaze. Using the parchment paper handles, carefully lift the cake from the pan and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, whisk in a little more sifted powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice.
- Once the cake is fully cooled, spoon the lemon glaze over the top, allowing it to slightly fall over the edges. Let the glaze set for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
TIP FOR PERFECT LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE
- When baking with lemons, always zest them first, then juice them; it’s nearly impossible to do the other way around.
- Don’t overmix the batter! Over-mixing will result in a dense cake rather than a fluffy and moist cake.
- Make the icing to add some extra moisture and sweetness to the cake.
- Bake the cake as soon as the batter has been mixed and poured into the pan; don’t let it stand around. This can also cause the cake to flatten.
- Add the hot lemon syrup when the cake is still hot. It will absorb into the cake much better this way.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Greek yogurt—You can use full-fat sour cream.
Milk—Full-fat milk is best, but you can use low-fat or nondairy alternatives. I don’t recommend using fat-free milk, as it might affect the texture.
Poppy Seeds—Hemp seeds and chia seeds are great nutty substitutes for this cake if you need them. You can leave this ingredient out as well; the cake will still taste amazing!
F&Q
Why bake with room-temperature ingredients?
With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room-temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend easier, which will help to create light, tender baked goods.
How to check if baking powder is still good ?
Place 1/2 teaspoon of powder in a small bowl, and pour 1/4 cup of boiling water over it. It should bubble up immediately and very strongly; if it does, it’s still good; if it doesn’t, time to buy a new tin.
What is the difference between lemon juice and zest?
The zest is the oil of the lemon and is therefore filled with the pure lemon flavor. The juice holds the acidic, tart taste of the lemon. Just be sure to grate only the yellow part of the lemon and no white part. The white part will add only bitterness.
TOOLS
- Zester- A simple zester can get the right amount of zest, and not the bitter white pith.
- Lemon Juicer- An easy to use lemon juicer makes getting fresh lemon juice a breeze.
STORAGE TIPS
- TO STORE — Room Temperature: If you plan to eat it within a few days, store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature. It should stay fresh for about 2-3 days. Refrigeration: For longer storage, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap or foil and store it in the fridge. It should stay good for about 1 week.
- TO FREEZE — You can freeze this cake with or without icing. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature before serving. Do not thaw frozen cake in the microwave or oven, as it may dry out.
MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES
- Orange Bundt Cake
- Almond Sand Dollar Cookies
- Easy Strawberry Cake
- Carrot Walnut Cake
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Chocolate Loft Cake With Pears
KEEP IN TOUCH
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Happy Baking! -A
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE
Equipment
- Fine grater to grate the zest of lemon
- Whisk whisk alows you to blend ingredients together quickly and efficiently.
- Nonstick Pro-Release Loaf Pan
- Lemon juicer
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
- 1 1/2 cup Unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup whole fat Greek yogurt room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
- Zest of 2 lemons (zest finely grated)
- 1 tablespoons poppy seeds
Lemon Syrop
- 1/3 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/3 cup white sugar
Lemon Glaze
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line it with a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom and extends past the sides of the pan. You can use these parchment paper handles to pull the loaf out of the pan once it has cooled completely.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a whisk, mix together the Greek yogurt, eggs, olive oil, lemon juice, and milk. Add the lemon zest and poppy seeds, and mix until well combined.
- Using a silicone spatula, gently combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (remember, every oven is different, and baking times may vary slightly).
Lemon Syrup
- While your cake is baking, make lemon glaze. In a medium saucepan, bring lemon juice and white sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar; set aside. Remove cake from the oven. While cake is still in pan; take a toothpick and poke holes in top all over the hot cake. Pour the hot lemon glaze slowly and carefully over the cake; use all of the lemon glaze. Keep the cake in the baking pan and allow to soak up all glaze. Let cake cool completely before decorating with lemon glaze. Using the parchment paper handles, carefully lift the cake from the pan and set aside. When the cake is cooled, remove from the baking dish and make the lemon icing.
- While the cake is baking, make the lemon glaze. In a medium saucepan, bring the lemon juice and white sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar; set aside.Remove the cake from the oven. While the cake is still in the pan, use a toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the hot cake. Slowly and carefully pour the hot lemon glaze over the cake, using all of the glaze. Keep the cake in the pan and allow it to soak up the glaze.Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the pan by using the parchment paper handles to carefully lift it out and set it aside. Then, prepare the lemon icing.
Lemon Icing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. If the icing is too thin, whisk in a little more sifted powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice.Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, allowing it to slightly fall over the edges. Let the icing set for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.Slice and enjoy!