We've always loved lemon poppy seed muffins, so we thought why not make a cake with the same delicious flavor. Sit down and have a slice of lemon poppy seed cake!
Looking for more delectable cake recipes? Try our Lemon Blueberry Mug Cake and Lemon Pudding Cakes.
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Ingredients
Although this cake takes several ingredients for the cake, frosting, and decoration, most of them are pantry staples that you may already have at home. Let's talk about the key ingredients for this beautiful cake.
- Lemon Zest & Juice: This adds a punchy lemon flavor to the cakes and frosting.
- Poppy Seeds: These little black seeds add flavor and crunch to the cake.
- Buttermilk: This acidic liquid (along with the lemon juice) reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise.
- Cream Cheese: A mixture of butter and cream cheese in the frosting gives it a lovely flavor.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
You'll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, caster sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and poppy seeds.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, so the batter doesn't spit, then add the vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the lemon zest and poppy seeds, then mix in the sifted dry ingredients.
Pour in the buttermilk and lemon juice and stir until smooth and no lumps of flour remain. Be careful not to over mix, though!
4. Divide the batter among three 6-inch pans that have been buttered and lined with parchment paper. I also recommend using cake strips to get a higher rise, flat tops, and fluffier cakes.
5. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then flip them out and peel off the parchment paper. Let them cool completely on the wire racks, about 30 minutes.
6. For the buttercream, beat the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and blended. Sift in the icing sugar and add the lemon juice and beat with a hand mixer until really smooth and fluffy.
7. Sandwich the cakes with the lemon cream cheese buttercream.
8. Crumb coat the cake by spreading on a layer of icing, then scraping most of it off. Chill for 30 minutes to firm up the icing.
9. Ice with the remaining frosting, smoothing the sides with an angled spatula. Chill for 20 minutes, then smooth the sides again. Pipe rosettes of buttercream on top and decorate with small lemon slices.
10. Cut in slices and serve with tea for a lovely afternoon snack.
Recipe FAQs
It's optional to soak them, but some people find them easier to digest once they have soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
Although poppy seeds do contain very small amounts of morphine and codeine, eating a small amount of the seeds is not enough to be harmful. They are definitely safe to eat!
They add a delicious nutty flavor and crunch to baked goods and savory dishes, especially when they are toasted.
If you're making a traditional cake mix, anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons is ideal. For this lemon poppy seed cake, I added 2 tablespoons to the batter.
Serve
This lemon poppy seed cake tastes amazing with a cup of hot tea or coffee as an afternoon snack or post-dinner dessert. Here's some other great teatime recipes you can serve with this cake!
Store
Make Ahead: Yes, you can make it ahead of time; simply store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it until you're ready to serve it.
Freezing: Yes, you can freeze this cake. To freeze undecorated layers, let them cool completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Seal in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To freeze slices of the decorated cake, seal them in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Expert Tips
- Measure the solid ingredients with a kitchen scale. It's much more accurate than using measuring cups.
- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. This ensures a beautifully smooth batter.
- Sift the dry ingredients for a lighter texture.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once you add the flour, or the cakes will be tough.
- Bake the cakes with cake strips around the pans. The strips make the cakes have flat tops, fluffy interiors, and a higher rise.
- Don't overbake the cakes, or they will be dry.
- Chill the icing if it is melting.
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Recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup full fat buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
For the Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces full fat brick style cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
Preparing the Ingredients & Pans (30 minutes)
- It's always best to use a kitchen scale to measure solid ingredients. If you must use cups to measure the flour and sugar, spoon them into the cups and sweep off the excess with a flat knife. Do not pack the ingredients into the measuring cup.
- This is important! Let the buttermilk sit out for 30 minutes or until room temperature. Warm up the eggs by soaking them in hot tap water for 10 minutes. Soften the butter by cutting it in cubes and microwaving it in 5-second intervals, smashing the butter with a spoon between each interval.
- Lightly butter three 6-inch pans that are 2 inches deep. Line the bases of the pans with parchment paper.
- Cinch a strip around each pan, then remove them from the pans and soak them in cold water for at least 10 minutes.
- The oven should be preheated before you start baking, or you might forget about it.
Making the Batter (20 minutes + 20 minutes baking + 35 minutes cooling)
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream the softened butter and caster sugar with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and noticeably lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Fold in the lemon zest and poppy seeds with a flexible spatula, then gently mix in the sifted flour mixture. Carefully stir in the buttermilk and lemon juice and mix until well blended.
- Remove the strips from the cold water and gently squeeze them to remove the excess water. (The strips should be really wet, but not dripping. Don't wring them out.) Cinch the strips around each prepared pan.
- Equally divide the batter among the three pans, using the spatula to smooth the surface of the batter.
- Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then flip onto wire racks and peel off the parchment paper. Let the cakes cool completely on the racks, about 30 minutes.
Making the Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream (10 minutes)
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and base of the bowl with a flexible spatula.
- Sift the icing sugar into the bowl and add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. (Omit the vanilla for a stronger lemon flavor.) Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- If the icing is too thick, add additional lemon juice. If the icing is too thin, add more sifted icing sugar. The icing should be soft and spreadable, but still hold its shape when piped.
Decorating (40 minutes + 50 minutes chilling)
- Place one of the cooled layers bottom side up on a cardboard base and put the base on a turntable. Spread a liberal amount of icing on top of the cake, then repeat with the other two layers, ending with a layer of icing on top.
- Spread icing on the sides with an angled spatula, filling in gaps with additional icing. Scrape off most of the icing from the sides and top with the angled spatula or a bench scraper. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Spread a layer of icing over the sides and top of the chilled cake, smoothing it with the angled spatula and/or the bench scraper. Fill in any air pockets or gaps with additional icing and smooth it again. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Do any small touch ups to the icing and finish smoothing the icing with the angled spatula.
- Place the remaining buttercream in a piping bag fitted with an open star tip, such as the Wilton 1M or the Ateco 824. Pipe rosettes of buttercream around the top and sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired. Place a small lemon wedge on each rosette.
- Chill until ready to serve, then cut in slices with a smooth-bladed knife. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container to keep it moist.
Notes
- Measure the solid ingredients with a kitchen scale. It's much more accurate than using measuring cups.
- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. This ensures a beautifully smooth batter.
- Bake the layers with cake strips around the pans. The strips make the layers have flat tops, fluffy interiors, and a higher rise.
- Make your own base. Cut a circular piece of sturdy cardboard a little larger than the cake and cover it with aluminum foil.
- Don't have a turntable to use for the decorating? Use the turntable from your microwave instead. Place the plate and its base on a kitchen towel for stability.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
PJ
Hey there! I'm making a Lemon Poppy Seed wedding cake for my big brother, and this recipe looks delish! However, I'm hoping to make a 4 layer 9 inch cake for the wedding, not a six inch cake. Is there anyway I could convert this recipe into a 4 9 inch layer cake? And do you think it will be sturdy enough for decorating?
Thanks!!
Emma
Yes, this recipe definitely can be made into 9-inch layers instead. Make two separate batches of cake batter rather than doubling the batch, as you'll get a better result, and any extra batter can be made into cupcakes. Make sure not to fill the 9-inch pans more than 2/3 full with batter. This recipe makes a tasty cake that's fluffy but still quite robust; it doesn't fall apart when crumb coated, and holds up very well when chilled. Have fun!
PJ
Thanks! One more question. Can I replace the caster sugar with granulated sugar?
Emma
Yes, you can. The texture of the cake will be only slightly different. 🙂 Enjoy!
Beth
This cake is so springy and fun. I like the crunchy poppy seeds. A very nice cake for a spring party.
Emma
Lemon and poppy seed is always a crowd pleasing flavor combination!