Bright and tangy, this easy lemon poppy seed cake is moist and light! Lemon zest gives it an extra burst of lemon flavor, with a hint of warmth from vanilla. Drizzle with our easy lemon glaze.
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate. ~ Jung
Why you will love this recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
This lemon poppy seed cake just makes me happy. I love everything about it. It’s light and moist, wonderfully tart, yet rounded out with a hint of warmth from vanilla. My kitchen feels so cheery when this is sitting on our counter; my husband even seems more cheery!
This is the easiest cake you’ll ever make. Whip it up in 15 minutes, let the oven do its magic, and when you pull it out, it will be golden and lovely, and you’ll feel especially proud. But wait until you taste it…heavenly! While it’s baking, make the lemon glaze– it only takes 2 minutes.
It’s the perfect cake to bring to a spring or summer gathering. Whether served for brunch, an afternoon snack, or light dessert, it’s the kind of cake that is effortlessly joyful and elegant—just the way I like it!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Ingredients
- Lemons: You’ll need fresh lemon juice and zest from 2 fresh lemons. Zest the lemons before juicing them.
- Poppy seeds: For a subtle nutty flavor and a delightful light crunch.
- Greek yogurt: Use whole milk yogurt, or substitute sour cream for an even moister cake. Or use vegan yogurt or coconut milk.
- Olive oil: We lighten it up with olive oil, but feel free to substitute with softened coconut oil, or softened butter.
- Eggs: To bind the cake together, give it loft, richness, and add moist texture. Vegans can substitute with a plant-based milk, about ¾ cup.
- Vanilla: Enhances sweetness and adds a warm, cozy taste.
- Cane sugar: For just the right amount of sweetness!
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to spoon and level it when measuring. I haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour, but I would suggest using a gluten-free flour blend.
- Baking powder and baking soda: To give the cake its fluffy, light texture.
Poppy Seed Cake Recipe Variations
To make this vegan, swap out the yogurt for vegan yogurt or coconut milk. Swap out the eggs for a rich plant-based milk, about ⅔-¾ cup.
To make this gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend. I like Arrow Mills organic gluten-free flour blend. Using straight almond flour may be too dense, so use it sparingly. For example, try 1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour blend plus ½ cup almond flour. I hesitate to make this gluten-free without the eggs, but up to you.
To make this in a bundt pan, double the recipe. Butter and flour the pan well! Let it cool before inverting.
Experiment with other citrus: grapefruit, lime, or orange!
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
1. Prep the cake pan. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour an 8 to 9-inch metal loaf pan with butter or an olive oil spray. Dust the pan with flour. I prefer the butter here.
2. Whisk wet ingredients. Add yogurt, olive oil, large eggs, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add granulated sugar and salt and whisk for 2 minutes.
Tip: You can make this in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you prefer. Mix on medium speed and scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go using a rubber spatula or offset spatula.
3. Add dry ingredients. Carefully measure the flour, stir in the baking soda and baking powder. Than add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl a third at a time, whisking away any lumps.
4. Add lemon and poppy seeds. Add the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and poppy seeds. Whisk until combined.
5. Bake. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, place on the middle rack, and bake 55 to 65 minutes. Check at the halfway point—if it is getting too dark, tent with foil.
The lemon poppy seed cake is done when puffed and golden. Do a toothpick test or check the internal temp (it should be 200°F in the center).
6. While it’s baking, make the lemon glaze.
7. Let it cool. Cool for at least 15 minutes. Slide a knife down around the edges to loosen before inverting the pan. Let it sit on a wire rack over parchment paper or on a sheet pan to catch the drippings.
8. Decorate. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the top and dust with powdered sugar.
Frosting for Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake
Lemon glaze is the perfect topping for this lemon poppy seed cake. Try our quick and easy lemon glaze recipe! Made with 3 ingredients (powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla), it will be ready in just a few minutes.
Alternatively, a cream cheese frosting would also be a nice option, or you could serve it with a little lemon curd.
How to Decorate a Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Make the lemon glaze! Place a cup of powdered sugar in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and ½ teaspoon vanilla and whisk. Add more lemon juice to thin. To thicken, add more powdered sugar.
TIP: If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can make it by blending 1 cup of sugar in your blender until it’s a fine powder- this will make roughly 2 cups of powdered sugar.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar, top with thin lemon slices and fresh mint or lemon thyme.
Add edible flowers. My garden doesn’t have any yet, but chamomile flowers would be beautiful here!
Chef’s Tips
- Use the lemon glaze; the cake is only moderately sweet.
- Zest first, juice second. It’s easier to zest whole lemons!
- For a one-bowl recipe. Sprinkle the baking powder and baking soda through a fine mesh strainer when adding the flour.
- Place it on the middle or lower rack and tent it with foil if needed.
- Use an internal thermometer. The cake should be 200°F in the center when done.
- Cool before inverting and glazing. The cake should be room temperature to prevent the glaze from melting off.
- For richer pound cake texture, use sour cream and softened unsalted butter, and reduce flour to 1 ½ cups.
How to Store Poppy Seed Lemon Cake
Store the poppy seed lemon cake at room temperature in a sealed container for up 4 days on the counter, or refrigerate for up to a week. This cake also freezes for up to 3 months.
FAQs
This step is optional, but can improve texture and digestibility. I personally don’t soak them.
On top of adding deliciously lemony flavor, lemon juice aids in leavening, improving the texture.
Yes! The amount used in baking cakes is considered minor and safe.
Poppy seeds have a subtly nutty flavor, and they add a nice bit of crunch.
Add lemon zest!
I hope this lemon poppy seed cake brightens your week! Take a peek at our carrot cake , or our tender blueberry coffee cake, or this sun-kissed olive oil cake —I’ve come to appreciate the way a simple ingredient like lemon zest can completely transform a bake. Let us know what you think in the comments below. For more lemon desserts, be sure to check out our lemon cookies!
More Cake Recipes You Might Like
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (with Lemon Glaze)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings
- Category: Desserts, Baked Goods
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Bright and tangy, this easy lemon poppy seed cake is moist and light! Lemon zest gives it an extra burst of lemon flavor, with a hint of warmth from vanilla. Drizzle with our easy lemon glaze. The cake is moderately sweet; the glaze enhances the flavor.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (use whole milk yogurt, or sub sour cream)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or softened coconut oil or softened butter)
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 fresh lemons (2 tablespoons lemon zest + 1/4 cup lemon juice)
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Drizzle with Lemon Glaze and sprinkle with powdered sugar- see notes!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Spray oil or brush butter to an 8 to 9-inch loaf pan, dust with flour, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add sugar and salt and whisk for 2 minutes.
- Measure out the flour and stir in the baking soda and baking powder. Add these dry ingredients a third at a time, to the wet mixture, whisking away any lumps.
- Add the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and poppy seeds, whisk again, until combined.
- Pour the batter into the greased and floured loaf pan, place on a lower rack, and bake 55-65 minutes, checking halfway through– if it is getting too dark, tent with foil.
- The lemon poppy seed cake is done when puffed, golden, and internal temp reaches 200°F in the center, or a toothpick comes out clean.
- While it’s baking, make the lemon glaze (see notes)
- Let cool 15 mins. Slide a knife down around the edges to loosen before inverting. Place it on a wire rack over parchment or a sheet pan to catch the drippings. Let it cool to room temperature before drizzling.
- Drizzle the lemon cake with the lemon glaze and dust with powdered sugar if you like!
Notes
- Lemon Glaze: To make the lemon glaze, place 1 cup powdered sugar in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon vanilla and whisk. Add more lemon juice to thin. To thicken, add more powdered sugar. If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can make it by blending 1 cup sugar in your blender until fine- this will make roughly 2 cups of powdered sugar.
- Feel free to use a stand mixer or an electric mixer if you prefer.
- To make this vegan, swap out the yogurt for vegan yogurt or coconut milk. Swap out the eggs for a rich plant-based milk, about ⅔-¾ cup.
- To make this gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend. I like Arrow Mills organic gluten-free flour blend. Using straight almond flour may be too dense, so use it sparingly. For example, try 1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour blend plus ½ cup almond flour. I hesitate to make this gluten-free without the eggs, but up to you.
- To make this in a bundt pan, double the recipe. Butter and flour the pan well! Let it cool before inverting.
- If using butter or coconut oil, beat it with sugar first, then add eggs, yogurt, vanilla and salt. Never add eggs to hot butter; they will scramble.
- For more of a denser “pound cake” texure, use sour cream and softened butter, reduce flour to 1 ½ cups, and baking powder to 1 ½ teaspoons.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1-inch
- Calories: 337
- Sugar: 22.8 g
- Sodium: 199 mg
- Fat: 16.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.1 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 7.1 g
- Cholesterol: 65.1 mg
