Indulge in the brightness of citrus with the best lemon poppy seed cake recipe. This cake is tender and bursting with zesty lemon flavor and a subtle poppy seed crunch. It’s the perfect dessert for springtime gatherings, or anytime you need a little sunshine on a plate.

Best lemon poppy seed cake ingredients

My tips for making the best lemon poppy seed cake

Use cake flour. Please don’t fall for the “homemade cake flour” trick! All purpose flour mixed with cornstarch will not give you the same results as cake flour. Store-bought cake flour in contrast to all purpose flour is much whiter in color, lighter in weight, and softer in texture. This is because cake flour is made from soft wheat only versus all purpose flour, which is made from a blend of hard and soft wheat. This leaves cake flour with both a lower protein content and gluten development resulting in a finer, lighter crumb than all purpose flour.
Infuse the sugar with lemon zest. Something special happens when you rub citrus zest into granulated sugar. It releases the natural oils of the lemon into the sugar. This helps the cake develop more flavor by giving it a deeper lemon flavor. Lemon juice alone only provides that sour punch we look for in a lemon cake, but lemon zest has the actual fragrance of the lemon. That’s also the difference between lemon juice and lemon extract. Lemon extract is made from the oil of the lemon, which is found in the zest.
Don’t open the oven while baking. Although you should never open your oven while baking, it’s imperative for this recipe. Since we are baking at a lower temperature of 325°, The cake needs the extra time to bake. And besides it won’t be done for at least an hour. The reason I like to bake this cake “low and slow” is because loaf pans are deep, which take longer to bake. If we bake it at, let’s say the typical 350°, this can cause a dark crust to form on the outside of the cake. This recipe has a perfectly golden brown crust that I don’t mind eating!
Use parchment paper. Whenever I bake loaf cakes, I always use parchment paper along with nonstick cooking spray. The combination is failproof and simply fantastic. It not only makes for easy removal of the cake, but it protects the crust from becoming too dark from the heat of the oven. FYI, make sure you’re using parchment paper, not wax paper. Parchment paper is heat resistance while wax paper is not.
Making the glaze! When measuring your powdered sugar for the glaze, use a food scale for accurate results. Glaze hardens quicker than frosting so be sure to make it only when you’re ready to use it. Of course if you must make it ahead of time, I recommend covering it tightly with plastic wrap so no air can get through. I also recommend using a fresh unopened bag of powdered sugar to make the glaze. Powdered sugar that has been open for a while tends to pick up other smells around it, making the cake glaze taste like soap lol.

FAQs

Can I swap the cake flour for all purpose flour?

I’ve been in this position before. I didn’t have any cake flour so I tried to use all purpose flour or make homemade cake flour- and as mentioned above, it simply isn’t the same. Because of the richness of my recipe, you will still end up with a soft, flavorful cake if you use all purpose flour, but the crumb will not be as light as it would be with cake flour.

Why isn’t there any butter in this recipe?

I absolutely love butter in almost every cake recipe, but this recipe doesn’t need it. The moisture in this cake loaf comes from the oil and sour cream. The oil ensures the cake will not come out dry, and the sour cream reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise and become fluffy.

Can I leave out the poppy seeds?

If you’ve never had poppy seeds they’re like tiny crunchy bits that have a slightly earthy flavor. However, if you don’t have any on hand or you simply don’t want them in your cake, you can absolutely omit them and make a lemon loaf cake instead. It will not affect the cake at all.

Do I have to use a loaf pan?

Nope! This recipe can also make two 7-inch round cakes. Just evenly divide the batter between the two pans and adjust the cooking time to 30-35 minutes.

How do I store this cake?

This lemon poppy seed cake can be cut into individual 1 inch slices then each slice can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or the cake can be left whole and covered with plastic wrap. After covering, place in an airtight container then pop it in the freezer. This cake will stay moist and flavorful for up to two months. To enjoy a slice from the freezer simply remove one from the container, unwrap it, then place it on a plate. Allow it to come to room temperature then enjoy!

Why you will love this recipe

This scratch made cake is not only decadent but also incredibly easy to make. It’s no secret that baking is a science-meaning baking requires chemical reactions between ingredients like the baking soda and lemon juice in this recipe, for example. This lemon poppy seed cake recipe is pretty much a one bowl recipe with minimal requirements, so anyone can make it. The ingredients do not have to be room temperature and using a stand mixer isn’t necessary. You don’t have to spend extra time, creaming together butter and sugar, and you don’t need any fancy kitchen equipment. Trying out new baking recipes can be intimidating but if you give this recipe a go, you will be happy you did!

Love to bake?

Check out some of my favorite baking recipes!

Easy honey butter cornbread

Better than Starbucks cheese danish

Easy Philadelphia strawberry cheesecake bars