Why you’ll love this lemon poppy seed cake
This lemon poppy seed cake is an easy riff on on my mini lemon bundt cakes. It’s simple, yet elegant and extra refreshing in the summer months. I also love that a bundt cake doesn’t really require any decorating skills.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this orange poppy seed cake, it’s a little different and uses dairy free yogurt to add extra tang and moisture. And, while you’re on a poppy seed kick, make a strawberry poppy seed salad for something a little lighter.
Searching for more lemon recipes? hot honey lemon pepper wings / lemon blueberry pancakes / strawberry lemonade cupcakes / lemon orzo salad / lemon curd cookies
Ingredients & substitutions
- Dairy free milk – Any unsweetened, dairy free milk will work in this recipe. I have used almond, oat and flax.
- Dairy free butter – We always use Earth Balance buttery sticks for baking. If you use a different brand, it make come out slightly different, but the recipe should still work. I don’t recommend using a vegan butter spread (like margarine) though, it will have a bit too much water content.
- Cornstarch – This adds a softness to the bake batter. It’s a component of cake flour, but I don’t like to stock both in my pantry.
- Sugar – Don’t cut the sugar in this recipe. It might seem like a lot, but it does more in baking that just sweeten the cake. It will affect the texture and crumb. Making changes to this could totally ruin the cake.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make this lemon poppy seed cake
Mise en place. Preheat your oven to 375˚F and spray your cake pan with cooking spray. Then, make sure you have all of your ingredients and measure them out before beginning the baking process.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, soda, salt and poppy seeds. Whisk until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Then, set the bowl aside.
Pro tip: measure the flour using a kitchen scale directly into the bowl for easy clean up.
Mix the wet ingredients. Add the milk, lemon juice and extract in a small bowl until combined. Set aside for later.
Make the batter. Cream the butter, lemon zest and sugar together with an electric mixer until it’s light and fluffy. You might need to scrape the sides as you do this. Then, add the eggs, one at a time and beat each into the batter.
Next, alternate adding the flour mixture and the liquid to the batter, and mix until each addition is incorporated before adding the next.
Bake the cake. When everything is evenly mixed, transfer the batter to your prepared bundt pan (respray if needed). Put the cake in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The edges should be nice and golden and the top should be fully set (not wobbly).
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool.
Make the glaze. While the cake cools, whisk the powdered sugar, lemon extract, milk and a pinch of salt together until smooth.
When the cake is cool to the touch, flip it onto a cooling rack and spoon the glaze on top of the cake. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving the cake.
Frequently asked questions
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, 370g
- 1/4 cup cornstarch, 30g
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, plain dairy free milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 cup dairy free butter, room temp
- 2 cups sugar, 400g
- Zest of 3 lemons, about 3 – 4 tablespoons
- 4 large eggs, room temp
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 – 3 tablespoons dairy free milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Small pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F and spray bundt pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, lemon juice and lemon extract. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest at a medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
- Add the dry flour mixture and milk mixture in about 3 increments, alternating between each.
- Transfer the batter to the cake pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cake has set.
- Remove from oven and let cool to the touch before flipping onto a cooling rack.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together glaze ingredients.
- When cake has cooled, spoon the glaze on top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My daughters made this for my birthday. GF/DF version. Phenomenal!