This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is moist and tender, busting with fresh lemon flavour. Topped with a simple lemon glaze.
Table of contents
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Recipe
We’re lovers of all things lemon and this Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is the perfect lemon dessert! It’s a gorgeous tender and moist cake that’s very easy to make (even for beginners!) and it holds its shape beautifully. Add a simple lemon glaze and you’ll be in lemon heaven!
More lemon recipes!
We’ve shared SO many of our favourite lemon recipes with you before, like this Easy No Bake Lemon Tart, this Easy No Bake Lemon Cheesecake, this Easy Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner, and this Easy No Churn Lemon Ice Cream.
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Kitchen items you’ll need to make this poppy seed lemon cake
One of my favourite kitchen items for making cakes like this is my KitchenAid Stand Mixer (affiliate link). It’s a kitchen investment, that’s for sure, but they last a lifetime (almost!) and if you bake at home often it’s worth the investment.
You’ll also need these items to make this lemon poppy seed cake recipe (affiliate links):
- mixing bowls
- an electric hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer
- a whisk
- a silicone spatula
- a bundt pan
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Ingredients
To make this lemon poppyseed cake you will need:
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- milk
- vanilla extract
- lemon juice and zest
- baking powder
- salt
- flour
- whole poppy seeds
- powdered sugar
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Time needed: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Follow these steps for the BEST lemon poppyseed cake!
- Grease and flour your bundt pan.
Nobody wants a cake that sticks to the pan! Grease with butter and flour it well.
- Blend the eggs, sugar and oil.
Use the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, or mix on high speed with your hand mixer, until pale in colour (several minutes)
- Whisk together the wet ingredients.
Measure the milk and vanilla together and add the lemon juice.
- Add the lemon zest to the dry ingredients, in a separate bowl.
This will help the lemon zest be distributed evenly throughout the cake batter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.
Pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and start mixing on low.
- Add the milk mixture.
Pour the milk mixture in a steady stream as all three mixtures combine.
- Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
Make sure everything is incorporated, and don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake for about 60 minutes.
- Cool before adding the glaze.
Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice and glaze the cake once it has cooled completely.
Can I make this cake without the poppy seeds?
Yes, absolutely. Simply leave them out.
Can this cake be stored at room temperature?
Yes. Be sure to store it in an airtight container.
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
This cake is best enjoyed the day or the day after it’s made, but it will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze this lemon poppyseed cake?
Yes! We recommend freezing it without the glaze, thawing it completely at room temperature, and then glazing it before serving so the glaze appears fresh.
Can I use bottled lemon juice in this recipe?
Yes, although we recommend using fresh lemons in this recipe for added flavour. Adding the lemon zest gives this cake TONS of lemon flavour, so don’t skip the zest!
We hope you love this cake recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite cake to make in the spring? We’d love to know!
Looking for more recipes like this one? You’ll LOVE these:
Watch the video below to see exactly how we make this recipe. You can find many more deliciously simple recipe videos on our YouTube channel!
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Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- juice of one lemon
- zest of 3 lemons reserve one teaspoon of lemon zest for topping
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons whole poppy seeds
For the glaze:
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
Recipe: Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour a 9-inch bundt pan.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add the eggs, sugar and oil. Mix on medium speed until well mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on medium high speed for a few minutes until pale in colour. Add the lemon zest and juice and vanilla and mix.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds to the bowl with the egg mixture.
- With the mixer running, add the milk in a steady stream as the flour mixture and the egg mixture combine. After all the milk is added, mix well just until combined (about 30 seconds on medium speed), scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth out the top. Bake for about 60-65 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before inverting the pan (place an upside down cooling rack on top of the pan before flipping it over) to cool completely.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients (you may have to add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency) and drizzle the glaze over the cake when it's completely cooled.
- Sprinkle the reserved lemon zest over the top of the cake as well as a few extra poppy seeds (if desired).
- Slice and serve.
Recipe: Notes
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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Can you make cupcakes instead of the bundt cake?