Description
A delightful Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with a soft and fluffy texture, flavored with fresh lemons and a touch of poppy seeds, topped with a light and velvety lemon buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Units
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For the cake:
-
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with baking spray and set it aside.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Incorporate the eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each one is fully combined into the mixture before adding the next.
- Add the dry mixture: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the prepared flour mixture. Gently stir it in until just combined.
- Add the wet ingredients: Mix in the milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the poppy seeds: Lastly, stir in the poppy seeds until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Do not overmix.
- Bake the cake: Pour the prepared cake batter into the baking dish and bake for 35-42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A few crumbs on the toothpick are okay, but wet batter means it needs to bake longer.
- Cool the cake: Place the baked cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined. Mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the frosting until it becomes light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Frost and serve: Once the cake is completely cooled, frost it with the prepared lemon buttercream. Slice and serve.
Notes
- We recommend using fresh-squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor, but bottled lemon juice can be used in a pinch.
- If you prefer, you can skip the frosting and use a glaze or enjoy the cake plain.
- Adjust the lemon juice to suit your desired level of flavor.
- You can add more or fewer poppy seeds depending on your preference.
- Make sure the cake is fully cooled before applying the frosting to prevent it from melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 62mg
