Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Published 3/24/2023
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Lemon poppy seed cake is what’s for dessert! This fluffy, lemon poppy seed cake is frosted with an airy whipped cream lemon frosting and candied lemon slices.
Fluffy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
You haven’t lived until you’ve tried this lemon poppy seed cake! There’s something about the flavor of lemon in a cake that creates a bright and delightful party in your mouth, and the lemon whipped cream frosting is just icing on the cake.
Lemon cake pairs amazingly with poppy seeds, and top it off with our easy homemade candied lemons, and you’ve got yourself an after-dinner treat that you’ll want to serve again and again. You just can’t beat it!
Why you’ll love it!
Perfectly lemon-y: we’re adding lemon zest into the cake batter + lemon juice in the frosting + candied lemon slices for topping this cake. Yum!
So moist & fluffy: this lemon poppy seed cake is never dense and super moist.
Can be made into a layer cake: fancy this cake up by slicing it into 2 layers before frosting. Voila — lemon poppy seed layer cake!
Featured Ingredients
For the lemon poppy seed cake
- All-purpose flour
- Fresh lemon zest
- Poppy seeds
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Coconut oil
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Almond milk
For the candied lemons
- Sliced lemons
- Fresh lemon juice
- Granulated sugar
- Turbinado sugar
for the Whipped Cream Frosting
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Prepare the cake
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.
- Next, add the melted coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer and beat the ingredients on high until the mixture becomes light in color.
- Turn the speed to low and crack one egg at a time into the bowl until just combined. Repeat until all of the eggs have been added.
- Slowly pour the almond milk into the wet ingredients..
- Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.
- Transfer the cake batter to the lined baking pan and bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes or until the cake is done.
Prepare candied lemons
- Add the water, lemon juice, and sugar to a large skillet, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Place the lemon slices in the skillet and lower the heat to simmer. Allow the lemon slices to simmer for 15 minutes, gently flipping the lemons once.
- Transfer the lemon slices to a wire rack and dust the lemon slices with the turbinado sugar.
Prepare whipped cream frosting
- Pour the heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into a chilled bowl.
- Whip the whipped cream on low speed until peaks form.
Frost cake & enjoy!
- When the cake is completely cool, line a cake stand with parchment paper and transfer the cooled cake to the cake stand.
- Transfer the frosting to the top of the cake and frost the cake entirely using a frosting knife.
- Top the cake with candied lemon, leftover lemon zest, and poppy seeds. Enjoy!
Latest Cakes & Cupcakes
Easy Ingredient Swaps
- Poppy seeds –> chia seeds
- Almond milk –> any non-dairy milk
Top Tips
Don’t skip the whipped cream frosting: We’re serious! The whipped cream frosting is easy to make, and mimics the texture of whipped cream with a flavor hint of lemon. The perfect pairing for this lemon poppy seed cake.
Don’t substitute the all-purpose flour: The all-purpose flour should not be substituted for any other variety of flour as it’s crucial to this cake’s fluffiness.
If you want to make a layer cake: Go for it! Slice the cake in half lengthwise and frost the bottom layer cake before stacking the top on and frosting the remainder.
FAQs
The poppy seeds add amazing texture to this cake, and give it its signature look.
Poppy seeds add great texture, nutty flavor and a classic look when paired with lemon for a lemon poppy seed baked good.
Feel free to substitute the poppy seeds 1:1 for chia seeds, or completely eliminate them if you’re looking to avoid poppy seeds for any reason.
Storage
Store this lemon poppy seed cake in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days.
Can I free this lemon poppy seed cake? We suggest freezing before frosting. Let the cake cool completely and then tightly wrap it with a piece of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1.5 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet ingredients
- 2/3 cup melted coconut oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1.75 cups almond milk
Candied lemons
- 1 large lemon, thinly sliced
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
Whipped cream frosting
- 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional toppings
- Lemon zest
- Poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan or a spring form pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare cake: Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside for later.
- Next, add the melted coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl of a standing mixer and beat the ingredients on high until the mixture becomes light in color.
- Turn the speed to low and crack one egg at a time into the bowl until just combined. Repeat until all of the eggs have been added to the bowl.
- Slowly pour the almond milk into the wet ingredients and let it mix until combined.
- Next, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Be sure not to over-mix the batter.
- Transfer the cake batter to the lined baking pan and bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is done.
- Prepare candied lemons: While the cake is baking, prepare the candied lemons. Add the water, lemon juice, and sugar to a large skillet. Bring to a gentle boil. Place the lemon slices in the skillet and lower the heat to simmer. Allow the lemon slices to simmer for 15 minutes, gently flipping the lemons once.
- Transfer the lemon slices to a wire rack and dust the lemon slices with the turbinado sugar.
- Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before carefully removing the cake from the pan and let it cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare whipped cream frosting: While the cake is cooling, prepare the whipped cream frosting. Pour the heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into a chilled bowl. Whip the whipped cream on low speed until peaks form. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down a few times. The frosting is done when the frosting is smooth, creamy, and forms stiff peaks.
- Frost cake: When the cake is completely cool, line a cake stand with parchment paper and transfer the cooled cake to the cake stand. Transfer the frosting to the top of the cake and frost the cake entirely using a frosting knife.
- Top the cake with candied lemon, leftover lemon zest, and poppy seeds.
Tips & Notes
- If you don’t have poppy seeds, you can substitute chia seeds.
- You can use any type of non-dairy milk instead of almond milk.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
I really wanted LEMON and boy was this the fix I needed. That frosting is delicious and I even went all fancy and made the candied lemons. It looked like something that I would have bought at my favourite bakery 😊
What a gorgeous cake, Barbara!