This lemon poppy seed loaf cake is moist, tender, and packed full of lemon poppy seed flavor in every bite! Brushed with a lemon glaze then topped with lemon icing, sweet and citrus combine into one delicious loaf cake!
Say it with me, friends: BALANCE.
I often find that balance is a hard concept for me. Hard for me to understand, and even harder to live out on a daily basis. I’m typically an “all-or-nothing” kind of girl, which has it’s pros and cons. If I can’t do something perfectly (or in reality just the way I envision it), I am often tempted to just not do it at all. Again, pros and cons. Pro: when I set my mind to do something, it usually gets done pretty efficiently. Con: when it doesn’t go as planned, I tend to get flustered and frustrated.
BALANCE, people. It’s a difficult life skill in adulthood. And thankfully, the older I get the more I realize that perfection isn’t the goal.
But I digress. Let’s move out of the back corners of my mind and into this lemon poppy seed loaf cake. Because this sweet and zingy little loaf cake is a prime example of how I, for better or for worse, tipped the scales of balance and leaned into that perfection mentality. I went after the perfect lemon poppy seed cake, and by George, I think I got it. I think I baked this pound cake six (seven? eight?) times before I landed on the perfect one. So in this case, my “all-or-nothing” mentality gives you an awesome cake. Pro.
This lemon poppy seed loaf cake. It’s the perfect citrus bake for spring and/ or summertime. It’s bright, sweet, and is studded with those yummy little crunchy poppy seeds that pair so well with lemon. I love this loaf cake because it strikes the perfect balance between light and dense. It’s soft, tender and moist, but it still maintains that lovely density that you want from a loaf cake. Coated in a lemon glaze while the cake is still warm and then topped with a thick, sweet layer lemon icing, you’ll be in lemon heaven! So flavorful and so good.
What you’ll need to make this loaf cake:
Butter: For flavor and moisture.
Sugar: Granulated sugar of course adds flavor and also tenderizes the cake. Whipping the sugar into the butter at the beginning of the recipe aerates the batter, ultimately creating a lighter and more tender crumb.
Eggs: For structure, binding, and moisture.
Vanilla extract: For added flavor.
Lemon extract: I like to use a little bit of lemon extract in the cake batter to add more lemon flavor. If you don’t have this on hand or can’t find it at the store, you can simply leave it out!
Lemon zest + lemon juice: Using both lemon zest and juice gives an extra punch of lemon flavor. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not lemon concentrate or store-bought lemon juice from a bottle.
Flour: For structure. Be sure to measure your flour properly, either by weight or by using the spoon and level method, to ensure a perfectly tender and moist cake!
Baking soda and baking powder: For a little leavening power.
Kosher salt: For balance.
Poppy seeds: Because we all know that poppy seeds love lemon.
Sour cream: Sour cream does a lot for this cake! The acid from the sour cream tenderizes the cake which makes it soft, and the high fat content in sour cream makes this cake especially moist. It also gives that extra bit of “zip” to amplify the lemon flavor. It also thickens the batter a bit, which adds some structure. Be sure to use full-fat sour cream.
Buttermilk: Similar to sour cream, the acidity and high-fat content in buttermilk make this cake extra tender and moist! Be sure to use whole buttermilk.
Granulated sugar and lemon juice for the lemon glaze.
Powdered sugar and lemon juice for the lemon icing.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream? Yes! Just make sure it’s full-fat, plain yogurt.
About how many lemons will I need for this recipe? If you have juicy lemons, you’ll most likely only need 3 lemons. However, I usually grab an extra 1 or 2 lemons at the store just to be safe!
A few tips before you bake:
Be sure your ingredients are at room temperature. This includes your butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk. When the ingredients are all at room temperature, this allows the batter to come together seamlessly into a smooth, homogenous mixture. This ultimately results in a lighter, more tender cake. Cold ingredients will make your batter lumpy and irregular, resulting in a dense, potentially tough cake.
Don’t overmix your batter. When alternating the flour mixture and sour cream mixture, be sure you keep the mixer on low speed and only mix until the ingredients are just incorporated. Overmixing will overdevelop the gluten strands in the flour, which may result in a less tender cake.
When brushing on the lemon glaze, you’ll want to make sure the cake is still warm. This allows the cake to soak up the glaze better, giving you more flavor. I really love the lemon flavor the glaze adds, so I brush on 3 coats!
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Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Yield: 1, 9×5″ loaf 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert, Snack, Breakfast
Description
This lemon poppy seed loaf cake is moist, tender, and packed full of lemon poppy seed flavor in every bite! Brushed with a lemon glaze then topped with lemon icing, sweet and citrus combine into one delicious loaf cake!
Ingredients
For the lemon poppy seed cake:
- 113 gm (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened*
- 250 gm (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, packed
- 219 gm (1 3/4 cups, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 120 gm (1/2 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
- 80 gm (1/3 cup) whole buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice**
For the lemon glaze:
- 67 gm (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 60 gm (1/4 cup) lemon juice**
For the lemon icing:
- 180 gm (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice**
Instructions
To make the lemon poppy seed cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing excess paper to hang over the sides, creating a “sling” that you will use to lift the cake out of the pan after it’s baked.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes, stopping halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl and again at the end.
- Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating each on medium speed for 20 seconds before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract, lemon extract (if using), and lemon zest, and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and poppy seeds. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing on low speed after each addition until the ingredients are just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Next, use a rubber spatula to gently scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold the batter a few times to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth into an even layer. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper handles to lift the cake from the pan and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. While the cake is cooling in the pan, prepare the lemon glaze.
To make the lemon glaze:
- Place the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and the sugar is dissolved.
- Generously brush the warm glaze all over the warm cake, making sure to coat the top and all sides of the cake. Do this twice more, giving you a total of 3 coats of glaze (it’s okay if you have some glaze leftover).
- Allow the cake to cool completely before topping with the lemon icing.
To make the lemon icing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, until a thick, pourable icing forms. If necessary, add more lemon juice, one teaspoon at a time, until you’ve reached the right consistency.
- Pour the icing over the top of the cooled cake, allowing the icing to drip down the sides.
Notes
*Softened butter: The right consistency for softened butter is soft, but still a bit firm. When you press your finger into the butter, it should leave an indentation, but shouldn’t be shiny or greasy. If you really want to get technical, use an instant read thermometer: your butter should be between 65-67°F.
**Lemon juice: Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not lemon juice concentrate or bottled lemon juice.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
