Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
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This lemon poppy seed cake is bursting with bright citrus flavor, packed with nutty poppy seeds, and drizzled with a tangy lemon glaze—perfect for sharing (or not!).
A variation of my popular lemon pound cake, this lemon poppy seed cake is laced with fresh lemon zest, filled to the brim with nutty, crackly poppy seeds, and drizzled with a bright lemon glaze. The texture is just what you hope for in a homemade cake—ultra-moist and melt-in-your mouth tender.
The recipe yields two loaves that stay fresh for days. My grandmother would have called it “company cake” since it’s the perfect treat to have on hand when friends and family come over. And if you love the lemon and poppy seed combo, don’t miss my lemon poppy seed muffins!
(Note: This recipe was originally a Bundt cake, but due to readers having issues with sticking, I updated it in January 2025 to loaf pans, which can be lined with parchment for easy removal.)
“The cake was moist and lightly lemony and the proportion of poppy seeds spot on…It’s a GEM.”
What you’ll need to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- All-purpose flour – Provides structure and gives the cake its tender crumb.
- Baking soda – Helps the cake rise by reacting with the acidity in the buttermilk and lemon juice.
- Salt – Enhances flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Poppy seeds – Add a nutty flavor and subtle crunch, giving the cake its signature texture.
- Buttermilk – Keeps the cake moist and tender while adding a slight tang that complements the lemon.
- Lemon zest – Infuses the cake with bright, aromatic lemon flavor.
- Fresh lemon juice – Adds a fresh, tangy citrus punch to both the cake and the glaze.
- Unsalted butter – Provides richness, moisture, and a soft texture.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake and the syrup that keeps it extra moist.
- Large eggs – Bind the ingredients together, add moisture, and contribute to a light, fluffy texture.
- Confectioners’ sugar – Used in the glaze to create a smooth, sweet finish that enhances the lemon flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Whisk well and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), combine the butter and sugar. Cream on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Give the bowl another quick scrape, then, with the mixer on low, beat in a quarter of the flour mixture.
Add one-third of the buttermilk mixture.
Beat in another quarter of the flour mixture, then a third of the milk mixture. Keep going—another round of flour, then the rest of the milk. Finally, mix in the last of the flour. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then give it a quick mix to make sure everything is fully combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the loaves in the pan for ten minutes on a rack.
While they cool, make the syrup. Combine the water and granulated sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Make the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
When the cakes are cool, gradually brush the warm syrup all over the cakes, including the sides, letting it soak in as you go. Finally, spoon the glaze over the top of the cakes, letting it drip down the sides. Let the glaze harden before slicing. The cake will keep nicely for 3 days or frozen (without the glaze) for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup poppy seeds
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk (see note)
- Finely grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 gently packed tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2¼ cups granulated sugar, plus more for the pan
- 3 large eggs
For the Syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
For the Glaze
- About 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the long sides of the pans with parchment paper “slings” and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. With the mixer on low speed, beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the buttermilk mixture. Beat in another quarter of the flour mixture, then another third of the milk mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the flour mixture and the remaining milk mixture. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and give a quick mix with a rubber spatula to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Spoon the thick batter into the prepared pans and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for ten minutes on a rack.
- Set the cakes on a cooling rack, and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife along the unlined sides of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan. Using the parchment slings, lift the cakes out of the pans and place onto the rack, leaving the parchment paper in place under the cakes. Let cool for about 1 hour.
- When the cakes are almost cool, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- When the cakes are cool, carefully transfer them to serving platters.
- Gradually brush the warm syrup all over the cakes, including the sides, letting it soak in as you go.
- To make the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Add more confectioners' sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be a little thicker than you'd think, about the consistency of molasses or honey). Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the cakes sit for about one hour to allow the glaze to set before serving.
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
- Note: You'll need 3 large lemons for this recipe
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen (without the glaze) for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Add the glaze after the cake is thawed.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Calories: 369
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Sugar: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 158 mg
- Cholesterol: 66 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I want to halve this recipe to fit my 6 cup bundt pan. Should I use 2 eggs or divide the 3 eggs by weight??
Hi Alexandra, I would divide the 3 eggs by weight to be precise. Enjoy!
I have made darn near every recipe you posted online over more than a decade (I think). Great tasting cake , I used a non stick angel food cake pan(no ridges to get stuck in) then i buttered and hit it with flower , however, after the 10 minute wait, a third of my cake remained stuck to the pan. It could be my fault, but it seems I’m not the only one having issues here…
Hi Brian, I’m sorry you had a problem with the cake sticking! I do see a number of reviews mentioning similar issues so I will retest the recipe. In the meantime (if you want to try it again), you can bake it in two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans instead of a Bundt. To prepare the loaf pans, spray them with nonstick baking spray, line the bottoms with parchment, and then spray them again. The bake time will be 50 to 60 minutes, and you will only need half of the soaking syrup.
I have made this cake 5 times now and had been a hit every time! Haven’t dusted the tin in sugar yet as they were for occasions and didn’t want to risk it! This is now my go to! Thanks!!!
So excited to try this recipe..just need to clarify on something..its Baking Soda no Baking Powder right?
That’s correct — hope you enjoy!
Can this be made in a square tin?
Hi J, I haven’t tried it in anything but a Bundt pan, so can’t say for sure, but if you want to use a square pan, I’d recommend an 8 x 8-inch and halve the recipe. The bake time will be shorter so keep a close eye on it. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Turned out great! The cooking time was roughly the same for me, but that might have to do with the type of oven.
I’ve reviewed this cake a couple of times, the last time to add my attempt at substitutions when making it for a group that included vegan friends (tasted great, needed more baking time or possibly structure).
What I forgot to mention is that you can also make this a boozy lemon poppy cake if you spike your syrup with the spirit of your choice. I make the simple syrup with lemon juice as directed (or double it in drier times of the year), and then add two to three generous shots of liquor. A nice limoncello or rum, or my favorite homemade lemon-ginger liqueur!
This cake is a true crowd pleaser. If you don’t sugar your Bundt pan, you’re missing out on one of the delicious textures that make this cake so good.
I spray my pan with coconut oil baking spray, then dust generously with granulated sugar. If you let the cake cool the ten full minutes after it comes out and then invert it, it comes out of the pan easily with a caramleized outer layer that’s just delicious. I’ve had requests for this cake specifically citing that “gooey crust lemon cake” that they enjoyed so much.
I do bump up my lemon zest a fair bit, and sometimes I’ll double the syrup recipe, especially in drier months of the year. You can’t really go wrong with this cake.
Also, I’ve made this in a vegan variation and it worked OK, but you will need to watch the bake time. I didn’t bake it quite long enough and it ended up falling apart (cupcakes), but it tasted delicious. I ended up layering the crumbled cake parts with vegan whipped cream as a trifle. To make it vegan, I subbed plant butter, DIY oat milk “buttermilk,” and “Just Egg” plant-based egg. You have to check the bake time and watch it carefully; I’ll no doubt try it again to see if I can nail it.
This was one of the best cakes I have made (and I bake *a LOT*)! I made this for a work event with approx. 40 guests, and got so many compliments, so many people asked me for the recipe – and one even asked me to cater for her birthday party based on this cake alone!
Easy to follow recipe, great lemon taste – I will definitely make this cake again. Thank you!
Would sour milk work as a substitute for buttermilk here? Thanks so much.
Yep!
Made with poppy seeds and blueberries…. BADDA BING!! BADDA BOOM!! (to quote East Side Mario’s Italian eatery.)
Put one loaf in the cake keeper for mouth-watering easy access, and hide the second loaf in the freezer because you know it will disappear before visitor(s) show up for coffee and a chat.
Elaine
A good recipe. Very light and fluffy. But I did NOT sprinkle sugar inside the bundt pan because of the comments about it sticking. Also, I added a bit of vanilla to the liquid ingredients, and doubled all the fresh lemon juice and zest because I wanted to taste the lemon – it came out with just the right amount of zing. Finally, I added a bunch of lemon zest to the final glaze, and it was delicious and looked great.