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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Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
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 (see note)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) 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 (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray two 8½ x 4½-in (22 x 11-cm) 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 to 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.
Notes
- If you’d prefer not to buy it, check out some easy guidance on how to make buttermilk using milk and lemon juice or vinegar
- You'll need 3 large lemons for this recipe.
- Freezing 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
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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This is lemon poppy seed perfection. I used metric measurements and the crumb is pillowy, soft, moist cake nirvana. Now I’ll look up other recipes on this site. Thank you!
Hello there, my name is Mars
I love your recipes. i have made so many times your apple pies. wonderful can’t make enough.
For your lemon poppy seed cake, instead of using buttermilk, can i use regular milk 2% and instead of butter can i use vegetable oil.
Mars
Hi Mars, Regular milk won’t work here but you can make your own buttermilk if you have milk and either lemon juice or white vinegar. See how here. And vegetable oil won’t work here. If you have coconut oil, you can use that in place of the butter. Hope that helps!
The cake flavor was delicious. The sugary oiled pan did not work out for me.. it basically turned the sugar into a crust that glued itself to the pan. Pretty disappointed after I spent so long on this cake. Great recipe, but next time I will just oil, no sugar.
Made this cake today and it was delicious! The simple syrup adds a nice touch. Followed the recipe exactly and everything worked out perfectly
SOOOOO DELICIOUS! absolutely loved it! I did add a bit of almond extract. Otherwise, followed the recipe to a “T.” Thank you for sharing this recipe…it’s divine.
Hi Jenn,
If I wanted to half this recipe for just one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, should I use 1 egg or 2 eggs. Thanks!
Hi Alexandra, I’d actually use 1.5 eggs (beat one egg in a measuring cup and throw half away). Hope you enjoy the cake!
I made this cake a second time, using fine dry bread crumbs to dust the pan rather than sugar. Released easily! Yum!
I always hesitate to bake as I am not a great baker. This recipe was easy and absolutely delicious! Another winner! Thank you Jenn!
Cake is very flavorful and easy to make. However, coating with sugar most definitely did not work for me on release. Left majority of sides of cake stuck to the pan. Perhaps 10 minutes is insufficient wait time? Next time I will go back to Pam, Bakers Joy spray, or use fine dry bread crumbs
Good Afternoon Jenn. Is it possible to make this cake in a standard 9 inch round pan instead of a bundt pan? If so, should I halve the recipe, as a bundt cake usually holds a larger volume? Please advise, thank you!
Yes, Bethany, you could get away with making this in a 9-inch round pan if you halve the recipe. Bake time will be different so keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
I just took this cake out of the oven. I had read the reviews that some had a problem getting it out of the pan. I sprayed the pan with Pam baking spray, I also put a piece of parchment paper on the bottom & sprayed that, then added the sugar. Came out immediately & with no issues.
Only 1/2 teaspoon baking soda?? no baking powder??
Yep, that’s correct. Because the cake is made with buttermilk (which helps with the leavening), the baking powder isn’t needed here. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Can I substitute Saco Buttermilk Blend for commercially prepared buttermilk?
Hi Cindie, I’ve never used that product, but I just took a peek at it and I think it will work. Please LMK how it turns out!
After reading very good reviews I bought the powdered buttermilk. Planning on making this cake within the next few days. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Wish me luck!
Good luck – hope you enjoy!
Not gonna lie, this is the best baked item I’ve ever made. I actually ran out of buttermilk so I used 1 cup of Sour Cream and 3T 2% Milk. I was hesitant to make the substitute but it turned out so good I’m afraid to make this again with buttermilk. Coating the pan with sugar didn’t work for me either but I was a bit impatient after baking an hour, maybe I’ll use spray and flour next time. Thanks for the recipe, delicious!!!