Our love of poppy seed desserts is obvious, from our Poppy Seed Cake to Mom’s Poppy Seed Roll. And the fresh flavor of lemon really amps up desserts, like these lemon-glazed blueberry muffins. The combination of poppy seeds and lemon is pure bliss.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Recipe:
Lemon cakes are challenging because they tend to be dry. We made cake after cake until we landed on this combination which produced a moist cake with a soft crumb studded with poppy seeds and subtle and lovely lemon flavor. The softened butter and buttermilk were the key to adding moisture and great flavor to the cake.
Can I Substitute the Fresh Lemon Juice?
Fresh lemon juice is critical in this lemon cake and all you need is a total of 2 large lemons for the cake and frosting. Using both the zest and the juice will give you the best lemon flavor. Lemon juice from concentrate just won’t be the same. We haven’t tried lime but it’s worth experimenting for a lime flavored cake.
Can I Make this Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Ahead?
This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake refrigerates well and we actually prefer it chilled for an hour or so for easier slicing. The little bit of cream cheese in the frosting keeps it from firming up too much in the fridge so you can serve it chilled or at room temperature.
How to Store A Cake:
Plain cake layers – cool completely to room temperature then wrap fully in several layers of plastic wrap and keep at room temperature up to 2 days, refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Frosted cakes – cover with a cake keeper (here’s ours) or use a large overturned bowl or even pot (just be sure it has enough clearance for the width and height of the cake. Refrigerate cakes covered to keep them from drying out or absorbing refrigerator odors. Sliced Cake – once a cake has been cut, it starts to lose moisture. To keep it fresh, lay a piece of plastic wrap against the cut side then cover as you would whole frosted cakes (see above).
How to Make Lemon Buttercream:
The secret to the best lemon buttercream frosting is adding just a little bit of softened cream cheese. It balances the flavor, enhances the lemon and makes the texture luxuriously whipped, velvety smooth and perfect for piping onto cakes. A pop of fresh lemon flavor cuts the sweetness and makes it irresistible. This lemon frosting couldn’t get any easier:
Pro Cake Baking Tips:
More Lip-Smacking Good Lemon Desserts:
Fruit Salad with the best Lemon Syrup Blackberry Lemon Cake Roll – beautiful and delicious Blueberry Lemon Cake – our most popular cake Baklava – lemon is the secret for the best baklava! Canned Lemon Slices – great way to preserve lemons
Watch Natasha Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake:
This lemon poppy seed cake recipe is simple to make and satisfies that craving for tangy sweetness and poppy seeds. I hope this becomes a new favorite for you! The lemon cake base was adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction lemon cake. Sally is an incredibly talented baker and great resource on all things baking!
Must-Try Poppy Seed Recipes:
Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake with Custard – take a peek inside! Poppy Seed Filling – our go-to recipe for filling baked goods (like these Poppy Seed Buns!) Fruit Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Syrup Poppy Seed Cake Roll with Ganache and Pistachios
