Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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This lemon poppy seed cake has a soft cake crumb, bright lemon flavor, and crunchy poppy seeds throughout. It’s topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting that complements the lemon perfectly. Simple, delicious and perfect for spring!
Spring is the perfect time for lemon desserts – and this simple lemon poppy seed cake is the perfect recipe if you’re looking for something simple, flavorful and packed with a sunshine-y lemon flavor. The cake is incredibly moist with a soft texture and not too heavy. The lemon flavor is bright and zesty, without being sour, and the slight crunch of poppy seeds makes for the perfect contrast.
The cake is topped with a thick layer of creamy lemon cream cheese frosting. It’s not as sweet as a traditional American buttercream and the tanginess of the cream cheese pairs perfectly with the bright lemon flavor.
Step-By-Step
This cake uses the reverse creaming method – meaning that instead of creaming together the butter and sugar first, the butter is mixed into the dry ingredients about 1 tablespoon at a time. This process helps to avoid over mixing – which can lead to a tough cake crumb.
Below I’ve included photos to show you exactly what this looks like – or you can sip down to the recipe.
Jump to Recipe- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and grease and flour the pan.
- Whisk the Wet Ingredients. Eggs, milk, lemon juice and vanilla. I always whisk the eggs first, then whisk in the other ingredients. Set aside.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients. Flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.
- Beat the Butter into the Dry Ingredients. Do this about 1 tablespoon at a time. This is the reverse creaming process. When you’re finished, the mixture will be crumbly and you don’t want any large lumps of butter. It will not look like dough at this stage, but instead will look like a sandy mixt re.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients into the Sandy Mixture. I do this about 1/2 at a time, or if you have a stand mixer drizzle the wet ingredients into the bowl as you mix on a low speed. When finished, you should no longer see lumps (except from the lemon zest).
- Stir in the Poppy Seeds.
- Bake. You’ll pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes.
This cake is topped with a thick layer of lemon cream cheese frosting. The lemon flavor isn’t overly strong – instead, it’s more of a hint of lemon to pair with the creaminess of the frosting. Whenever making cream cheese frosting, make sure that:
- The butter is softened, but still slightly cooler than room temperature and firm to the touch. Do not use the microwave to warm up the butter or you risk it melting and the frosting being too thin.
- You’re using full-fat, brick-style cream cheese and not spreadable or low fat.
- The powdered sugar is sifted first. If you add powdered sugar that’s lumpy, you either risk lumps in your frosting or having to beat the frosting for too long – which will cause the frosting to be too thin or even separate.
Recipe Tip
You’ll need about 3 large lemons for this recipe or 4 smaller lemons. Always zest the lemons first, then squeeze the juice. Do not use lemon juice from a bottle as it is too sour for baking with.
Make sure to check out these other lemon favorites too!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk (120 ml), 2% is ok, but I don't recommend skim
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice (90 ml), freshly sqeezed
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (344 grams), sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar (350 grams), caster sugar works well too
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams)
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), softened, but still a little cool to the touch
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese (226 grams), brick style, not from a tub
- 2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar (275-330 grams)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon whipping cream, if needed
- poppy seeds , optional, for decorating
Instructions
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) metal cake pan.
- In medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, fresh lemon juice and vanilla until you no longer see pieces of egg. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and sugar.
- Ensure the butter is cut into cubes. With an electric mixer on a low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture 1 cube at a time until the mixture is like sand in texture and there are no lumps of butter larger than a small pea. It will not look like a dough or batter at this point, but as a powder.
- Beat the wet ingredients into the flour mixture a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps of butter or flour (you may see pieces of lemon zest – which is OK and expected).
- Turn off the mixer and stir in the poppy seeds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes. When the cake is done baking, the top should look set and feel slightly firm to the touch (similar to a sponge). It should be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan and an inserted toothpick should come out clean or with a few crumbs but no gooey cake batter.
- Cool the cake in the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth.
- Add in the cream cheese (cut into cubes) and mix until combined.
- Add in 2 cups powdered sugar, along with the salt and lemon juice. Beat together, starting with the mixer on a low speed.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time until the desired sweetness is reached. If the frosting is too thick, beat in 1 tablespoon of whipping cream.
- Ensure that the cake is fully cooled. Then frost with an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: The butter, eggs and milk should all be at room temperature before getting started. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes prior.
- Lemons: You will need about 3 large lemons or 4 smaller lemons in total for this recipe.
- Make Ahead: Cake can be made one day before serving. Cool fully, cover the pan and store at room temperature overnight. Frost the day you plan to serve.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 slice with frosting, assuming the cake is sliced into 15 uniform pieces and all the frosting is used.
