Recipe Background
When life gives you lemons, make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake–and not just metaphorically speaking! You'll need some fresh, tart lemon juice for the fluffy, poppy-seed-spattered-cake, the sticky and sweet soak, and the sugary, ivory-tinted glaze. With that in mind, you know that each bite will be abounding in lemony-bright deliciousness. So grab your best bundt pan, make a beautiful Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, and enjoy every sweet moment life brings!
When life gives you lemons, make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake–and not just metaphorically speaking! You'll need some fresh, tart lemon juice for the fluffy, poppy-seed-spattered-cake, the sticky and sweet soak, and the sugary, ivory-tinted glaze. With that in mind, you know that each bite will be abounding in lemony-bright deliciousness. So grab your best bundt pan, make a beautiful Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, and enjoy every sweet moment life brings!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour can substitute regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- zest of 5 medium lemons
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
- 2/3 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
For the lemon soak:
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
For the lemon glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice plus more as needed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan or spray with floured baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, briskly whisk together the all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, place 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
- Zest the lemons directly into the sugar.
- With your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it is moist and fragrant.
- Add the butter, eggs, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup lemon juice, honey, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the sugar mixture, briskly whisking it together until thoroughly combined.
- Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.
- Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
- Gradually increase the speed to medium-low.
- Continue mixing the batter until the ingredients are thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds-1 minute.
- Scrape down the batter from the bottom and sides of the bowl, then mix again on low speed for 1 minute.
- Stir in the poppy seeds until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Rotate the pan 180 degrees.
- Continue baking until the cake looks nicely browned at the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-25 minutes.
- While the cake bakes, in a small saucepan, heat the 1/2 cup lemon juice and the remaining granulated sugar on high over the stove-top, whisking the lemon mixture until the sugar dissolves. Set the lemon to soak aside.
- Place a wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Take the cake out of the oven and place it on the wire rack to cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
- Use a thick, sharp knife to check around the edges of the cake and loosen any edges that are stuck.
- Invert the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, spoon half of the lemon soak slowly over the cake so that the cake can absorb it.
- Wait 1 minute.
- Slowly spoon the remaining soak over the cake.
- Let the cake sit for 30 minutes.
- While the lemon-soaked cake is sitting, in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the remaining lemon juice, adding a little more sugar or lemon juice as needed to make it a thick but pourable smooth glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down the sides.
- Transfer the cake to a serving plate.
- Slice and serve at room temperature.
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