Description
Homemade lemon poppy seed cake delivers a zesty, tender dessert that balances citrus brightness with nutty undertones. Light crumb and delicate lemon glaze complete this classic bakery-style treat you’ll want to share with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups (710 ml) cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (237 ml) buttermilk
- 6 cups (720 grams) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 6–8 tbsps (90–120 ml) fresh lemon juice (more if needed)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
- 2 tsps (10 ml) lemon paste (optional)
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- ¼ cup (38 grams) poppy seeds
- Zest of 1 lemon, peeled with a vegetable peeler (no white pith)
- 1 small drop yellow gel food coloring (optional)
- Very thin slices of lemon
- Mint leaves
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F and meticulously line three 9-inch baking pans with grease, flour, and parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients Fusion: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a comprehensive mixing bowl to create a uniform dry mixture.
- Aromatic Sugar Transformation: Pulverize sugar and lemon zest in a food processor until the zest integrates completely, developing a pale yellow complexion.
- Butter Creaming: Utilize a stand mixer to cream butter with lemon-infused sugar for approximately 3 minutes, achieving a light and airy texture.
- Egg Integration: Methodically incorporate eggs into the butter mixture, ensuring thorough blending after each addition, then seamlessly mix in the lemon paste.
- Batter Composition: Gently fold dry ingredients and buttermilk with lemon juice on low speed, mixing until just combined to preserve the cake’s delicate structure.
- Pan Distribution and Baking: Evenly spread batter across prepared pans, creating smooth surfaces, and bake for 23-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cooling Process: Rest cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and discard parchment paper, allowing complete cooling.
- Frosting Creation: Cream butter and gradually sift confectioner’s sugar until achieving a silky smooth consistency, adjusting with lemon juice and incorporating poppy seeds.
- Final Assembly: Optional frosting tinting with subtle yellow food coloring, then generously frost each layer and garnish with fresh lemon slices and mint leaves for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Zest Technique: Pulse sugar and lemon zest together to release intense citrus oils and create a more aromatic base for the cake.
- Mixing Strategy: Add eggs one at a time and blend thoroughly to ensure a smooth, unified batter with optimal texture.
- Baking Precision: Check cake doneness early and use the toothpick test to prevent overbaking, which can dry out the delicate lemon cake.
- Frosting Tip: Gradually add confectioner’s sugar to control consistency and prevent a grainy or too-thick frosting texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 507
- Sugar: 41 g
- Sodium: 174 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg