Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – Light lemon poppy seed cake layers speckled with poppy seeds and filled with a tart and tangy lemon cream cheese buttercream!

This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is the perfect summer dessert! It’s light and refreshing with fluffy, lemony cake layers and tangy cream cheese buttercream. Lemon juice and lemon zest are used in both the cake and buttercream for an amazing tart flavour. The poppy seeds add a little bit of crunch to the cake and make for a super pretty slice!

What you will need to make this Lemon Poppy Seed Cake 

Unsalted Butter – I prefer using butter over oil in my cakes because the flavour is much better in my opinion! Butter is also used in the buttercream.

Granulated Sugar

2 eggs – You need one whole egg and the white of the other. If you have carton egg whites you can use that for the egg white. 

Vanilla extract – I like adding vanilla extract along with the lemon juice and zest. I find it helps elevates the flavour. 

Sour cream – Sour cream adds moisture to the cake. Be sure to use full fat. 

Cake flour – Cake flour ensures a light and fluffy crumb to this cake.

How to make a cake flour substitute

If you don’t have any cake flour on hand, you can make a substitute! This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Remove three tablespoons and replace it with three tablespoons of corn starch. Then sift this mixture twice. Sifting twice not only mixes the two ingredients together properly but also aerates it so the consistency is similar to cake flour.

Baking powder

Baking soda

Salt

Buttermilk – Buttermilk adds moisture to the cake.

How to make a buttermilk substitute

If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can make a substitute. Add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 cup of milk and let it sit for a few minutes. Don’t be scared if it seems really clumpy after thickening!

2 Lemons – This recipe calls for lemon juice and zest in both the cake and buttercream. You will need about 2 lemons, more if you want to decorate the top of the cake with lemon slices. The lemon juice and zest is what give this cake its amazing tart flavour. I recommend using fresh lemon juice. 

Poppy seeds – Poppy seeds add a little crunch and nutty flavour to this cake. I love the speckled look they give to this cake when you cut into it. These can be left out if you just want a lemon cake!

Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is used in the buttercream. Be sure your powdered sugar is sifted properly and not clumpy. This will make for a smooth buttercream. 

Heavy Cream – Adding 35% heavy whipping cream makes for a super light and fluffy buttercream. 

Cream Cheese – I chose to pair this lemon cake with a cream cheese buttercream because I love the combo of tangy and tart. Be sure to use brick-style cream cheese that is full fat!

How to make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

For the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

In the bowl of a handheld or stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes.

Add in the egg and egg white and mix until combined. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Don’t worry if your mixture looks curdled. 

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet, then half of the buttermilk, mixing in between each addition. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix just to combine. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing between each addition. 

Alternating adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk like this ensures that you don’t overmix the batter! Over-mixing can result in a tough cake that does not rise as well. 

A quick tip

For a brighter yellow colour to the cake, add a little bit of yellow food colouring to the batter. The lemon juice and zest add a little bit of colour, but not much. This is totally optional!

Divide the batter among two greased 6” cake pans. You can use a kitchen scale to make sure you pour the same amount into each. 

Bake for about 35-40 minutes at 325 degrees F. The cakes are done when the top springs back if you lightly press on it and when a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean with a few crumbs. 

Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. 

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

Using a handheld or stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

It’s important to use chilled cream cheese for this buttercream to avoid it becoming too soft and gloopy. If you are planning on piping with this buttercream, then you will want a buttercream that holds its shape!

With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla, heavy cream, lemon juice and zest. Then, whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Assembly 

These cakes baked pretty flat for me, but if you find they are a bit domed, make sure to level them before stacking. You can use a cake leveller like this or eyeball it with a serrated knife. 

Spread or pipe a couple of tablespoons of buttercream onto the centre of your cake round or cake plate. This will keep your cake in place as you decorate it.

Place the first layer of cake top side up on your cake round or plate. Spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream on top. Place the second layer on top, top side down so that the bottom of the cake layer is the very top surface of the cake. 

Spread another half cup of buttercream on the top of the cake. If some spills over the side, that is ok. Then start frosting the sides of the cake. Tools like an offset spatula and a cake scraper are very helpful for spreading frosting and creating smooth sides.

After the crumb coat, I used an offset spatula to create this textured look on the sides. Spread another layer of buttercream over the sides and top of the cake. Then, drag the tip of your spatula along the side of the cake, starting at the bottom and moving upwards as you move around the cake. A turntable is also handy here! On top of the cake I piped some rosettes with a 2D piping tip and open star dollops with a 4B piping tip. 

If you tried this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cremedelacombe.

Other cake recipes to try:

Two Layer Confetti Cake

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Salted Caramel Banana Toffee Cake

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Recipe by Kelsey LacombeCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Bake time

35

minutes

Assembly Time

30

minutes

Light lemon cake layers with a little crunch and nuttiness from the addition of poppy seeds. Filled with a tart and tangy lemon cream cheese buttercream!

Ingredients

• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 egg white

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature

• 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 lemon

• 1 heaping tablespoon lemon zest, about 1 lemon

• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

• Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brick-style cream cheese, chilled

• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Directions

• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and line two 6″ cake pans.
• In the bowl of a handheld or stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes.
• Add in the egg and egg white and mix until combined. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Don’t worry if your mixture looks curdled.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and poppyseeds.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet, then half of the buttermilk, mixing in between each addition. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix just to combine. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing between each addition.
• Divide the batter among the two greased 6” cake pans. You can use a kitchen scale to make sure you pour the same amount into each.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes. The cakes are done when top springs back if you lightly press on it and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean with a few crumbs.
• Let the cakes cool on a wire rack.
• Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
• Using a handheld or stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla, heavy cream, lemon juice and zest. Then, whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Assembly
• If needed, level cakes with a cake leveller or serrated knife.
• Spread or pipe a couple of tablespoons of buttercream onto the centre of your cake round or cake plate. This will keep your cake in place as you decorate it.
• Place the first layer of cake top side up on your cake round or plate. Spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream on top. Place the second layer on top, top side down so that the bottom of the cake layer is the very top surface of the cake.
• Spread another half cup of buttercream on the top of the cake. If some spills over the side, that is ok. Then start frosting the sides of the cake. Tools like an offset spatula and a cake scraper are very helpful for spreading frosting and creating smooth sides.
• After the crumb coat, I used an offset spatula to create this textured look on the sides. Spread another layer of buttercream over the sides and top of the cake. Then, drag the tip of your spatula along the side of the cake, starting at the bottom and moving upwards as you move around the cake. A turntable is also handy here! I piped some rosettes and drop flowers on top with a 2D piping tip.

This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please read my privacy policy.