Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is bright, fresh, and perfectly tangy aka the perfect spring-summer cake! Flavored with both lemon zest and lemon juice, then layered with cream cheese and lemon curd. Whip up this lemon cake to brighten any day!

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I’m obsessed with the lemon and poppy seed combo! Soft lemon cake with a delicate crunch from the poppy seeds, they’re a match made in heaven! If you adore the fresh lemon flavor, cream cheese frosting, and poppy seeds, then this Lemon Olive Oil Cake is perfect for you! I’ve made this Lemon Poppy Seed Cake for birthdays, showers, and even when it’s just a weekend. So good!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe >

Ingredients Needed & Notes >

Equipment You’ll Need >

Step By Step Instructions >

Baking Tips >

Serving & Storage >

Recipe Card >

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE

• Packed with fresh lemon goodness from lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and lemon curd.
• The cake itself is super soft, light, and lemony. Also, flecked with crunchy poppy seeds.
• Layered with cream cheese and lemon curd! It’s perfectly tangy and bright.
• A simple flavor combo that really makes an elegant cake.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES

Lemon – You’ll need lemon zest and a little bit of lemon juice to give this cake a bright and fresh lemon flavor! Make sure you’re using fresh lemons!

Lemon curd – You can use your favorite store-bought lemon curd. However, I’d suggest you try making the lemon curd from scratch! It’s worth the little bit of extra effort. Homemade lemon curd is so fresh and oh so good!

Sour Cream – Adds moisture and acidity for a tender cake crumb. You can replace this with greek yogurt. Make sure your sour cream are at room so it can blend nicely with other ingredients.

Butter – You’ll need unsalted butter to make the frosting! Make sure your butter is at room temperature to ensure it beats up light and fluffy!

Cream Cheese – Grab that original full-fat cream cheese, not the cream cheese spread. It has the best flavor and texture.

Egg – Any fluffy cake needs eggs! They give the cake structure and adds moisture. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature to prevent your batter from seizing.

Oil – The key to a fluffy crumb is a combination of vegetable oil and fat. You’ll need neutral oil like canola oil and vegetable oil.

Flour – No fancy flour needed. All purpose flour will do just the trick and give you a silky crumb.

Leavening agent – This recipe uses baking powder and baking soda to give this cake the perfect rise.

Salt – Balances the sweetness. All sweet treats need a little salt to cut any cloying sweetness.

Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar and powdered sugar.

Vanilla – This helps to enhance all of the other flavors in the recipe.

Poppy seed – Most grocery stores will sell poppy seeds. You can find this in the spice aisle.

BAKING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

(Check my favorite baking tools and equipment here!)

• Three 8-inch round cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowls
• Rubber spatula
• Zester
• Electric mixer or a whisk

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THIS LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE

(Be sure to check the printable recipe card below)

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake:

• 437g (3 + 1/2 cups, spoon and level method) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 450g (2 +1/4 cups) granulated sugar
• zest of 3 lemon
• 4 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 120g (1/2 cup) fresh lemon juice
• 180g (3/4 cup) oil
• 180g (3/4 cup) sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons poppy seed

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 cup lemon curd
• 452g (16oz) original cream cheese, room temperature
• 226g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 562g (4+1/2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

STEP 1 – Prepare the Oven and the Cake Pans

Preheat the oven to 350F. Then, line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, grease with soft butter, then sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour into the bottom of the pan. Cover the cake pans with plastic wrap and shake to coat the pans. Set aside.

STEP 2 – Make the Cake Batter and Bake the Cake

In a medium bowl, combine and whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

In a different bowl, combine granulated sugar and fresh lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar using your fingertips until well incorporated and fragrant. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer with a whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk together eggs, fresh lemon juice, canola oil, sour cream, and vanilla for about 3 minutes on medium speed. Then, add the lemon sugar and continue to whisk for another 2 minutes until everything is well combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix everything until just combined, do not overwork the cake batter. Then, switch to a silicone spatula and fold in the poppy seed.

Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, then bake the cakes for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Then, remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

STEP 3 – Make the Cream Cheese Frosting and Assemble the Cake

In a large bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy on medium speed. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix everything until fluffy and well combined.

Level off each cake to remove any doming, so the top of your cake is flat and even. Place one cake onto your serving plate, then spread an even layer of cream cheese frosting and evenly spread 3-4 tablespoons of lemon curd.
Stack the second cake on top and repeat this layering process one more time. Then, cover the top and side of your cake with the remaining frosting. Chill the cake in the fridge for about 2 hours before decorating or serving.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE

• Use straight-sided cake pans for the most beautiful layer cakes.
• Prepare the cake pans! Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, grease with soft butter, then sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour into the bottom of the pan. Cover the cake pans with plastic wrap and shake to coat the pans.
• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Room-temperature ingredients blend easily and incorporate together to create a smooth batter without flecks of eggs. Especially the butter and cream cheese to make the frosting.

• Measure flour correctly. When measuring the flour with cups, make sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. Do not scoop and pack the flour. By doing this, you will yield too much flour and make the dough dry. A kitchen scale is the best option, it’s so much more accurate than cup measurements, that’s why I always write the recipe with grams. 1 cup flour = 125 grams.
• Avoid overmixing the cake batter. Mix only until each ingredient is incorporated. Over-mixed cake batter leads to tough, chewy, cakes.
• Keep your eyes on the cake while baking. Think of baking times just as suggestions, because every oven is different! The temperature can vary greatly, even when you set it to the same temperature as in the recipe.
• Make sure your cakes are completely cool before stacking the cakes.

HERE’S HOW TO STORE THIS LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE

The unfrosted cakes can be wrapped with plastic wrap and store them at room temperature overnight, in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 month ahead. Thaw the cakes in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature when you’re ready to stack and decorate them.

Due to the high moisture content of the cream cheese in the frosting, the leftover cake needs to be refrigerated. Place the leftover cake in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want to freeze this cake for later, I recommend cutting it into individual slices. Wrap each slice with layers of plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe container. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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Happy Baking!