Very Soft Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Lemon poppy seed cake - Lilie Bakery

A tangy and ultra soft cake: the Lemon poppy seed cake ! A lemon-flavoured cake with a crunchy touch thanks to poppy seeds. Served plain or with its lemon glaze, a real pleasure to enjoy for breakfast or as a snack.

What you will like with this recipe

flavors : this cake is tangy and fresh, a real pleasure to taste. Poppy seeds add a nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with lemon.

Texture : this lemon poppy seed cake is very moist, the poppy seeds add a pleasant light crunch to the taste. The icing added on top is creamy, it hardens as it cools.

Difficulty level : very easy to prepare! It can be done easily with a pastry robot or with a hand mixer.

Lemon poppy seed cake recipe - Lilie Bakery

Choose your ingredients wisely

  • lemons : I advise you to use freshly squeezed lemons for the lemon juice (especially not the bottled one). To harvest the zest, I recommend organic lemons instead.
  • cream : this is what will add softness to this lemon poppy seed cake. I use liquid cream at 30% mg (do not take light).
  • butter : here we need soft softened butter. To soften it, leave it for about 1 hour at room temperature.

NB: the detailed quantities are given to you in the recipe at the bottom of the page.

Lemon poppy seed cake - Lilie Bakery

How to make this lemon poppy seed cake?

  1. Sift the dry ingredients to ensure a uniform mixture.
  2. We cream the butter and the sugar: we want to have a very creamy mixture.
  3. Add the eggs and then the lemon (zest and juice).
  4. Then add the dry ingredients and the liquid cream.
  5. Finally we finish with the poppy seeds.

For the icing, simply mix the 3 ingredients together until you have the ideal consistency to coat it on the lemon poppy seed cake.

My tips for a successful lemon cake

  • place all your ingredients at room temperature 1 hour before to start your recipe: this allows you to have a very soft result.
  • do not cook more than necessary lemon poppy seed cake: otherwise it will become dry, that would be a shame. The wooden pick test is always a good tip to check the cooking.
  • wait for the cake to cool completely before frosting it : it will freeze quickly on the sides of the cake.

How to store your lemon poppy seed cake?

This lemon poppy seed cake can be kept for about 2 days at room temperature (it's better to keep all its softness) or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. 

It can also be frozen (before frosting): to do this, wrap it already sliced ​​in cling film then place it in an airtight container. All you have to do is reheat the slices as needed!

Lemon poppy seed cake with lemon icing - Lilie Bakery

Other recipes to try

If you like lemon desserts, then take a look at these other recipes from the blog:

If you make this poppy lemon cake, don't hesitate to rate the recipe and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your pretty cakes!

Easy lemon poppy seed cake recipe - Lilie Bakery
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4.8 on 82 votes

Very Soft Lemon Poppyseed Cake

An ultra moist lemon cake with small poppy seeds inside. It is served topped with a delicious glaze (optional)
Prep time15 minutes
Cook time1 time
Total1 time 15 minutes
Recipe type: Dessert, Snack, Breakfast
Cuisine: French
Keyword: cake
Yield: 8 people

Ingredients:

Lemon poppy seed cake

  • 240 g all-purpose flour
  • 0,5 tsp salt
  • 0,25 tsp baking soda
  • 0,25 tsp baking powder
  • 130 g softened butter at room temperature
  • 195 g granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp shaved lemon zest or about 2 lemons
  • 2 tbsp squeezed lemon juice
  • 150 g heavy whipping cream 30% at room temperature
  • 1,75 tbsp poppy seeds

Creamy Lemon Frosting

  • 120 g icing sugar
  • 1 tbsp squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream 30%

Instructions:

Lemon poppy seed cake

  • Preheat the oven to 175° traditional heat. Grease a 27x10cm cake tin. Line it with a sheet of baking paper to facilitate unmolding.
  • Sift the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Put aside.
  • In a food processor or hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until the mixture thickens and is very creamy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each and scraping the edges.
  • Add the lemon zest and lemon juice then mix to homogenize.
  • Add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid cream. Finish with the dry ingredients (mix just enough, without overdoing it).
  • Add the poppy seeds last with a spatula without mixing too much.
  • Pour the batter into the mold and bake for 1 hour. Test for doneness with a wooden pick that should come out clean or with a few crumbs. If necessary, add aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning too much.
  • Leave to cool in the mold for 10 minutes, then unmold on a wire rack. Then let cool completely.

Creamy Lemon Frosting

  • Whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice. Add the cream little by little until you have the right consistency (neither too thick nor too runny).
  • Spoon this frosting over the cooled cake. It will harden as it cools.

Notes:

This cake can be kept for about 2 days at room temperature (it's better to keep all its softness) or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. 
Did you make this recipe?Tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see the result :)
3th June 2022
17th June 2022

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44 comments

  1. Reply

    LadyMilonguera

    12th June 2022

    5 stars
    This cake is so beautiful!

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      13th June 2022

      Thank you Lady :)

  2. Reply

    Marie

    30th October, 2022

    5 stars
    Delicious this poppy lemon cake, I loved it!! And super easy to make, congratulations Aurélie

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      31th October, 2022

      Thank you very much Mary! Goodbye :)

  3. Reply

    Marie

    November 2, 2022

    5 stars
    Hello
    Excellent cake, thank you for this recipe :) next time I will add more candied lemon cubes

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      November 5, 2022

      Thank you Mary! Very good idea the candied lemon cubes, see you soon :)

  4. Reply

    Sophie

    December 31, 2022

    5 stars
    Hello,
    I just tried it after three other recipes blah blah .. a killer !!
    Merci!

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      2th January 2023

      Thank you Sophie! Glad you like it, see you soon :)

  5. Reply

    Sophie

    4th January 2023

    Small variation, I prepared a lemon basil cake...to die for! Thank you for this beautiful gourmet site, I love it

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      5th January 2023

      Thank you Sophie!

  6. Reply

    ruili

    6th February 2023

    Hello,
    Could I replace the cream with milk? to make it lighter? Thanks for the recipe

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      7th February 2023

      Hello Ruili, I advise you to keep the cream because it is partly thanks to it that the cake is soft. However, if you absolutely want milk, take whole milk. See you soon :)

  7. Reply

    Isis

    22th February 2023

    5 stars
    Just tested and adopted!!! Well, didn't have time to make the icing, they liked it anyway
    On the other hand I reduced the sugar, I put 150g and I think that the next time I will even put 130g.. 2nd recipe that I test on your site (I made the super charlotte with raspberries) and I must say What killings!!! Many thanks ❤️

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      27th February 2023

      Thank you Isis for your feedback! Glad that this cake enjoyed your loved ones, See you soon :)

  8. Reply

    Alexa

    March 3, 2023

    Hello,

    I don't have a cake mold of this size, would it be possible to bake it in a 20x10cm sme mold? It will have the shape of a cake but not awkward for me (the amount of icing will surely have to be adapted?)

    If so, what would be the ideal cooking time?

    Thank you in advance,

    Alexa

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      March 8, 2023

      Hello Alexa, there would be a mathematical calculation of volume to do… My cake is a rectangle and not a round one, I still advise you to stay on a cake format, for cooking it is better (because it is calculated for ), including leavening agents. See you soon :)

  9. Reply

    Quentin

    April 4th

    Best lemon cake of my life!
    I chopped the zest with a knife, it adds a little texture, it's wonderful.
    Thanks for the recipe !

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      April 11th

      Thanks Quentin for your feedback! See you soon :)

  10. Reply

    Astrid

    April 8th

    5 stars
    A treat, as always with your recipes! I made without the poppy (to respect the tastes of some guests) so I can't judge the initial taste of the recipe but we loved it! A very soft and well flavored cake, it didn't last long!

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      April 11th

      Thank you Astrid for your feedback! See you soon :)

  11. Reply

    Mathilde

    April 22th

    5 stars
    It's the 2nd time I make this cake, it's a treat!
    I actually mix lemon and lime (zest and juice) :)
    Gonna try other recipes on your blog, it's very inspiring, thank you.

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      April 26th

      Thank you Mathilde for your comment!

  12. Reply

    Patrice

    10th May 2023

    Hello, would it be possible to know what weight corresponds to 0,25cc for yeast and bicarbonate.
    Do we also have to add baking soda?
    Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
    Patrice

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      11th May 2023

      Hello Patrice, 0,25 cc = it's 1/4 of a teaspoon. You absolutely need baking soda because it is the most important leavening agent in my recipe. Don't do without. See you soon :)

  13. Reply

    Hoang-mai

    27th June 2023

    5 stars
    A delight! Just perfect ! Thanks for sharing your recipe

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      29th June 2023

      Thank you very much Hoang-Mai! See you soon :)

  14. Reply

    Josiane

    July 20, 2023

    Can you replace baking soda with yeast?

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      July 24, 2023

      Hello Josiane, no, I don't recommend it, here the baking soda reacts with the lemon juice to make the cake rise properly. See you soon :)

  15. Reply

    Corinne

    7th October, 2023

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. The whole family enjoyed this sweet tangy mixture with the light crunch of poppy seeds. It keeps very well and above all remains very very soft. Thank you

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      10th October, 2023

      My pleasure ! Thank you Corinne, see you soon :)

  16. Reply

    Alexia

    November 9, 2023

    Hello,

    Really want to try your recipe.
    I don't have any baking soda, what can I replace it with? :)

    Thank you

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      November 10, 2023

      Hello Alexia, I really recommend baking soda in this recipe (do not replace it with yeast because they do not have the same leavening power at all). You can find them in all supermarkets in the salt section. See you soon :)

  17. Reply

    Edwige

    November 9, 2023

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe, the cake was perfect: soft and tangy as it should :)

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      November 10, 2023

      Thank you Edwige for your feedback! I'm glad you like this cake :) See you soon

  18. Reply

    Laurie

    November 10, 2023

    Hello,
    Thank you very much for the recipe (and all the others, I’m really a fan)! I made it recently and found it very good, but a little dense. I must admit that I no longer had any baking soda on hand.. Is that enough to explain that it was dense? Because in this case, I will bring it back after having bought some bicarbonate!

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      November 14, 2023

      Hello Laurie, bicarbonate here is even a key ingredient: you should definitely not remove it! It reacts chemically with the acidity of the lemon to create the soft texture and also it allows the cake to rise. As a general rule, nothing should be removed from a baking recipe because each element plays a role in the final result, it's chemistry. I'm sure your cake would have been perfect with bicarbonate :) See you soon for other recipes!

  19. Reply

    Karine

    November 18, 2023

    Hello,
    Are we talking about 175°C or 175°F?

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      November 20, 2023

      Hello Karine, it’s always Celsius for all my recipes, it’s the French system. See you soon :)

  20. Reply

    Geneviève

    November 27, 2023

    5 stars
    Sorry for this perhaps stupid question but what does 025 cc mean???
    But so tempted by this recipe, I love lemon!!!
    Thank you for your reply!

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      November 27, 2023

      Hello Geneviève, 0,25cc = 1/4 teaspoon. I hope you like the cake! See you soon :)

  21. Reply

    Lola

    6th January 2024

    Hello,
    I'm about to make the recipe!
    Before continuing, I have a question about measuring yeast... What does 0.25Cc equate to exactly? Thanks in advance !

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      6th January 2024

      Hello Lola, this is equivalent to 1/4 teaspoon. See you soon :)

  22. Reply

    Sarah

    5th February 2024

    5 stars
    Cake made today, it is super good, recipe to keep carefully :)
    Thank you for sharing these recipes, I have tried a few and never been disappointed!

    • Reply

      Lilie bakery

      10th February 2024

      Thank you very much Sarah! Glad you like this lemon cake and thank you for your loyalty to the blog :) See you soon

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