Note from Tori: This recipe has been retested and updated with new photos for 2014! I improved the recipe by cutting the butter in half and adding vegetable oil to make the cake more tender and moist. I also used full fat dairy and added a bit more lemon juice. It was always tasty, but it’s so much better now. Enjoy!
This lemony sour cream poppy seed bundt cake is delicious year-round, but it’s particularly appropriate during the Jewish holiday of Purim. In addition to eating triangle foods like hamantaschen and kreplach, which represent Haman’s ears or his triangular-shaped hat, many Jewish families celebrate Purim with a vegetarian feast in honor of Esther. The meal often includes items like chickpeas, nuts, and poppy seeds. This tradition of eating nuts, legumes and seeds has roots in the intermarriage between Queen Esther and her husband Ahasuerus, the king of Persia.
Queen Esther was Jewish, King Ahasuerus was not. When Esther came to live in the king’s palace, tradition says she became a vegetarian in order to avoid eating food that was not kosher. For protein, she was said to eat nutrient-rich seeds, nuts, and legumes instead of meat. Poppy seeds are a natural outgrowth of this seed and legume tradition; in eating them we are celebrating Queen Esther and her role in the Purim story. Poppy seeds are also seen in the Jewish religion as a symbol of fruitfulness. Accordingly, I think this cake would also make a great addition to a Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah or Shavuot menu… or really, any time of year! Who needs an excuse to bake a lemony poppy seed bundt cake?
There are three different ways to top this beauty, with powdered sugar, a lemon icing or a warm lemon glaze. They are all tasty, though I don’t recommend using more than one topping– you’ll be on sugar overload! One topping should do it, or serve it naked if you don’t need the extra sweetness and you simply want to enjoy a slice with tea or coffee. It’s sweet, moist and delicious all on its own. 🙂
By the way, a friendly heads up: if you are about to take a new job that requires a drug test, skip this cake. Poppy seeds can cause a false positive for heroin use. So if you’re filling out job applications, think twice about this one. Try some fruit or chocolate-filled hamantaschen instead!
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Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup poppy seeds
- 1 cup milk (full fat recommended)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil - canola and coconut work well
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, separated (room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream (full fat recommended)
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Lemon Icing Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Warm Lemon Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-10 inch Bundt cake pan (12 cup capacity) and set aside.If you prefer a crunchier, more seed-filled texture, leave the seeds whole. If you prefer a less crunchy cake with a more pronounced poppy seed flavor, grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. In a small saucepan, combine poppy seeds (whole or ground), milk, and honey. Stir till combined and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let mixture boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes or until lukewarm.
- Place poppy seed mixture into a mixing bowl along with butter, oil and sugar. Beat on high until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add egg yolks to the mixture and beat again on high. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and sour cream and beat until blended.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually combine dry and wet ingredients, beating together until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
- In a separate clean and dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the poppy seed batter.
- Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bundt pan depths vary, so make sure the batter fills the pan ¾ full or less. Do not fill beyond ¾ or your cake might overflow during baking. Use a spatula to gently push the batter to the outside of the pan, pushing slightly up the walls. This will help to get rid of any air pockets that might interfere with the pretty details of the pan.Smooth the batter on the top so it is flat and even all the way around the pan.
- Bake cake in preheated oven for 55-65 minutes. When the edges darken and pull fully away from the sides of the pan and the cake browns all the way across the surface, it’s ready. You should be able to insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the cake and have it come out clean.The top of the cake might be a bit domed. If it bothers you, you can trim it down with a knife to flatten—and snack on the freshly baked trimmings. Yum!
- Let the cake cool for exactly 10 minutes, then invert it onto a flat plate. Tap the Bundt pan gently to release the cake. If your cake sticks, use a plastic knife to carefully loosen the cake around the center tube and sides. Allow cake to cool completely.
- I have a few topping options for this cake. I prefer the lemon icing, personally, but they are all delish. I don't recommend combining options or you'll be on sugar overload! One topping should suffice, or none at all if you want something less dessert-like to serve with tea or coffee. 🙂
- Option #1: Dust the cake with powdered sugar. To keep things neat, I like to do this part on a wire cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper underneath to catch extra sugar. You can simply do it on a plate if you prefer. Put 3 tbsp of powdered sugar into a handheld mesh strainer or sifter. Sprinkle sugar onto the top of the cake by tapping the strainer or sifting to release an even shower of sugar around the surface of the cake. Simple, yummy. Do this right before you serve to keep it looking pretty and fresh... it's a moist cake and it may "soak up" the sugar if left for a long period of time.
- Option #2: Frost the cake with lemony frosting. Again, best to put the cake on a wire cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper underneath to catch the drippings. Mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice in a small mixing bowl to form a tangy frosting with the texture of thick honey. With the help of a spoon, generously pour the frosting over the top of the cake so that it it drizzles down the sides, but doesn't cover the entire cake completely. Allow icing to dry completely before serving—this usually takes about 30 minutes.
- Option #3: Warm lemon glaze. This one is decadent! In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar with 3 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp water. Warm up the glaze till it’s heated through and bubbling around the edges. Pour a few tablespoons of hot glaze over the warm cake slices just before serving. Oy. Vey.
- Personally, I like the icing option... I think it's the prettiest and the extra touch of lemony sweetness is absolutely delish. Enjoy!
Vanina says
Hello Tori… the cake looks lovely!!!
I need to ask you a question before try it….. what size of eggs did you use???
Tori Avey says
Large. 🙂
Sharon Venneman says
Thanks for the recipe. My mom use to make this but lost the recipe. I did try using the poppyseed cake filling, I did cut the oil down a bit. The cake came out delicious. Followed the rest of the recipe to the tee. Thanks again.
Irene says
How much of canned poppyseed filling did you use?
Sharon Venneman says
1/3 of a can.
Stephanie Higham says
Hi! I guess you are using American cups – do you have a metric size for them, are they 250ml?? Also is there a metric equivalent of 1 ‘stick’ ? Is it 250g?
Am looking forward to baking this for my husband and his golfing friends on Tuesday!
Stephanie in South Africa
Tori Avey says
Hi Stephanie! 1/2 cup butter equals 4 ounces. 1 American cup is 8 ounces, or roughly 235 millileters. Hope that helps!
Fay says
Have you made this recipe with gluten free flour?
Tori Avey says
Hi Fay– no I haven’t tried it, but I’m guessing it would probably turn out well with an all purpose GF flour blend.
Emma Leftick says
Great recipe. Love that is a substantial quantity of poppy seeds! Highly recommend.
Rosie says
Hi Tori,
Thank you for the recipe! Is the cake suitable for freezing? And if so, how long for?
Thank you!
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Rosie, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. This cake can be frozen in airtight resealable bags, then thawed overnight in the refrigerator. I would not recommend freezing a frosted cake, so be sure to give yourself enough to time to frost your cake once it has thawed.
Mae says
I’ve baked it have not eat it have not cut it.. How shd I keep it so it’ll keep moist for 2 days?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Mae, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Cake will naturally dry out over time, but to help keep some of the moisture you should wrap and store it in an airtight container.
Caitlyn says
I randomly clicked on your website because this recipe got such a high rating, and had to do a double-take when I saw your name/picture… I used to live right down the street from you when we were in elementary school! I don’t know if you remember me because you were older and cooler but I totally remember you. I’m so impressed by your site and your accomplishments. Congratulations, and I’m glad you’re doing so well 🙂
Tori Avey says
Hi Caitlyn– of course I remember you! 🙂 So nice to hear from you.
Lydia says
Thank you for sharing. Lemon Poppy seed cake from scratch.
I love it as it is.. No lemon glaze/icing needed.
Brooke says
Awesome! This is one of the few cake recipes I’ve used that actually turned out exactly like the picture, and it was SO good! I followed the recipe exactly and used the lemon icing for the topping. I don’t know if I will make it again as I’ve made a major glutton of myself eating it, but alas, life is short and they do still make bigger jeans, so I just may… Thanks for sharing!
Alice says
Amazing poppy seed cake recipe. I followed it to the letter and loved it! If you don’t have a bundt pan, also works well in a round pan or a loaf shape.
Maria says
Made this cake and loved it! Maybe I put less lemon zest (only from 3 small lemons) and it should be more, as it is in the recipe, but still, the cake came out very tasty. I ground 1/2 cup of the poppy seeds and left the other 1/2 as is. I baked it for 60 min and it was very brown. Maybe next time I’ll stop at 55 min, at least to check it. The keeper!
Lilia says
Wonderful recipe! Thank you very much , Tori, for this recipe! The cake has very light crumb texture , unlike many lemon poppyseed bundt cakes, in spite quite high fat content. Long looked for recipe. Absolutely my favorite now.
Kumiko says
This was so good!!
I used chia seeds instead of poppy – didn’t boil it but added 3/4 cup milk and honey directly to the wet batter. It turned out amazing. Thanks for sharing!!
Yael says
Hi Tory,
I love butter and not oil. What’s the total amount of butter I would use if I want to omit the oil?
Thank you
Tori Avey says
Hi Yael, you should be able to use an equivalent amount of butter to oil, however it will make the cake a bit dry. Using only butter in cakes tends to result in a drier crumb; ideally, a combination should be used for best flavor and texture.
Nicky says
Tried this recipe today, it looks the part but I found it very dense and oily- maybe the butter + canola oil… Thanks anyway! I’ll try it again, but probably omit the butter
Tori Avey says
Sorry to hear that Nicky! Many folks have made this and loved it, not sure what went wrong for you. Hope it turns out better next time. 🙂
Akor says
I have tried making this cake a number of times and have had the same issue. Have you resolved yours?
I will try it with only butter at room temperature to see what happens. If you have any tips on how to fix it, please share. Thanks.
Tori Avey says
This is meant to be a denser pound cake-like texture. You can try replacing the butter with applesauce fora lighter texture. I haven’t tested it, but in theory it should work!
Lindsay says
Made this today. Not only is it beautiful, it’s delicious! I just dusted powder sugar on top and that was perfectly sewwt for me. Yum!
Madhuli says
Hi Tori,baked this cake for my husband’s birthday- turned out so well.He loved it.Thanks a lot for the recipe
Sharon says
I love lemon poppyseed cake but had never made one. My teenage daughter decided we needed to! I found this recipe and though it is more involved than some I saw, I thought it was worth a try. Was I ever right! It is delicious! I love the texture of the poppyseeds and the moistness of the cake. I think I would increase the amount of zest just a bit next time but in every other way it is perfect. Thanks so much!
Tori Avey says
Sharon I’m so pleased you and your daughter enjoyed this one!
Quiqui says
I made this last night after researching many recipes. It is excellent! I think I might like a different glaze (I used #2) but it is beautiful and it was a hit among my friends. It’s even better this morning! My question is if there is a type of glaze that would seep into the cake kind of like rum cake. I don’t know but something more gooey maybe. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe and wonderful photos and instructions!
Tori Avey says
I don’t have a recipe for the type of glaze you’re referring to on the blog (yet), but if you’ve found a glaze in the past that you really love, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work with this recipe as well. I might also suggest using a cake tester or small skewer to poke holes into the cake so that the glaze can really seep in.