Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is bright, zesty and irresistibly moist, with fresh lemon juice and zest giving it a vibrant flavor.
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- hand mixer
- spatula
- cake tins
- wire rack
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plain flour in UK
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2½ tsps baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup unflavoured vegetable oil canola oil
- 1½ cups white granulated sugar
- 3 tbsps lemon zest see note 1
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup milk room temperature
- ½ cup yogurt unflavored and unsweetened, low-fat Greek yogurt okay
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsps poppy seeds
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar also known as icing/confectioners' sugar
- 1½ cups cream cheese cold, firm/block type
- 1½ tsps vanilla essence/extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice must be fresh
Instructions
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) and grease two 8-inch cake tins. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and lemon zest. Cream together for two minutes until light and creamy.
- Add eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition.
- Add the milk, yogurt, and lemon juice. Mix until well combined.
- Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Add poppy seeds and mix until just combined.
- Distribute the batter into the two cake tins and bake for 33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake layers to cool in the tins for 15-20 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, add unsalted butter and cream it until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar in batches while mixing on low speed.
- Add cream cheese, vanilla, and fresh lemon juice and mix until smooth.
Notes
Use a fine grater when zesting lemons to avoid the bitter white part. Mix frosting only until smooth to maintain stability.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 688kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 11gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 434mgPotassium: 170mgFiber: 1gSugar: 60gVitamin A: 999IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 221mgIron: 2mg
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