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This lemon poppy seed cake is moist and fluffy and is bursting with refreshing lemon flavor. Topped with a cream cheese frosting, it looks ambitious, but it’s SO easy to make!
Love lemon dessert recipes? Try my lemon olive oil cake, lemon loaf, and lemon mousse.
My lemon poppy seed cake recipe looks impressive, but honestly, it’s one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make. I tested this using just pantry staples because, let’s be real- things are expensive these days, and we all deserve (need) some cake!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Basic ingredients. This cake has no eggs, no milk, and no butter, but you’d never tell.
- Perfect for lemon lovers. You get some lemon in the cake batter but also in the frosting.
- It looks incredible. I add a few drops of yellow food coloring to make the color pop, and when you pair that with the poppy seeds and cream cheese frosting, it’s a cake that will impress–just ask my friends!
- Quick and easy. From prep to plate, this cake takes less than 30 minutes to make. The hard part is waiting to add the frosting.
Ingredients needed
- Flour. Nothing fancy is needed here. Just sifted all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour if needed.
- Sugar. I used regular white sugar. You can use brown sugar if you’d like, but it will make the cake darker and give it a more robust caramelized flavor.
- Salt. Just a dash to elevate the other ingredients.
- Baking soda. To help the cake rise.
- Poppy seeds. For lemon poppy seed cake, of course!
- Vinegar. To react with the baking soda and give it a light, airy texture. Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cake recipe.
- Oil. I used vegetable oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will work. It provides moisture and binds the ingredients.
- Lemon juice. I recommend using fresh lemon juice for the brightest lemon flavor.
- Water. To bind the ingredients. Milk will also work, though I didn’t notice a huge flavor difference.
- Yellow food coloring. To enhance the color. You can skip this if you’d like, but the cake will be white.
- Cream cheese frosting. To frost the cake. I made my own with softened cream cheese and milk, but you can use a store-bought frosting instead.
How to make lemon poppyseed cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients.
Step 2- Add wet ingredients. To the large bowl, add all of the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, minus the food coloring, and whisk to combine. Then, add the food coloring and mix until it reaches your desired color.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 4- Frost. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool briefly, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Recipe tips and variations
- Don’t overbake. The cake will continue to cook briefly after being pulled out of the oven, so remove it as soon as a toothpick comes out ‘just’ clean.
- Increase the lemon flavor. If you love tart lemon, swap the water for extra lemon juice and fold lemon zest into the batter.
- Make lemon poppyseed muffins. When I want to share this recipe, I find making muffins to be easier. Simply line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners and evenly distribute the batter among the pan. Bake for 17-19 minutes, then let them cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- Or make a bundt cake. Pour the batter into a well-greased bundt cake and increase the cooking time by at least 15-20 minutes to make up for the deeper-sized pan.
- Double or triple the recipe. This recipe makes a single 8-inch cake with frosting, but if you’d like multiple cake layers, double or triple the ingredients.
- Swap the citrus. I’ve made this exact recipe with orange and grapefruit, and I’ll tell you what: it tasted just as good!
Frosting options
If you’re not in the mood for cream cheese frosting, you can skip it or use a different frosting recipe. Here are a few of my tested options:
- Lemon cream cheese frosting. Using an electric mixer, combine ½ cup of softened cream cheese with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar in
- Lemon glaze. Combine ¾ cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Vanilla glaze. Combine ¾ cup of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Vegan cream cheese frosting. Use the frosting recipe from my vegan lemon cake.
Storage instructions
To store: Any leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: To keep the cake fresher longer, wrap any leftover slices in plastic wrap and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
More easy cake recipes to try
Easiest Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar white or sugar free substitutes * See notes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon vinegar white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoon oil vegetable, canola, or any neutral flavored oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3/4 cup water
- 1-2 drops yellow food coloring
- 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and poppy seeds and mix well. Add your vinegar, vanilla extract, oil, water, and lemon juice and mix everything together. Add your yellow food coloring, and mix until incorporated.
- Transfer the cake batter into the lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely, before frosting.
What can you use instead of yellow food dye ?
I love how simple it is and how the ingredients you would find in your kitchen also how you can make it in less than 30
The keto version doesn’t list poppy seeds. Should the same 1/4 cup be used?
Hi can I use wheat flour instead of oats?? I know it’s flour less but my daughter don’t like oats
Hi Arman….I don’t see a recipe for the keto version. Am I missing it?
Just made these today, into cupcake cases. They’re so cute! Delicious without any icing! A little crumbly under the tops though, but still taste great.
Thank you for the feedback, Aqdas- glad you enjoyed them 🙂
When I first saw this recipe I thought, “How can cake be healthy for breakfast?” But after looking at the recipe, I was blow away! It truly is healthy, so I gave it a try. This recipe is DELICIOUS. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
Hi! I’m making this right now! However, I don’t have coconut butter for the glaze. Nor do I have on hand any vanilla protein powder or cream cheese. I was going to make the coconut butter frosting and I made the paleo cake option. Is there something I can sub for the coconut butter? I have coconut oil and also canned coconut milk. Thanks!
Hi Sharon, I think you’d be best just to use any frosting of choice or leave it unfrosted.
Hi,
This will be my first attempt at Vegan/Paleo baking. Have some reservations, but have to start somewhere! Anyway, I’m wondering if I could bake this in a 8 x 8′ pan instead or there isn’t enough batter to make them thick or too thin?
Thanks, Sally
Hi Sally! I think it might be too thin, but feel free to experiment and see! 🙂
Hello! This may be a silly question, but when the recipe calls for 1 T baking powder, does T mean tablespoon? Thanks!
Hi! Tablespoon 🙂
All I can say is that I’m relieved and hopeful for my kids. I always say someday theyll realize mum was right all along 😝. It didnt take much arn wrestling with your mum , I’d probably prolong the agony a bit but she knows you’re reformed and that’s all that matters. for all its worth, I’ll give this a try and I also happen to love lemon this and lemon that (not the bottled ones coz I’m like your mum that way 😂)
In all seriousness, thank you for this recipe and bravo to all the awesome mums out there!
hahahaha I LOVE IT!
Hi can I use honey instead of sweatner and if yes how much ? ( The oat flour recipe)
Hi there, I haven’t tried with honey- You could use 1/4 cup and see how that turns out, but reduce the milk if the batter is too wet.
Hi. do i need to ground the poppy seeds or should they be whole? and also- instead of an egg in the vegan version can i use apple souse? thanks!!!