Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Adapted significantly from  “Butter Sugar Flour Eggs” by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin: Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999

For the cake:

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk 
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder 
1/3-cup (2 ½ ounces) poppy seeds  
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



For the glaze:


Powdered sugar
Lemon juice

In a bowl combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 6-cup loaf pan with parchment. In a large bowl whip the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.

In a small bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, and poppy seeds. With the mixer running, drizzle the oil and vanilla extract into the egg mixture. With the mixer still running, add alternating batches of flour mixture and lemon-milk mixture to the egg mixture. The batter will be somewhat thin. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for about one hour, until the center is raised and cracked and the whole cake is firm and dry on the top. 

Avoid opening the oven while baking. Do not under-bake or the cake will fall. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.


To make the glaze combine powdered sugar and lemon juice until the mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Pour over the lemon poppyseed cake.