Let's face it Starbucks makes the best Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf next to this recipe which uses fresh lemons, poppy seeds, butter and more. As it bakes this lemon poppy seed loaf fills your home with a lovely citrus fragrance.
This poppy seed loaf is soft and dense, similar to a sponge cake. The tangy cream cheese frosting is perfect for this lemon loaf that's no so sweet.
Like lemon? Try one of these recipes; lemon cake with cream cheese frosting. Try other desserts with lemon like lemon meringue cheesecake, lemon ricotta pancakes, no churn lemon meringue ice cream, one skillet lemon pasta or a boozy strawberry lemonade.
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You can easily transform this lemon poppy seed loaf into lemon poppy seed muffins or lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- quick and easy to make
- the taste of lemon is a flavor palette the many will enjoy
- kid friendly
- poppy seeds add a subtle crunch that many enjoy
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Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Lemons
- Lemon Zest
- Poppy Seeds
- Buttermilk or milk
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line or grease a 9.5 x 5" loaf pan, set aside.
Grate 2 lemons and set aside. Juice one of the lemons and set aside.
Combine flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the butter, sugar and egg with a hand mixer until creamy.
Add poppy seeds, grated lemon and lemon juice and mix until well combined.
Add flour mixture and buttermilk a little at a time by alternating between the two until finished.
Pour batter into lined loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes.
Storage
Store this lemon poppy seed loaf in the refrigerator covered lightly with wrap.
This lemon loaf can also be frozen and thawed for later use prior to frosting. Thaw out the loaf and frost it at least an hour before serving.
I don't recommend freezing this lemon loaf when it has been frosted already.
Top Tip
Test doneness by placing a skewer in center and removing it. If the skewer comes out dry then it's done.
If you don't have buttermilk, make your own by combining ½ cup of milk and 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar.
Make sure your lemon poppy seed loaf has cooled down to room temperature before frosting.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few ideas on how you can make this dish different or fit a certain diet:
- Buttermilk - make your own buttermilk by combining ½ cup of milk with 1 ½ teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let stand for 20 minutes.
- Blueberries - add blueberries for a fruity lemon poppy seed loaf.
- Lemon Glaze - make a lemon glaze to keep things light or forgo frosting all together
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins - pour the batter into muffin liners to make lemon poppy seed muffins (reduce baking time checking in 20 minute intervals until muffins are cooked)
If you know how to make this recipe unique or suit your diet - go for it! Let me know what you did and how it turned out by leaving me a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
Equipment
For this recipe you will need a stand mixer or a hand mixer, a loaf pan and a spatula. Measuring cups and spoons will also come in handy as will parchment paper.
Other Desserts
Recipe Details
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour (sifted)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups butter (softened or melted but not hot)
- ¾ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- ¾ cups buttermilk or substitute with 1 cup milk + 3 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon extract
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cups icing sugar (sifted)
- 1 lemon (grated and juiced)
- 1 ½ tbsp milk
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
Instructions
For the Poppy Seed Loaf:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line or grease a 9.5 x 5" loaf pan, set aside.
- Grate 2 lemons and set aside. Juice one of the lemons and set aside.
- If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by substituting ¾ cups of milk and combining it with 3 teaspoons of lemon juice (not counted in ingredient list).
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the butter, sugar and egg with a hand mixer until creamy.
- Add poppy seeds, grated lemon and lemon juice and mix until well combined. Add lemon and vanilla extract.
- Add flour mixture and buttermilk a little at a time by alternating between the two until finished.
- Pour batter into lined loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes. Test doneness by placing a skewer in center and removing it. If the skewer comes out dry then it's done.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Juice and grate the lemon, set aside.
- Cream the cream cheese in a small bowl using a hand mixer.
- Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and blend together.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix.
- Add ½ tablespoon of milk alternating with the remaining powdered sugar.
- Add ½ tablespoon of milk as needed until you get a spreadable frosting that isn't too runny.
- Make sure your cake has cooled down before frosting your cake.Place frosting on cake and refrigerate immediately.
Notes
Top Tip
Test doneness by placing a skewer in center and removing it. If the skewer comes out dry then it's done. If you don't have buttermilk, make your own by combining ½ cup of milk and 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar. Make sure your lemon poppy seed loaf has cooled down to room temperature before frosting.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Lucy says
So tasty!! Made this for my husbands friends and they thought it was from Starbucks. They loved it!
AmyG says
Hey Lucy,
I'm so glad they liked it!