LEMON POPPYSEED CAKE
A tender layer cake recipe brightened with lemon juice, lemon zest and poppy seeds, frosted with a tangy sweet lemon cream cheese frosting.
- Yield: One 8″ Round Cake (3 layers)
INGREDIENTS
For the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- 3 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled (336g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons organic lemon zest, about 3–4 lemons
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces cream cheese, block style
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cold
- 4 ounces salted butter, slightly softened but still cold
- 4–6 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon organic lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For the Assembly
- Lemon slices
- Poppy Seeds
- Edible flowers (optional)
Prepare the lemon poppy seed cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper circles.
2. whisk together 3 cups of cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add lemon zest and whisk again. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine milk and lemon juice. Stir and set aside to curdle the milk. This is similar to making homemade buttermilk.
4. In the bowl of a food processor, beat butter and sugar with the whisk attachment on medium speed. Beat for about 3 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
5. With the mixer on low, add one egg at a time. Mix well after each egg.
6. Add the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well blended.
7. Add the flour mixture in three stages, alternating with the milk, always starting and ending with the flour mixture. Do not mix too much.
8. Add the poppy seeds and mix until everything is well combined. Stop the mixer and scrape out the bowl and the mixing knife. The dough will be thick and fluffy.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the three 8-inch round ramekins. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula or knife to evenly distribute the batter in the pan.
10. bake for 25-27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
11. cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Prepare the cream cheese icing
1. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and juice and mix well.
3. Gradually add the icing sugar and adjust the amount until the desired sweetness is reached. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and slightly fluffy. If you mix too much, the frosting will be thinner because the butter and cream cheese will be too warm and soft.
Assemble the cake
1. Place one cake layer on a serving platter or cake stand and cover with about a cup of lemon cream cheese frosting. Repeat the process with the second cake layer, more icing and then the last cake layer. Spread the remaining icing over the cake and frost.
2. If you like, you can use the tip of an offset spatula to make gentle swirls in the icing as you turn the turntable. The spatula will naturally move up the side of the cake, leaving an impressive swirl.
3. Decorate the cake with lemon slices, poppy seeds and edible flowers if desired.
4. Shop in the fridge. Serve at room temperature.
NOTES
* Be careful not to put too much flour in the measuring cup. Too much flour can result in a cake that is heavy and too dense. 3 cups of cake flour equals 336 g when measured correctly. If you do not have a scale, you can also put the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and weigh out the excess.* When you have finished mixing the cake batter, scrape the blade of the mixer to catch any lemon peel that has accumulated. Lift them back into the cake batter before pouring it into the tin.* You can bake this cake as two full-size 8-inch round cake layers. Alternatively, I baked it as three intentionally shorter 8-inch round layers – this saves time and effort because you do not have to torture the shorter layers. The resulting layers are about 1.25 inches high. If you are only using two ramekins, you should only fill them 2/3 full so they do not overflow.* I do not recommend adding 2% or skimmed milk to the cake batter. This recipe needs the fat of whole milk.* If the frosting is too thin after whipping, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before assembling the cake. The chilled frosting will have a thicker consistency. If you want an even thicker consistency, you can add extra icing sugar.* I used edible micro sunflowers for the decoration. Add the flowers just before serving as they will wilt over time, especially if refrigerated.
