Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
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Sunshine on a Cake Stand
I love all things lemon, so this cake was always going to happen 🍋 It’s a soft lemon poppy seed cake layered with lemon curd and baked in one pan, which makes it feel a little extra special without making your life harder. The lemon flavor is bright, fresh, and really stands out, and the poppy seeds give it that classic little bit of texture that just works. It’s the kind of cake that feels perfect for spring, Easter, brunch, baby showers, or honestly any time you want a dessert that looks pretty and tastes even better. This one is simple, sunny, and absolutely worth making.
Serve it fully chilled or just slightly cool so the frosting stays fluffy and the slices hold cleanly. It’s especially pretty with a little extra lemon zest over the top and a pot of coffee nearby.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Equipment
- Citrus juicer
- Offset spatula or butter knife for frosting
Video
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup unsweetened plain yogurt (or sour cream)
- ¼ cup milk (or oat milk if dairy-free)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 14 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1¼ cups butter (softened)
- 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Optional:
- Lemon curd for between the layers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, milk, lemon juice, sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Mix just until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 28 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and cool completely.
How to Make the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and lemon juice, then mix until smooth. If needed, add a little more powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Assemble the cake.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
- Spread a layer of lemon curd on top if using.
- Add the second cake layer, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the lemon cream cheese frosting.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Lemon curd is optional, but adds extra lemon flavor between the layers.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- Store the cake covered in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.
