This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is the ultimate citrus-lover’s dream, crafted with expert precision for a moist, tender crumb and an irresistible balance of bright, tangy, and sweet flavors. This recipe utilizes both fresh lemon juice and zest to deliver a bold citrus punch, while the addition of sour cream ensures every bite is melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Developed by a trusted recipe creator, this cake is foolproof, elevated, and guaranteed to impress, backed by step-by-step photos and expert tips for bakery-quality elegance at home.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
This recipe is the culmination of many experiments to bring you the very best! Here is what makes it AMAZING:
Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need to make this poppy seed cake (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
For the cake
CREAM CHEESE LEMON GLAZE
The Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is crowned with a velvety cream cheese lemon glaze kissed with lemon juice for a creamy, silky, sweet, citrus glaze that is one of my favorite things ever.
DIY Buttermilk
Buttermilk is crucial for a tender crumb because the lactic acid reacts with the baking soda to leaven the cake. Fortunately, you can make DIY buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a measuring glass then adding enough milk to equal one cup. If you only have reduced fat milk, add some half and half or heavy cream to give it body if you have it on hand. Give mixture a stir and let sit 10 minutes. The milk will curdle so you know it’s ready.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Recipe
Let’s take a closer look with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
- Brush an even layer of softened butter all over the inside of the pan (about 1 ½ tablespoons). Make sure you get every nook and cranny!
- Next, sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar – starting with the top edges of the pan so it trickles down the pan – make sure you do the same to the tube too, and tap and turn the pan to evenly coat.
- Repeat with one tablespoon of flour. Tap a few times to remove any excess.
Why You Should Alternate Adding Ingredients
To keep the batter stable and easy to mix, it’s important to add the dry and wet ingredients to the batter in alternating thirds, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Adding all of the wet ingredients at once can break the emulsion and cause the batter to separate. Conversely, adding all the dry ingredients at once can result in a batter that is too thick, leading to overmixing and a tougher cake.
How to Make Ahead Poppy Seed Cake Recipe
This cake tastes even more delicious the next day, just hold the glaze! To prepare in advance, let the cake cool completely on a baking rack, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it at room temperature until you’re ready to serve. Add the glaze just before serving and enjoy!
Alternatively, you can make the entire cake, including the glaze, and then cover it with a cake container or tent it with foil. Due to the cream cheese in the glaze, refrigerate the cake, then let it sit at room temperature for one hour before serving to remove some of the chill. Even better, you can microwave individual slices for 10 seconds or so – it’s so good! Microwaving individual slices makes them incredibly moist and soft – even better than when freshly made!
Tips for Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
Ingredient Tips
Cake Making Tips
Poppy Seed Cake Recipe Frosting tips
Don’t microwave the cream cheese or butter: Use cream cheese and butter softened at room temperature, to room temperature. If you soften either in the microwave, your glaze will be very runny,
Sift the powdered sugar: Sift the sugar if it has been sitting for a while otherwise the glaze will be lumpy.
Thicken the glaze: If your glaze is too thin, pop it into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to thicken up.
Patch up any missing cake: I have never had a problem with my lemon Bundt cakes sticking, but if any cake is stuck in the pan, patch it back onto the cake. The glaze will hide any imperfections.
Poppy Seed Cake Recipe Variations
How to Serve Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is exponentially better if served at room temperature- not chilled – we especially love it slightly warmed! If the cake has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, or microwave slices for about 10 seconds (watch closely so the glaze doesn’t melt and slip off!)
This Poppy Seed Cake recipe is fabulous in its citrus, buttery simplicity, but it’s also wonderful with fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and/or blackberries, Vanilla ice cream (and berries!), or a dollop of homemade whipped cream (and berries!) are also tasty.
How to store Poppy Seed Cake
How to Refrigerate Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cake tends to dry out in the fridge, so be sure to wrap it tightly and microwave individual slices for 10 seconds or so to make it extra moist again.
HOW TO freeze Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Freeze the Lemon Poppy Seed recipe without the glaze. To freeze:
1. Double-wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap.
2. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
3. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator then unwrap and come to room temperature on the counter before adding the glaze.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
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Ingredients
CAKE
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk, at room temperature (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest, gently packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
CREAM CHEESE LEMON GLAZE
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously and thoroughly grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan (I grease, sugar, and flour the pan – see Notes for instructions).
- Whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the mixture aside.
- Whisk together the buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup or medium mixing bowl, then set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for at least 3-4 minutes (no less!), until light and fluffy, scraping down sides occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg.
- Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Beat until just combined, and then give the batter a final stir by hand to ensure all the flour is mixed in.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45- 55 minutes until a wooden pick inserted near the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs, 45- 55 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert it onto the rack to cool completely before adding the glaze.
THE CREAM CHEESE LEMON GLAZE
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, lemon juice, and powdered sugar until smooth. Add more lemon juice for a tangier glaze or more powdered sugar for a sweeter glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze all over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Garnish with additional poppy seeds if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
HOW TO GREASE AND SUGAR THE PAN
This process creates a divine sugar crust like on a doughnut, otherwise, grease the pan with softened butter and flour but you’ll miss that coveted crackling sugar crust. To grease, sugar, and flour your pan:- Brush an even layer of softened butter all over the inside of the pan (about 1 ½ tablespoons). Make sure you get every nook and cranny!
- Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar – starting with the top edges of the pan so it trickles down the pan – make sure you do the same to the tube too and tap and turn the pan to evenly coat.
- Repeat with one tablespoon of flour. Tap a few times to remove any excess.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- DIY buttermilk/sour milk: Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a measuring glass then add enough milk to equal one cup. If you only have reduced-fat milk, add some half and half or heavy cream to give it body if you have it on hand. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Follow the recipe: Use room temperature buttermilk and eggs, don’t shortcut the creaming, add eggs one at a time, don’t overmix, and don’t overbake. There is science behind each of these steps!
- Room temperature eggs hack: Add warm (not hot) tap water to a bowl then add eggs (still in their shells) for at least 20 minutes. You can microwave your buttermilk until room temperature (NOT hot).
- Don’t microwave cream cheese! For the glaze, use cream cheese softened at room temperature. If you soften the cream cheese in the microwave, it can be too runny.
- Thicken glaze: If your glaze is too thin, pop it into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to thicken up.
- Storage: Cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cake tends to dry out in the fridge, so wrap it tightly and microwave individual slices for 10 seconds to make it more moist.
MAKE AHEAD
This lemon pound cake tastes equally delicious the next day, just hold the glaze! Cool the cake completely before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap, then store it at room temperature until ready to serve. Add the glaze and voila!Want To Make This Recipe?
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KATHRYN THURSTON says
Want to try this lovely recipe but I need high altitude versions. I’m at about 5,200-5,500 feet
Thanks
Jen says
Hi Kathryn, I asked AI to do this for me, so disclaimer – I have not tested it! Here’s what it said:
To adjust this cake for high altitude (5200–5500 feet), you’ll need to make a few tweaks to prevent it from over-rising, collapsing, or drying out—common issues at elevation. The main changes include:
✅ High Altitude Adjustments Made:
Decrease sugar by 2 tablespoons
Decrease baking powder from 1 tsp to ¾ tsp
Decrease baking soda from ½ tsp to ⅓ tsp
Increase flour by 2 tablespoons
Increase buttermilk by 2 tablespoons
Bake at 335°F instead of 325°F
High Altitude Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (5200–5500 ft)
CAKE
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (390 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¼ cup poppy seeds
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
⅓ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk or sour milk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest, gently packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2⅓ cups minus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
CREAM CHEESE LEMON GLAZE
4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 335°F. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan (I like to grease, sugar, and flour the pan—see notes below).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
Reduce mixer speed to medium. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each.
On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Mix until just combined, then finish folding by hand to ensure no dry spots remain.
Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. Tap gently on the counter to release air bubbles.
Bake at 335°F for 45–55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert and cool completely before glazing.
Erin says
Hi… Can I substitute sour cream for the buttermilk and if so how much sour cream should i use?
Jen says
Hi Erin! Thank you for your interest in this recipe! Yes you can definitely use sour cream. Use 1 Cup Sour cream 🙂 I hope you love it! Let me know how it turns out!