Rich, dense, and impeccably moist, a good slice of lemon poppy seed pound cake is a classic coffee break or picnic time treat. And if it's on the menu, you can bet your bottom dollar it's destined to end up on my plate. But I am finicky...and very easily disappointed. So naturally I have sampled more than my fair share of recipes over the years in quest of the "perfect" lemon poppy seed pound cake. I finally found the blueprint one day while perusing one of my favorite blogs, Preppy Kitchen...and I have been living in pure lemon poppy seed bliss ever since. This version is adapted from the thoroughly swoon worthy lemon poppy seed and lavender creation (of the same name) by John Kanell over on that fabulous site.
If you like your cake glazed, simply mix up some powdered sugar and lemon juice until it reaches your preferred consistency. Then drizzle away. (About 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice should generally do the trick.) But speaking personally, I prefer this cake naked. It is perfectly delicious without any adornment, in my humble opinion...and after all, who needs the sticky fingers when carefully pilfering a slice from the picnic basket? That's very inconvenient evidence.
Jump to:
Ingredients for Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
- lemons (zest and juice)
- whole milk
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- sea salt
- baker's sugar
- poppy seeds
- sour cream
- unsalted butter
- eggs
- pure vanilla extract
- powdered sugar (entirely optional...just to add a final glaze if you're in the mood)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Heat oven to 350℉. Butter and flour a loaf pan.
Using a microplane, zest the lemon. (For 1 tablespoon of zest, a single lemon will usually do.) Then juice the lemons, straining out the seeds, until you have ¼ cup lemon juice. (This will typically require about 2 or 3 lemons, depending on their size.)
Heat the milk until it is warm to the touch. Then sprinkle in the lemon zest to infuse. Set this mixture aside while you mix up the dry ingredients.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat (or microwave it in a suitable container). Set aside to cool briefly.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and poppy seeds.
In a medium bowl, combine the infused milk mixture, melted butter, sour cream, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk thoroughly.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and then mix just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top.
Bake for about 70 to 75 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden brown, a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, and the sides have begun to pull away from the pan.
Hint: To warm the milk, either place it in a very small saucepan over low heat for a few minutes or place it in a container suitable for microwaving on high for about 20 seconds.
Equipment
I always bake this pound cake in a standard sized aluminum loaf pan. (The one pictured here is by Nordic Ware.) If you choose a pan of different size or material, please note the baking time may vary.
Storage
When wrapped well, this pound cake will keep at room temperature for up to about 5 days or frozen for a few weeks.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Equipment
- microplane
- loaf pan (standard size, about 8½ x 4½ inches)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ cups baker's sugar
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- ¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 to 3 lemons, depending on their size)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350℉. Butter and flour a loaf pan.
- Using a microplane, zest the lemon. (For 1 tablespoon of zest, a single lemon will usually do.) Then juice the lemons, straining out the seeds, until you have ¼ cup lemon juice. (This will typically require about 2 or 3 lemons, depending on their size.)
- Heat the milk until it is warm to the touch. Then sprinkle in the lemon zest to infuse. Set this mixture aside while you mix up the dry ingredients.
- Melt the butter. Set aside to cool briefly.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and poppy seeds.
- In a medium bowl, combine the infused milk mixture, melted butter, sour cream, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk thoroughly.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and then mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top.
- Bake for about 70 to 75 minutes, or until the top of the cake is deeply golden brown, a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, and the sides have begun to pull away from the pan.
Leave a Reply