Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
A moist, tender cake of butter, lemon zest, yoghurt and poppy seeds, soaked while warm in a sharp lemon syrup.
Photograph credit: Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cake from Tartine - 04 by Jason Lam · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, Step by Step
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Heat the oven to 170°C / 340°F (150°C / 300°F fan) and line a 20 cm round tin.
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Rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Beat with the butter for 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
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Fold in the flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, yoghurt and the 1 tbsp lemon juice until just combined.
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Spoon into the tin, level the top and bake for 40 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
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Stir the syrup lemon juice and sugar together until dissolved. Prick the warm cake all over and spoon the syrup over slowly. Cool in the tin.
Related guide: Pan and tin size.
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Small Things That Help
- Use room-temperature eggs to avoid curdling.
- Spoon the syrup on in stages.
- Add a lemon glaze if you like a sweeter finish.
What Goes With Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Earl Grey tea
- Whipped cream
- Fresh berries
- Greek yoghurt
Keeping and Reheating
Keeps in an airtight tin for 4 days or freezes for up to 2 months.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .