Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (Printable Version)
Moist lemon bundt with crunchy poppy seeds and a sweet lemon glaze, perfect for brunch or dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 cups granulated sugar
08 - Zest of 2 lemons
09 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
→ Lemon Icing
13 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
14 - 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan, ensuring all crevices are coated to prevent sticking.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - In a measuring cup, combine whole milk and fresh lemon juice. Stir briefly and set aside.
06 - With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing to prevent tough texture.
07 - Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth. Add additional lemon juice as needed to achieve a thick but pourable consistency.
10 - Drizzle icing evenly over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with additional lemon zest if desired. Allow icing to set for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- The combination of tart lemon and sweet butter creates this perfect balance that keeps people coming back for seconds
- That moment when you drizzle the icing and it sets into this gorgeous white cascade makes you feel like a proper baker
02 -
- Overmixing once you add the flour makes the cake tough, so stop as soon as you see no dry streaks
- Letting the cake cool completely before icing prevents all that beautiful glaze from melting right off
03 -
- Zest your lemons before juicing them, it is so much easier to handle the whole fruit first
- Use a pastry brush to get flour into every nook of your bundt pan for guaranteed release