Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake with Whipped Lemon Curd Frosting
Looking for a bake to brighten up a gloomy day? This lemon and poppy seed cake is the perfect choice! A tender cake full of fresh lemon flavor and crunchy poppy seeds, topped with a delicious cream cheese and lemon curd frosting, every bite is like a bite of sunshine. Plus, it’s super easy to make. No separating eggs or baking multiple layers.
I have several lemon poppy seed recipes on my site, including a few lemon poppy seed cake recipes like Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Cake Mix and Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake. And the lemon and poppy seed love doesn’t stop there! I’ve also got recipes for lemon poppy seed scones, lemon poppy seed cookies, and lemon poppy seed muffins. But first, this cake!
Why This Recipe Works
- Best lemon poppy seed cake. While I love my lemon poppy seed cake with cake mix, I think this recipe might be even better. It’s simple, delicious, and the cream cheese lemon curd frosting is the perfect complement to the moist lemon cake.
- Quick and easy cake. You know I love my fancy, multi-layered cakes. But they can be time consuming. From mixing to baking, this lemon poppy seed cake recipe takes just 1 hour. Ideal if you need a quick and tasty dessert!
- Great for any occasion. One of the things I love about a quick dessert recipe is it’s easy to make for any event! Baby showers, bridal showers, parties, this cake will be a hit wherever you take it!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: This cake uses both all-purpose flour and cake flour for a texture that’s not super light but isn’t dense either. It’s right in the middle, which I think is perfect for this cake.
- Poppy seeds: Poppy seeds add a little bit of texture to this cake, as well as a slight nutty flavor. A few sprinkled in top also add some prettiness.
- Lemons: No lemon extract here! All the lemon flavor comes from zest and juice.
- Eggs: To give structure and richness to the cake.
- Oil and unsalted butter: While oil and butter are both fats, they have different effects in baked goods. Both contribute to a rich and moist lemon and poppy seed cake.
- Vanilla extract: My favorite flavor complement to any cake, the vanilla is subtle but helps this cake be even more delicious!
- Sour cream and buttermilk: Using both of these dairy ingredients in this lemon and poppy seed cake recipe ensures a super moist and tender cake. You can use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Cream cheese: The only dairy item not going in the cake, but rather, on top of it! I love tangy cream cheese paired with tart lemon.
- Lemon curd: A few swirls of lemon curd on top of the frosting takes this cake over the top in deliciousness.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Prep oven and pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ¾ cup of cake flour, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds.
- Make lemon sugar. Add 1¾ cups of granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl along with 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers. This helps extract the oils from the zest to give the cake ultra-lemony flavor.
- Mix wet ingredients. Melt ½ a cup of unsalted butter in the microwave and allow it to cool slightly while you add your other ingredients to the large bowl with the lemon sugar. Whisk in ½ cup of vegetable oil, 4 large eggs, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then finally the still-warm melted butter. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Partially combine dry and wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl wet ingredients. Give it a few stirs, but don’t completely combine the wet and dry ingredients.
- Add buttermilk and sour cream. Add ½ cup of sour cream and ⅓ cup of buttermilk to the large mixing bowl. Now, whisk all the ingredients together until completely combined, with no flour streaks remaining.
- Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared 9×13 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove the cake from the oven and set it aside to cool.
- Make cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 6 oz of cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute. After 1 minute, add 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is combined. With the mixer running, slowly pour 1½ cups of cold heavy cream down the side of the mixing bowl. Pouring it along the side will help prevent splashing. Whip the cream with the cream cheese at high speed for 30 seconds, until the frosting takes shape. If you mix it too long, it will turn soupy. You’ll know it’s done when the frosting holds its shape.
- Frost and decorate. Spread the whipped cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. Next, add dollops of lemon curd all over the cake, and swirl them into the frosting. I used 1 cup of lemon curd for this. Finish with a sprinkle of poppy seeds over the top. I used 1 tablespoon.
- Enjoy! Slice, serve, and take a bite of pure edible sunshine.
Recipe Tips
To keep this cake quick and easy, store bought lemon curd is awesome. However, if you want to go the extra mile, use my recipe to make your own lemon curd!
No cake flour? No problem! Here’s a hack to make your own at home. Measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons from it, and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (you can also just measure out 14 tablespoons of flour). Sift these together thoroughly, then measure out what you need and store the rest.
Remember to always zest lemons BEFORE juicing them. Juiced lemons are almost impossible to get zest from. On that note, don’t use jarred lemon juice, please! It will affect the taste of this cake.
Use full-fat cream cheese for the frosting! Low-fat cream cheese or neufchâtel will not hold its shape.
If you’re not a fan of poppy seeds or you don’t have them, you can leave them out with no trouble. Feel free to experiment with other kinds of citrus for this cake! Orange, lime, and grapefruit would all be tasty variations. I imagine it is difficult to find those flavors of curd, though, so you can omit the curd on top or try making my lemon curd recipe with one of these other citrus fruits.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Make Ahead: This cake is best made and eaten the day of, but it will certainly taste delicious the next day as well. You can make it last a little longer by baking the cake and not frosting it until just before you plan to serve. Store the unfrosted cake at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Storing: Store leftover lemon and poppy seed cake in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The dairy in the frosting will spoil if left out at room temperature.
Freezing: You can freeze the frosted cake but generally it is easier to freeze unfrosted cake and just frost it after it’s been thawed. To freeze frosted cake, wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for 1-2 months. To freeze unfrosted cake, let it cool completely, then either remove it from the pan or keep it in the pan and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. I like to add a layer of aluminum foil as well. Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw frosted or unfrosted cakes in the fridge.
For more information on storing and freezing cakes, including how to freeze cake layers, buttercream and decorated cakes, check out my How to Store and Freeze Cakes guide!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can freeze this cake frosted or unfrosted for 1-2 months. Check out my guide on How to Store and Freeze Cakes for more information.
If you don’t have poppy seeds, you can just leave them out. I’ve also heard of people using chia seeds as a substitute successfully. As a bonus, chia seeds are high in fiber!
Unfrosted, this cake can be store at room temperature. However, after it’s been frosted and enjoyed, leftovers should be stored in the fridge because the whipped cream cheese frosting can spoil.
More Luscious Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Sour Cream Pie
- Lemon Bar Cake
- Lemon Powdered Sugar Cookies
Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest - from 3 lemons
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter - melted and still warm
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream - or plain greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup buttermilk - at room temperature
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz cream cheese - cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream - cold
Topping
- 1 cup lemon curd - I used my homemade lemon curd recipe but store bought is fine too!
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds - for sprinkling overtop
Equipment
Instructions
Make the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9”x13” pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.
- In a large mixing bowl add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your hands to rub the lemon zest into the sugar. This helps extract the oils from the zest. Whisk in the vegetable oil, melted butter, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Once combined add the dry ingredients and mix until partially combined. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and whisk until combined and no flour streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and let cool. While the cake is cooling make the cream cheese whipped cream frosting.
Make the Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the cold cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
- With the mixer on, slowly pour the heavy cream down the side of the bowl, into the cream cheese mixture. Pouring it along the edge of the bowl will prevent the cream from hitting the whisk and splashing everywhere. Turn the mixer to medium high speed. The frosting should thicken and take shape. Mix for about 30 seconds, but keep a close eye on the frosting as over-mixing it can cause the mixture to get soupy. You'll know the frosting is finished when you stop the mixer, dip the whisk attachment in the frosting and turn it upside down. The frosting should keep its shape and hold its' peak. If yours hasn't reached this stage, mix in 15 second intervals and test again.
Final Assembly
- Spread the frosting overtop of the cooled cake, add dollops of lemon curd over the frosting and use a knife to swirl the curd into the frosting. Sprinkle additional poppy seeds overtop if desired. Enjoy! (Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.)
Notes
Cake portion of the recipe adapted from Butternut Bakery.
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2 Comments on “Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake with Whipped Lemon Curd Frosting”
Whitney, could this be made in the slab baker from Made In?
It’s 13×9, and has lower sides than a regular 13×9 baking pan.
Hi! I think there is too much cake batter and it would likely overflow. I hope you still make it!