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A Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake topped with a white glaze on a white background.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

One of my favorite cakes! This lemon poppy seed bundt cake is moist, loaded with lemon-y flavor, and topped with a smooth lemon glaze.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cool Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 872kcal

Ingredients

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 3/4 cup butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sour cream can substitute plain Greek yogurt in a 1:1 substitution.

Lemon Glaze

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or as needed to thin out glaze
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the oven rack in the center position of the oven. Grease and flour a 10 cup bundt cake (see notes). Set aside
  • In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and poppy seeds. Set aside. 
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 2-3 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest, vanilla, lemon juice, and vegetable oil until thoroughly combined. 
  • With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour and sour cream, starting and ending with the flour. (Flour, sour cream, flour, sour cream, flour). Mix until JUST combined. Don’t overmix. The batter will be fairly thick.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes. (Mine baked for 44 minutes). The cake is done when you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean with a few moist crumbs on it but no wet batter.
  • Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes in the bundt pan. Then, remove from the pan and cool until just warm to the touch. Once warm to the touch, lightly cover the cake with plastic wrap and let it cool completely. (This little trick helps keep the cake moist! It's amazing!!)
  •  Once cool, glaze with the lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze

  • Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. The consistency should be pourable but thick, almost like a thick syrup. Add more powdered sugar to thick it up, or more lemon juice to thin it out.

Notes

I bake this recipe in a 10 cup bundt pan and never have problems! However, if you're worried it will spill over, you can remove some of the batter and bake that into cupcakes (see my FAQs). 

Nutrition

Calories: 872kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 81g | Vitamin A: 864IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 3mg