Have you ever eaten a cake and felt like you are eating your favorite ice cream? Well, you will feel so when you try this delectable lemon poppy seed cake. So dense, so intriguing and so appetizing- the glazed lemon poppy seed cake is simply wow! This exquisite cake makes for a refreshing, delicious and lemony dessert. With tangy piquant syrup that oozes addictively into the loaf, this cake is a popular make-ahead dessert. It is often classified under the umbrella designation of “dry coffee cake”. However, the lemon poppy seed cake is richer than typical dry coffee cake and much more open to reclamation.
It is wonderfully moist and savoy- the secret to which is the presence of yogurt. The poppy seeds provide a slight nuttiness and a bit of crunch. You can adjust the quantity of these lovely black dotting seeds to your own personal taste. While this cake isn’t sheathed with sprinkles or dripped in caramel, the flavors are pure and rich and nothing short of delicious. The fresh and original lemon zest creates vibrance and adds richness to the cake.
This cake is a quick confection and I don’t know why, but it always make me happy. I have tried this recipe for my family and friends numerous times and each time it brings a huge smile on my face. “Wow, this is really good!”, “Oh. wow!’, “Yum”, are a few of the comments that always slip out at the first bite of this divine dessert. It is loved and appreciated by all. The recipe is easy and quick to put together. It is nice without the glaze but the glaze adds another layer of lemon goodness to this rich cake.
This no fuss recipe is ideal for for whatever barbecue or backyard gathering is heading your way. You can also enjoy this cake with tea or coffee or dress it up with a tall glass of wine. Here is the classic recipe that will have you absolutely drooling! The total time required to make this recipe is approximately 1 hour and it serves 4.
What Does it Take to Make the Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup full fat yogurt
- 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup castor sugar
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 teaspoons poppy seeds
Garnish/Topping
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Lemon Syrup
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180C).
- Grease and flour a cake pan extremely well or spray with a non stick flour spray, the sides and bottom of the loaf pan. Then line the bottom of the cake pan with a wax or parchment paper.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar with the whole egg and egg yolks at medium high speed until the mixture is very fluffy and pale yellow, for approximately 10 minutes.
- Add in yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest to the sugar and egg mixture and beat on low speed for approximately 30 seconds to blend well.
- Then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.
- Combine the sifted flour and baking powder mix with the egg mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula.
- Also fold in the poppy seeds.
- Finally pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the spatula.
- Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes .
- Use a flexible rubber spatula to gently release the sides of the cake from the pan.
- Avoid using a knife to release it.
- Invert the cake on a large plate and allow it to cool completely.
Lemon Syrup
- In a saucepan, warm together lemon rind, juice and sugar until sugar dissolves.
- Pour lemon syrup over cool cake.
- Spread garnish over loaf and serve.
Refreshing Food and Drink is always invigorating! And this cake is one such remarkable zesty flavor of all times! This dessert is tasty years around, but it is loved and enjoyed more when the weather starts to warm up. It is an ultimate recipe for special occasions as well.
