meyer lemon poppy seed cake
Bright and buttery Meyer lemon poppy seed cake makes the perfect cake for citrus season! Delicious for breakfast, afternoon tea, or any time that needs a burst of sunshine, you’ll love this easy lemon loaf cake.
With a triple hit of citrus from Meyer lemon-sugar in the batter, a brush of lemon syrup once baked, and a drizzle of lemon glaze to finish, this Meyer lemon poppy seed cake makes a sunny delight!
The best Meyer lemon poppy seed cake
Meyer lemons – Sweet and juicy Meyer lemons make this easy loaf cake shine! For maximum lemon flavor, combine Meyer lemon zest and sugar in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute. Transfer the lemon sugar to a stand mixer and beat with butter until light and fluffy.
Yogurt and buttermilk – Both yogurt (Greek yogurt is my go-to for baking) and buttermilk ensure a moist and tender crumb to this cake. Bring both to room temperature before baking.
Bake – Bake this cake for 52 to 56 minutes, or until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Immediately brush the cake with warm lemon syrup, then cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove cake from pan and cool completely before adding the glaze.
Lemon Butter Glaze – Whisk together melted butter, a pinch of salt, Meyer lemon zest and juice, and powdered sugar for a quick and delicious glaze that adds the perfect finish to this cake!
Mini Loaf Cakes – For mini loaf cakes, divide the batter between three mini (5 3/4″ x 3 3/4″) loaf pans. Bake the mini loaves on a preheated baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or until cakes spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 52 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 17 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf, 12 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
The BEST Meyer lemon poppy seed cake! This easy Meyer lemon loaf cake drizzled with lemon glaze is bright and buttery with a tender crumb.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp fresh Meyer lemon zest
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
Lemon Syrup
- 2 Tbsp fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp fresh Meyer lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl.
- Place sugar and Meyer lemon zest in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute. Beat butter and Meyer lemon-sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Combine yogurt and buttermilk in a small bowl. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture (begin and end with flour mixture), just until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula and tap sharply to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake for 52 to 56 minutes, until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
- In the last five minutes of baking, make the lemon syrup. Combine Meyer lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and syrup thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and immediately brush the top with lemon syrup. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully remove cake from pan and cool completely.
- For the glaze, whisk together melted butter, salt, Meyer lemon zest, juice, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cake and and let set before serving.
Notes
For mini loaf cakes, divide the batter between three mini (5 3/4″ x 3 3/4″) loaf pans. Bake the mini loaves on a preheated baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or until cakes spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Keywords: Meyer Lemon, Lemon, Poppy Seed, Loaf Cake
More Meyer lemon recipes you’ll love:
Meyer Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Meyer Lemon Crunch Cake
Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake
Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake
17 comments
Yes! I’d love to start AND end my day with a thick slice!
★★★★★
Hi Laura, I just found your blog thru Instagram. I was looking through your recipes and had a ton of lemons I just picked from my sister’s tree. I was sooo happy to see this recipe and made it this afternoon. My husband LOVED the lemonyness (Is that a word?) of it. He went back for a second slice. Can’t wait to see what else you have on here that I can try.
★★★★★
Hi Kim, thanks so much! Glad you found me and that you tried this cake – just perfect for a Sunday afternoon :). I have two Meyer lemon trees, so you’ll see many Meyer lemon recipes in the archives. Have a great rest of your day!
Could you give baking instructions for muffins?
Hi Rebecca! I actually have a recipe for Meyer lemon poppy seed muffins: https://tutti-dolci.com/meyer-lemon-poppy-seed-muffins/ You can use coconut oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter in the muffins. Hope that helps! 🙂
In this recipe, when you say a cup of flour or cup of sugar, how much is that in grams please? Also, the flour, is that plain or self raising please?
Hi Alex! Flour is plain, all-purpose flour. 1 cup flour = 140 grams. Sugar is granulated sugar. 1 cup sugar = 200 grams. Happy baking! 🙂
Such a bright and sunny loaf cake, and perfect even without the glaze. Absolutely delicious!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Blanca! Happy to hear this cake is a hit! 🙂
This cake is divine! So bright, buttery, and perfect! The lemon butter glaze is a must try!
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We love lemon desserts and this cake is perfect. Fluffy and buttery with a nice lemon flavor, and the glaze is a new favorite! Looking forward to trying mini loaves next time.
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So glad to hear that, thanks for your feedback Jane!
This cake is amazing! I just made for my husband’s 94 year old mom, and she devoured it! This will become a family favorite! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
So happy to hear that, thank you Megan! 🙂
The perfect lemon poppy seed cake! Bright, buttery, and so delicious. Can’t wait to make this again!
★★★★★
Thanks so much for your feedback, Kate! 🙂
Fantastic recipe, we all loved this cake! This is a must bake for lemon lovers.
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