I baked professionally for six years, and lemon poppy seed cake was always popular…and always in season! It showed up in every bakery I worked in, but the bakery versions were always made with artificial lemon flavor, never tasting as bright or fresh as they should have. So when you went wild for my zesty lemon poppy seed cupcakes, I knew it was time to give the classic a proper upgrade.
This version has everything you want in a lemon cake: a deliciously moist, tender crumb filled with fresh lemon zest and juice, crispy poppy seeds in every bite, a bright lemon curd filling, and a silky cream cheese frosting you could eat by the spoonful.
It’s light, vibrant, and tangy, but still rich enough that you’ll always go back for another slice!
I love baking with lemon so much that I’ve got 20+ lemon-packed recipes. My mom’s favorite is my raspberry lemon cake—it’s a moist lemon cake filled with homemade raspberry jam!
Let’s Make It!
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
1
Mix the butter into the dry ingredients. This reverse creaming method is the key to a soft and moist texture. Just mix the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand.
2
Mix in the wet ingredients. Start by mixing in half of the ingredients and continue mixing until the mixture has a pasty consistency.
Then, scrape down the bowl and mix in the remaining half until well combined, and it looks smooth.
3
Pour the batter into two 8-inch cake pans and bake the cake layers. For easy removal, lightly grease the sides and line the bottoms with a parchment paper round.
4
Once baked, let the pans cool on a wire rack. You’ll know they’re done baking when the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs.
5
Make the creamy lemon curd filling. You can do this first or while the cake layers are baking and cooling. Then, once made, you can let it chill in the fridge until ready to assemble.
6
Make the cream cheese frosting. If you prefer a cake with full coverage, I recommend making 1.5 times or 2 times the recipe to have more frosting.
7
Pipe a border of frosting around the edge, and fill it with half of the lemon curd. It’s essential to create a border of frosting; otherwise, the lemon curd will spill out of the cake.
8
Then place the second cake layer upside down. Chill for 30 minutes. This chill time allows the frosting to set, holding in the lemon curd and making it easier and less messy to frost in the next step.
If you’re like me, you always have a random jar of poppy seeds in your kitchen cabinet. Put them to good use and make my soft and chewy lemon poppy seed cookies next! Or if you’re sick of poppy seeds, try my single layer lemon berry mascarpone cake instead.
9
Cover with the remaining frosting for a “naked” finish. You should be able to see the cake through the frosting!
10
Spread the remaining lemon curd on top and garnish with poppy seeds! You can also decorate it with additional fresh lemon zest and slices, like I did!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Better Than Bakery Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Curd
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Curd Filling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest, packed
- 2 1/3 cups cake flour, *See notes below for measuing*
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 11 1/2 tablespoons cubed unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cold full-fat cream cheese
- 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
For the Lemon Curd
- You can make the curd first or while the cake layers are baking and cooling. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it resembles wet sand. Then add it to a pot and whisk in the eggs.1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 2 (100 g) whole large eggs
- Whisk in the lemon juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the lemon curd reaches a temperature of 170°F (78 °C), looks vibrant yellow, and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.1/2 cup (113 g) fresh lemon juice, Pinch fine sea salt
- Pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, then stir in the cold butter and vanilla extract until combined.6 tablespoons (84 g) cold unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cover the top with plastic wrap so that it touches the surface of the curd. This will prevent any dry skin from forming. Chill until ready to use!
For the Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease the sides of two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Then add the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest, 2 1/3 cups (300 g) cake flour, 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- On low speed, mix in the butter until it has a sandy texture.11 1/2 tablespoons (160 g) cubed unsalted butter
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sour cream, oil, and lemon juice.3 (160 g) large eggs, 1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk, 1/2 cup (120 g) heavy cream, 1/2 cup (113 g) sour cream, 1/3 cup (65 g) vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons (36 g) fresh lemon juice
- Mix in half of the wet ingredients until all of the flour has been moistened. Then scrape down the bowl. Mix in the remaining wet ingredients on low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
- Evenly distribute the lemon batter into the prepared cake pans (670 grams in each). Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let the pans cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to finish cooling on the racks.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream the butter until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Then, mix in the cream cheese on low until combined and lump-free. Mix in the powdered sugar, beating at medium-low speed until white and fluffy, about 2 minutes.12 tablespoons (169 g) unsalted butter, 4 ounces cold full-fat cream cheese, 1 2/3 cups (200 g) powdered sugar
- Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla until combined. Use immediately!2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer on your serving platter and trim a very thin layer off the top to expose the crumb. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the crumb, then pipe a thicker border of frosting around the edge of the cake. Fill the center with half of the lemon curd.
- Then, trim the second cake layer the same way. Place it upside down so that the top of the cake is flat. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Then, use the remaining frosting to cover the sides and top of the cake. You should have a "naked" covered cake. If you prefer more frosting, you will need to double the frosting! Spread the remaining lemon curd on top of the cake and garnish with fresh lemon zest, extra poppy seeds, or fresh lemon slices. Chill for another 30 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
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