Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- If you love light, tangy, and simple desserts, this lemon curd poppy seed cake is a perfect choice.
- This cake is full of delicate lemon flavor, which makes it great for spring or serving as an Easter dessert!
- Frosting can also be swirled with other fruit curds, like raspberry, orange, or mango curd.
For quite some time, I’ve been wanting to make a dessert that combines lemon and poppy seeds, but I didn’t want to overcomplicate things. I had some leftover poppy seeds from making my Croatian Poppy Seed Roll and nice organic lemons from Dalmatia, so that’s how this recipe came to life!
If you’re a fan of light, tangy, and indulgent desserts, a Poppy Seed Lemon Curd Cake is a perfect choice for your next baking adventure. This cake blends the refreshing citrusy zing of lemon with the subtle flavor of poppy seeds, creating a dessert that’s both visually appealing and full of flavor. It’s perfect for afternoon tea, brunch gatherings, or as a special dessert for celebrations.
In this blog post, we’ll explore everything you need to know to make this irresistible cake, including helpful tips, FAQs, and related recipes. So, preheat your oven and let’s get baking!
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and ground poppy seeds. Set aside.
2. Mix Wet Ingredients And Make Cake Batter
In a large bowl, rub the grated lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers. Then, start adding the eggs, one by one, and mix. Gradually add milk, oil, and lemon juice and mix with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes.
Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be smooth and pourable with visible poppy seeds throughout.
3. Bake And Cool The Cake
Pour the batter into a prepared pan. Bake on a medium rack at 180°C (356°F) for 20-25 minutes. The cake is done when the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
4. Frost and Serve
In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks. Add cream cheese and mix shortly, until smooth and fluffy.
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture gently, being careful not to deflate the cream.
Spread a layer of frosting over the cooled cake. Drizzle with a lemon curd and sprinkle with poppy seeds for garnish. I also love to add some freshly grated lemon zest, but that’s completely optional.
Cut into cubes and serve!
Tips for Success
- Use only fresh, organic lemons, avoid store-bought lemon juice and artificial aromas.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter because this can lead to a dense cake.
- Ensure the cake is completely cool before frosting to prevent melting.
- Make my simply perfect lemon curd, it makes such a difference! Although you can use store-bought lemon curd in this dessert, I very much prefer making the homemade version because it just tastes better.
More Spring And Summer Desserts
- LAVENDER AND LEMON CURD COOKIES
- NO-BAKE BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE
- SCOTTISH CRANACHAN
- BLACKBERRY SWIRLED CHEESECAKE
- PISTACHIO BLUEBERRY TIRAMISU
- NO-CHURN BOURBON VANILLA ICE CREAM
Fuel My Creativity!
Support my work by making a small donation.
Lemon Curd Poppy Seed Cake
Equipment
- brownie pan (20 x 20 cm/ 8 x 8 inch)
- hand mixer
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 180 ml milk (full-fat)
- 3 eggs (M size)
- 160 g sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 100 ml neutral oil (sunflower or other)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (fresh)
- 3 tbsp poppy seeds
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 2,5 tbsp cornstarch
- 1,5 tsp baking powder
- 60 ml lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 200 g heavy cream
- 200 g cream cheese
- 40 g sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon curd
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and ground poppy seeds. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, rub the grated lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers.
- Then, start adding the eggs, one by one, and mix. Gradually add milk, oil, and lemon juice and mix with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes.
- Fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be smooth and pourable with visible poppy seeds throughout.
- Pour the batter into a prepared pan. Bake on a medium rack at 180°C (356°F) for 20-25 minutes. The cake is done when the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks. Add cream cheese and mix shortly, until smooth and fluffy. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture gently, being careful not to deflate the cream.
- Spread a layer of frosting over the cooled cake. Drizzle with a lemon curd and sprinkle with poppy seeds for garnish. I also love to add some freshly grated lemon zest, but that's completely optional. Cut into cubes and serve!
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on ingredients data and should be used for informational purposes only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on factors such as portion size, preparation methods and ingredients used.
Leave a Reply