Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

A tender, moist cake filled with crackling poppy seeds and zesty lemon, topped with a smooth, silky cream cheese frosting. This cake is next to perfection with its subtle flavours and brilliant texture. It's great for birthdays, tea, or if you feel like having cake. If it's a lemon season, you need to make this cake!

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 cup Flour

¾ cup Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

75g unsalted Butter

1 tsp baking Powder

¼ tsp baking Soda

1 tbsp Poppy seeds

¼ cup Lemon juice

¼ cup Sour cream

1 ½ tbsp Lemon zest

Cream-cheese frosting

60g Cream cheese

60g unsalted Butter

⅔ cup powdered Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

Step 1- Sponge

Preheat the oven to 170℃. Line a 6-inch cake tin with parchment paper and grease the side with butter. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, add butter and sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together till fluffy and pale.

Step 2

Add one egg at a time and beat till fully incorporated. Then mix in vanilla extract and sour cream. Followed by lemon juice and lemon zest. Scrape the bowl down and beat all ingredients together.

Step 3

Now gradually add dry ingredients, ⅓ at a time. Beat in till fully incorporated. Add poppy seeds and with a rubber spatula, fold in the seeds. Add the cake batter to the cake tin and place it in the oven.

Step 4

Bake for 20-25 minutes or till the edges are golden brown. Take the cake out and let it rest in the tin for 15-20 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack.

Step 5- Cream cheese frosting

To a bowl, add cream cheese and butter. Beat till fluffy and mixed in. Then add ⅓ cup sugar and beat in. Now add the rest of the sugar, scrape the bowl, and beat until all ingredients are mixed. Now add vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds.

Step 6- Assembly

Now drop the frosting over the cake. Spread the frosting evenly, garnish with some fresh lemon zest and serve.

Tips

1. Creaming the butter and sugar properly makes the cake soft and moist.

2. Replace sour cream with 1/4 cup whole-fat milk.

3. You can also apply dry flour after greasing the pan with butter if you don't have parchment paper.

4. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake and see if it comes clean. If not, bake for another 5 minutes.

5. Beat cream cheese and butter together to avoid streaking in the frosting.

6. You can flavour the frosting with 1 tbsp lemon juice.