Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (Printable View)

Moist bundt cake with fresh lemon flavor, crunchy poppy seeds, and a bright lemon glaze.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cake

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 cups granulated sugar
08 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
10 - ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
12 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Lemon Glaze

13 - 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - In a small bowl, mix buttermilk with fresh lemon juice.
06 - On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
07 - Pour batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the surface.
08 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.
10 - Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and pourable. Adjust lemon juice quantity for desired consistency.
11 - Drizzle glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Let set before slicing and serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist for days, getting better with time as the lemon flavor deepens.
  • Fresh poppy seeds give it a subtle crunch that makes each bite feel intentional, not accidental.
  • It's the kind of dessert that works for a casual Tuesday or a proper gathering without needing an excuse.
02 -
  • The worst mistakes happen when you overmix after adding the dry ingredients—stop as soon as you don't see streaks of flour anymore.
  • If your cake comes out dense or heavy, either the oven was too cool or the batter was overmixed; both are fixable next time.
  • Letting ingredients come to room temperature isn't fussy—it's the difference between a smooth batter and a broken-looking one that bakes unevenly.
03 -
  • Invest in a microplane zester—it makes zesting faster and gets you finer, more fragrant zest without the bitter white pith that ruins glaze.
  • Use fresh lemon juice, never the bottled kind; the real thing changes the entire character of the cake and glaze.

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