Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt (Printable Version)
A moist bundt bursting with fresh lemon and poppy seeds, finished with zesty lemon glaze.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 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
10 - 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
12 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Lemon Glaze
13 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
# How-To:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan thoroughly.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Incorporate the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk with fresh lemon juice.
06 - On low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture alternately in three additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined to avoid overmixing.
07 - Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and pourable. Adjust lemon juice to achieve desired consistency.
10 - Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cake stays impossibly moist for days, which means you can actually make it ahead without it drying out.
- Fresh lemon flavor tastes nothing like artificial lemon—it's bright and genuine, and the poppy seeds add a subtle nuttiness that keeps people guessing what makes it special.
- It looks stunning when you drizzle that glaze over the bundt, and somehow feels fancy enough for guests but simple enough for a Wednesday afternoon.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion—cold eggs and buttermilk will create a curdled-looking batter that bakes into a slightly dense cake, which I learned the hard way.
- Do not overmix the batter once you start alternating wet and dry; mix just until you don't see streaks of flour anymore, then stop immediately.
- Fresh lemon juice makes an enormous difference; bottled juice will taste hollow and flat compared to juice you squeeze yourself.
03 -
- Microplane your lemon zest directly over the creamed butter and sugar so you're capturing all those oils and flavor that would otherwise get left behind on your zester.
- Use a cake tester or thin toothpick to check for doneness rather than a knife—cake sticks to knives and makes you doubt yourself unnecessarily.