There are a few sweet treats that I can bake several times a year and will never get bored with them, like this one! The sweet and sour taste of this legendary Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake is just irreplaceable and I still haven’t met anyone who wouldn’t like it (or they didn’t tell me the truth?).
When I baked it last time and made these pictures, I had no clue that our calm European life can soon turn upside down. Although I am aware of the fact that what is going on here right now is nothing compared to many different crises that people live in other parts of the world. How less is needed so that our system breaks down… Then you may realize what is really important and that we have been taking so much for granted until one day when we wake up and see that what is going on around us was not just a bad nightmare or a movie. I am thinking of all the people impacted directly or indirectly by the virus, all the doctors, nurses, laboratory workers that are risking their health to help the patients concerned, of all the vulnerable ones in the risky groups, of the pharmacists, sellers in groceries, and everybody who still have to be at work despite the pandemic. I have so much respect and admiration for them, and send them a lot of courage!
And for those of you who are currently staying at home and got some lemons (non-treated ones preferably), let´s bake this Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake for a better mood! This is probably the thing I baked most often last year. When I was still at work before the birth of my daughter, I sometimes walked around a coffee place where they had it and sometimes I grabbed a piece after lunch to save me in my pregnancy hunger. Then when I stopped working and the coffee place was out of reach, I tried many different recipes home, but this one from has been so far the absolute hit. It is very similar to my Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins as I love the idea of using less butter but thanks to the greek yogurt the cake is still moist and soft.
The preparation of the Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake is pretty simple and will take just a short time excluding the time in the oven (maybe that was the reason why I often made it despite the fact of being tired and lazy to do anything else :-)). It is a great treat to have with afternoon tea of coffee during the whole year although I make it often in spring. In the summer, I replace the poppy seed and make it with blueberries instead. And sometimes when I want to give it more texture, I just replace +/- 30 g of flour with an almond meal…
If you make the recipe, please leave a comment on how it turned out below and if you share a picture and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter so that I can see and share your creations! I am looking forward to your feedback! Stay home if you can, be considerate, stay safe and keep on still with some positivity!
And if you fancy these citrus cakes, be sure to try my Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins or the Orange Almond Loaf Cake.
Ingredients
190 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
3 eggs
160 g granulated sugar
60 g unsalted butter, softened
120 g Greek yogurt at room temperature
zest from 2 bio lemons
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the glaze: 90 g confectioners sugar + 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) a smaller loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, toss the flour with baking powder, soda, salt and poppy seeds. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the softened butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the Greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and the vanilla extract. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Spoon the batter into the prepare cake pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before unmoulding.
For the glaze, whisk together the confectioner's sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Transfer the lemon poppy seed loaf on a serving plate and drizzle it with the glaze. After 30-45 minutes or so, when the glaze starts to dry, sprinkle with extra poppy seeds.
Notes
You can also replace a small part of the flour with almond meal, that´s also very yummy!
