Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Updated April 16, 2025

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Dane Tashima for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Rating
5(4,677)
Comments
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This lemon poppy seed pound cake is summery and quick to make, and perfect for a picnic. One tip: Cut up the pound cake before the picnic but leave it in the baking pan. It makes it easier to transport, and the pan protects it, too. Then serve it on its own, with ripe berries, and let the ants enjoy the crumbs.

Featured in: The Ants Will Love You

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • Butter, for greasing pan
  • cup all-purpose flour, more for pan
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1cup sugar
  • ½cup buttermilk
  • 3tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3large eggs
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1tablespoon poppy seeds
  • ½cup confectioners’ sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

446 calories; 22 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 34 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 232 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch loaf pan.

  2. Step 2

    In a bowl, combine lemon zest and sugar and rub with your fingers until it looks like wet sand. Whisk in buttermilk, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk dry ingredients into the batter, then whisk in oil and poppy seeds.

  3. Step 3

    Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan until warm to the touch, then turn out onto a baking rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Turn cake right side up.

  4. Step 4

    Whisk together remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice and the confectioners’ sugar. Use a pastry brush to spread glaze evenly over top and sides of cake. Cool completely before slicing.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,677 user ratings
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Comments

Use Myer lemons, up the zest amnt
Add juice of 1/2 lemon to batter
Canola not olive
Change topping:
Boil 1/2 sugar with 1/4 c lemon juice
Poke holes, pour over after bake
Then bake a few xtra mins
Go heavy on poppy

Please... use grams and millilitres, or have a conversion function. Baking is about precision and cups are an archaic and inaccurate form og measurement.

You could also substitute sour cream, which I do often as I usually don't have buttermilk.

I recently made this and it came out a little dry. Any recommendations?

Delicious; I will probably double the amount of poppy seeds next time and reduce the powdered sugar by a couple of tablespoons.

It is very easy to make :) I replaced the buttermilk with the same amount of kefir, and reduced the amount of lemon by 30% and sugar by 25%. It turned out to be just great!

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