Cakes & Loaves

Lemon Poppyseed Cake

A one-bowl lemon cake finished with a sharp, runny lemon icing that sets into a thin, crackly shell.

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Prep

15 min

Bake

40 - 45 min

Makes

1 loaf cake

Ingredients

butter, softened, plus extra for greasing175 g

white sugar175 g

all-purpose flour200 g

baking powder1 tsp

lemons, zested (juice 2 of them for the icing)4

eggs3

poppy seeds2 tbsp

greek yogurt125 g

For the icing

icing sugar200 g

lemon juice3 tbsp

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease the tin and line the base with parchment.

Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add everything else: flour, baking powder, lemon zest, eggs, poppy seeds and yogurt and beat until just combined.

Spoon into the tin, smooth the top, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out, peel off the parchment, and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and beat in the lemon juice for your icing. Pour it over the fully cooled cake and leave to set.

Pearl's note

I like to slice my cake and top with a lemon mascarpone cream, finished with some poppy seeds and lemon curd for that truly stunning slice.