Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt (Print Version)
Moist bundt cake featuring fresh lemon zest and crunch from poppy seeds, topped with tangy lemon glaze.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 cups granulated sugar
08 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
10 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
→ Lemon Glaze
13 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
# How to Cook:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan thoroughly.
02 - Whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
03 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
05 - Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Pour batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
07 - Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice; add more juice if needed for drizzle consistency.
09 - Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and let set for 15 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The poppy seeds give you that tiny crunch that makes people pause mid-bite and ask what that is.
- It's moist enough to stay tender for days, so you can actually make this ahead without stress.
- One cake feeds a crowd, and somehow it makes you look like you spent all day in the kitchen.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients—especially eggs and sour cream—are not optional; cold ingredients don't blend smoothly and you'll end up with a grainy texture.
- That moment when you invert the pan onto the rack is nerve-wracking the first time, but those 15 minutes of resting in the pan are what prevent a catastrophe.
- Overmixing after you add the flour is the fastest way to a dense, tough cake, so use a gentle hand and stop as soon as you don't see streaks of flour.
03 -
- If you want even more lemon intensity, add ½ teaspoon of lemon extract to the wet ingredients or zest an extra lemon into the batter.
- Make sure your Bundt pan is truly nonstick by using both butter and flour—a stuck cake is preventable heartbreak.