Classic Lemon Poppyseed Loaf
This bakery style Classic Lemon Poppyseed Loaf is full of citrus flavor, zesty, and sure to impress anyone you serve. Lemon zest in the glaze gives the loaf a beautiful presentation and citrus flavor.
While the rest of the country was baking banana bread and feeding their sourdough starter (you know exactly when I’m talking about), I spent countless afternoons perfecting THIS recipe instead. A nostalgic, not too sweet, very moist, addicting lemon poppyseed loaf. Perfectly balanced between sweet, sour, and refreshing, and the moist almost sticky consistency, this lemon loaf is POPPIN’.
Look no further, this is the only lemon poppyseed recipe you need in your life. SERIOUSLY. Bring this to your friends or family and their faces will glow upon the first bite. Trust. I dare you to attempt saving leftovers. I also love that you can make this any time of year, any time of day. A true crowd pleaser. I’ve served this at a winter brunch, summer picnic, I’ve brought it on a friends weekend trip. It keeps perfectly moist and flavorful for 3-5 days when wrapped, if you can make it that long 😉
If you like lemon desserts, you will be sure to love my Lemon White Chocolate Cookies
too!
Ingredients
- Lemon zest: There is lemon zest in the cake and in the frosting. You can’t really skip on this one for a few reasons. First, most of the lemon flavor actually comes from the zest! Second, the specks of lemon zest in the final product add beautiful coloring along with the poppyseeds. Third, adding zest to the glaze adds color, texture, and a great flavor! I love this Microplane.
- Sour cream: This is the secret ingredient that bring the dense and moist consistency you need, and brings that nostalgic bakery taste as well. You can sub greek yogurt in a pinch.
- Butter: room temperature will make all the difference, especially if using a hand whisk. Take the butter out the day before, or at the beginning of the day. You can use my trick to get butter to room temperature if you forget (we all have)
- Glaze: Not a necessary element but its necessary.
Let’s cook!
Classic Lemon Poppyseed Loaf
Ingredients
Loaf
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar 150g
- 2.5 medium ripe lemons – zest and juice room temperature (the other half lemon will be used in the glaze)
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature (115ml)
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour 225g
- ⅓ cup sour cream 85g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Glaze
- ¾ cup owdered confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ lemon zest only
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 baking pan with nonstick spray or butter, and/or line with parchment paper
- Zest 2 ½ lemons into a bowl (save the last ½ for the icing). Add the sugar. Using your fingers, massage the sugar and zest together for about a minute. Add the butter, and cream together using a stand mixer for about 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes until combined.
- Add the lemon juice, salt, poppy seeds, and vanilla extract into the batter and mix together until fully incorporated.
- Next, add half of of the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and half of the milk to the mixture and use a spatula to fold in (this helps avoiding over-mixing). Add the rest of the dry mix and the milk and mix.
- Lastly, fold in the sour cream until fully incorporated,
- Spoon the batter into the center of your greased baking tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the loaf cool for about 5-10 minutes before taking out of the pan.
- Glaze: While the loaf is cooling, whisk the confectioners sugar with the saved ½ lemon zest and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. If you want the glaze thinner, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or milk at a time until your desired consistency. Let the loaf cool and then spread the glaze over!
