This lemon and poppy seed layer cake is so fresh and tangy and it's a perfect spring cake! It is full of zesty lemon flavor with moist lemon and poppy seed cake layers and a delicious lemon curd. It is paired with a white chocolate buttercream to perfectly balance the tangy flavors of the lemon.
Citrus season is a favorite of mine and this lemon poppy seed layer cake is no exception! It has soft lemon and poppy seed cake layers, a delicious lemon curd and is covered by a white chocolate buttercream that gives a perfect balance to the fresh and tangy flavors of the lemon.
It is a showstopper and this cake tastes absolutely amazing and I hope you’ll love it too!
For more fruity layer cake recipes, try Strawberry and Blueberry Layer Cake, Strawberry and Lemon Layer Cake and Raspberry Pistachio Layer Cake
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Lemon poppy seed cake layers: These cake layers are so soft and full of lemon and poppy seed flavor
- Lemon curd: Between the cake layers it's filled with a homemade lemon curd.
- White chocolate buttercream: To balance out the tangy flavor of the lemon in the cake layers and curd, I've added white chocolate to the buttercream.
- Showstopper layer cake: The layer cake is a showstoppers and are perfect for a party or birthday.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon gives a bright and fresh flavor to the cake.
- Poppy seeds: The poppy seeds adds great flavor to the cake layers.
- Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- All-purpose flour: I always use an all-purpose flour that has 10-11% protein. The lower the protein in the flour, the less gluten gets produced, which makes for a soft and tender cupcake.
- Sour creme: Sour creme makes for a softer and more tender cake. Measure out the sour creme and let it come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- White chocolate: Use chips or a block of white chocolate.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE LAYERS
Here is how make and bake the lemon poppy seed layer cake. This recipe needs stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven. Prepare a 3 x 20 cm (8-inch) round cake pans lined with baking paper.
STEP 1: Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds and salt, and set it aside. In a large bowl add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub it together to release all of the lemon zest flavor, until it looks like wet sand. Then add the butter and mix it together on high speed for 3 minutes.
STEP 2: Add the eggs two at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined. Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, on low speed, mixing until just combined.
STEP 3: Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon extract, vanilla extract and whisk until just combined. Add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
STEP 4: Divide the cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - LEMON CURD
STEP 1: In a small pot add lemon juice, sugar, egg, and egg yolk. With a whisk, constantly whisk at a slow pace the curd, while heating it up on a medium heat until it starts to thicken.
STEP 2: Then take it off the heat, and pour it through a sieve over a bowl, to catch any cooked egg bits.
STEP 3: Let it sit for 2 minutes to slightly cool down. Then add the cold cubed butter and stir it together until smooth. Pour the curd into a shallow bowl, so it cools down faster, and cover the curd with a piece of cling film so it touches the surface or the curd and place it in the fridge. Let it cool down until cold, about 1 hours.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - BUTTERCREAM, ASSEMBLING AND DECORATION
STEP 1. In your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, mix the butter on medium/high speed.
STEP 2: Add the melted white chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix to make sure it’s fully incorporated with the butter. Add the sifted powdered sugar in 3 portion, mixing it on low speed, until each addition is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix it together.
STEP 3: Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake stand on your turntable. Add 2 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add 2-3 tablespoon of lemon curd and even it out. Leave the outer edge of the cake free so the lemon curd doesn’t spill out. Repeat the process for the next cake layer. Add the last cake layer and cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat.
STEP 4: Place it in the fridge for 20 minutes, so it’s easier to cover the whole cake in the remaining buttercream. Add the remaining frosting, and even it out over the cake. Finally, decorate with remaining lemon curd and poppy seeds.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams as it is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula, after everything has mixed together, and give it one final gently fold together, to make sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pan are light in color and therefore attracts less heat which means they bake more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a e.g. a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat, which will then give a darker crust, that results in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Absolutely! If you don't feel like making the lemon curd from scratch, then a good store bought lemon curd will work great.
Yes, make each element the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake layers in the freezer well wrapped in plastic wrap, the next day defrost them 1 hour before assembling the cake. Store the lemon curd in the fridge and store the buttercream at room temperature covered by plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
I recommend using a cake tester. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
STORAGE
Store the lemon poppy seed layer cake in the fridge in an airtight container. When wanting to eat it, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. It's best enjoyed within a few days.
Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Lemon Poppy Seed Layer Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE LAYERS
- 340 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1,5 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest about zest of 2 lemons
- 180 g butter room temperature
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 240 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
- 60 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
LEMON CURD
- 80 g lemon juice
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 g butter cold, cut into cubes
WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- 200 g white chocolate
- 70 g heavy cream
- 300 g butter cool room temperature
- 500 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE LAYERS
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and prepare a 3 x20 cm baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds and set it aside.340 g all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1,5 tablespoon poppy seeds, 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- In a large mixing bowl add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub it together to release all of the lemon zest flavor, until it looks like wet sand. Then add the butter and mix it together on high speed for 3 minutes.300 g granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon lemon zest, 180 g butter
- Add the eggs two at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.4 large eggs
- Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, on low speed, mixing until just combined.
- Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, lemon juice, lemon extract, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.240 g sour cream 14-18%, 60 g vegetable oil, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.
- Divide the cake batter into the prepared pans, spreading out into an even layer, and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Note: Be aware that these cake layers stay very light in color and therefore won’t look browned when done.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.
LEMON CURD
- While the cakes bake, make the lemon curd. In a small pot add lemon juice, granulated sugar, egg, and egg yolk. With a whisk, constantly whisk at a slow pace the curd, while heating it up on a medium heat until it starts to thicken.80 g lemon juice, 100 g granulated sugar, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk
- Then take it off the heat, and pour it through a sieve over a bowl, to catch any cooked egg bits.
- Let it sit for 2 minutes to slightly cool down. Then add the cold cubed butter and stir it together until smooth. Pour the curd into a shallow bowl, so it cools down faster, and cover the curd with a piece of cling film so it touches the surface or the curd and place it in the fridge. Let it cool down until cold, about 1 hours.50 g butter
WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- For the buttercream, melt the white chocolate and heavy cream together over a bain-marie or in the microwave. Let it cool down to room temperature (it’s important that it’s not too hot) while making the buttercream.200 g white chocolate, 70 g heavy cream
- Take the butter out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut the butter into cubes. Sift the powdered sugar.300 g butter, 500 g powdered sugar
- In your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, mix the butter for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the melted white chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix to make sure it’s fully incorporated with the butter. Add the sifted powdered sugar in 3 portion, mixing it on low speed, until each addition is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla extract, and mix for 1 minute on low/medium speed.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
ASSEMBLING
- Place the first cake layer on your serving dish on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
- Add 2 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then, create a slight indentation, using the offset spatula, in the center of the buttercream to hold the lemon curd, ensuring you leave a border around the edges to prevent the lemon curd from spilling out.
- Add 2-3 tablespoon of the lemon curd and even it out. Repeat the process for the next cake layer. Add the last cake layer and cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat.
- Add the remaining frosting, and even it out over the cake. Finally, decorate with remaining lemon curd and poppy seeds.
Notes
100 g white chocolate
55 g heavy cream
white and yellow gel color Chop the white chocolate if you’re not using chocolate chips. Heat the heavy cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 2 min. Then stir it together with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add the white and yellow gel color and mix it well together. Let it cool down until around room temperature. You don’t want it too warm as it otherwise can melt the buttercream. Then take the cold cake out of the freezer and pour the ganache over the cake so it create a drip effect. Even the top out with an offset spatula or a spoon. Lastly decorate with the remaining buttercream and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Rami
My favorite cake of 2022! Fresh and delicious 🤤
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