Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
My Mother frequently made pound cakes when I was young. They were always a family favorite. She typically made a larger version in a 10″ tube pan. One day, I will post that version.
I took that recipe and made a couple of tweaks and made it into a Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake, which is one of my favorites.
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium size bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow. Add in the eggs and continue creaming until just combined. Add in the sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract) and mix thoroughly.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix to combine, but do not over mix. Stir in the poppy seeds so they are well distributed.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Something I learned at the French Pastry School is to make an indentation down the center of the loaf with the back of a butter knife. Then pour a little melted butter along the indentation. The indentation allows the cake to split along the line. The butter gives it that rich pound cake top that you get from bakeries.
I was watching an Irish Chef on TV. Her Grandmother used to say that the indentation was to allow the cake to split to let the Fairies out. I love that!
Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 60 to 65 minutes. Test the center with a a toothpick or wooden skewer.
BAKING TIP: If a toothpick or skewer comes out with wet cake or doughy cake, it needs to bake longer. If there are just a few moist crumbs, then remove it from the oven. The cake will continue to bake while it cools. If you leave it in for any longer, you run the risk of the cake being dry.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out the cake to a wire rack to finish cooling before you add sifted confectioners sugar.
Please give my Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake recipe a try. If you made it, post your wonderful images on Instagram and tag me. Don’t forget to go back to the The Finished Dish’s Home Page, scroll down on the right side and subscribe. You will be emailed each time I post a new recipe.
Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
A tender and moist, rich buttery Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ lemons, zest
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- Confectioners Sugar for dusting
Directions
- Step 1 Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 2 In a medium size bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Step 3 In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow.
- Step 4 Add in the eggs and continue creaming until just combined.
- Step 5 Add in the sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract) and mix thoroughly.
- Step 6 Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix to combine, but do not over mix.
- Step 7 Stir in the poppy seeds so they are well distributed.
- Step 8 Pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Make an indentation down the center of the loaf with the back of a butter knife. Pour a little melted butter along the indentation.
- Step 9 Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 60 to 65 minutes. Test the center with a toothpick or wooden skewer. It should be relatively clean with just a little moisture or a few crumbs left behind when removed. That is ok.
- Step 10 Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out the cake to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, lightly sift some confectioners sugar over the top. Store in an airtight container.
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