Poppy Seed Cake
Updated Feb. 21, 2024
- Total Time
- 90 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:12 servings
- 1cup poppy seeds
- 1cup milk or soy milk
- 1cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter or pareve margarine, plus more for greasing pan
- 2cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting pan
- 2cups granulated sugar
- 3large eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½teaspoons baking powder
- ½teaspoon salt
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
437 calories; 22 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 36 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 204 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a small saucepan, combine the poppy seeds and milk. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and allow to rest until cool, about 20 minutes.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a large loaf or tube pan by greasing it with margarine and lightly flouring the inside of the pan.
- Step 3
In bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter or margarine and granulated sugar. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and poppy seed-milk mixture, and beat until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well; remove bowl from mixer and set aside.
- Step 4
Place a clean bowl in mixer, with a whisk attachment, and whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into batter. Scrape into pan, and bake until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
- Step 5
Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes. When cool, dust cake with confectioners’ sugar.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Daphne
I always find reader notes so helpful. Definitely skip the egg separation steps. I used 1 cup of sugar and find it plenty sweet. I used a Bundt pan and baked for an hour; the batter filled to just under half the pan, but the cake rises significantly. Happy accident: I applied a lemon glaze, but didn't wait before the cake had entirely cooled down, so the glaze melted into the cake...it's still delicious.
Lorna
Good cake, similar to my aunt's recipe. I like it that the poppy seeds are dense in the cake. I made it in 2 nine inch cake pans baked for 25 to 30 minutes. I used a slightly sweetened raspberry sauce for filling between the layers and sweetened whipped cream, whipped with mascapone and vanilla for the icing. I let this sit in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours so that it could soak together nicely. YUM!
Christine
First time I made it, came out too dense. The second time, I beat the eggs (not separated) for about 5 minutes. Came out so much lighter. I added the zest of 2 lemons, 2 tbsp lemon juice. Super yum!
Gillian
I halved the sugar for this recipe and can not imagine using 2 cups! For the health of your readers, suggest cutting it down. :) I also did not separate the eggs, added zest from 2 lemons and the juice from 1. All together it was one of the most amazing cakes I've ever baked!! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Judy
Good! Added a 1/2 lemon's zest and 1/2-3/4 t. grated ginger to the mixture. Good, and would add more next time.
Jeremy
What an incredible recipe! I've made this twice now. At first, I was worried that it looked dry on the outside, but I was very wrong and once we cut into the cake, it was moist with a perfect crumb. The poppyseed flavor really is accented by the quantity of vanilla and sugar. Great overall!
Valeria
I did some changes to this recipe. Reading the comments I just used 1 cup of sugar. I replaced the butter with 3/4 of olive oil and used almond milk instead of soy milk. The batter was very liquid but it turned out delicious with a very fluffy texture. I read the comment and added a lemon glaze and it was the perfect citric touch!
Loaf Pans
If you are planning to use 9x5 loaf pans like I did, definitely use two loads pans. This recipe rises a lot and started to overflow in the oven before it had fully set. Now I know for next time that it needs definitely a 9x13 as a cake, or two 9x5 for loafs.
Rich
A bundt pan is the only way I make it. I have made this cake many times (it's great!) a few times back I forgot to separate the eggs and didn't notice any difference in the cake. Skipping that step makes this recipe super easy and quick. I have a old hand mixer that is up to the task. Next time I'm going to add some fresh lemon.
Ali
Insanely good. Added 1 lemon's worth of zest and juice. Moist, delicious.
M
Some changes (listing so I remember next time I make) - reduced to 1.5 cups sugar, only had ~1/2 cup poppyseeds which worked perfectly, did not separate eggs, used a bundt pan (it filled to halfway and then expanded to fill the whole pan while baking). I baked for 1 hour and it got a little dark, next time will reduce to 50-55min and check on it. The overbaking resulted in a crunchy top that actually made it taste even better. Eaten with a cup of milk - delectable.
JacAttack
Pretty good recipe if you have an excess of poppy seeds in your fridge. I subbed almond milk in for regular/soy milk and added lemon zest and juice from one lemon. I’d add more lemon. I also didn’t separate the eggs and only used 1.5 cups of sugar. I baked them in lines muffin tins for 20 minutes at 355. Great little treat as we approach spring in California!
Jane
This recipe was excellent! Everyone who I shared the cake with loved it and I will absolutely make it again. I will say, I baked it for a little more than an hour and it was still underdone, so definitely make sure to test with a toothpick before taking it out of the oven.
cobinx
Great recipe! Next though I would use half of the sugar, it was too sweet!
mbk
Great! Go to poppy cake. Halfed sugar, didn’t separate eggs. Can add chocolate chips
Sophie
Following others’ lazy advice, I added the eggs in whole after creaming the butter and sugar for a bit. Because I have a teenage son, I doubled the recipe so that I would get to try it too. I filled a bundt and 9” springform pan each halfway and put the rest in a small loaf pan (out of fear of the reported overflow), but after 35 minutes all were done and under-risen. I only had limes so made a lime drizzle. The sugar and poppy seed amounts indicated are perfect. Superb!
N Of Seattle
Tasty. Maybe there just a little too many sesame seeds called for.
Leigh
make sure you use poppy seeds instead of sesame seeds !
Alex
I made this with the ingredients exactly as listed and it was fantastic, my whole family loved it. I recommend taking the butter out to soften a few hours before you start. I made this in a 9.5in x 5.5in x2.5in loaf pan and it actually baked for 90 minutes. We served it with strawberries and vanilla ice cream. So good!!
Sami
Made this exactly as directed. I thought it was nice, however, the rest of my family found the amount of poppyseeds in the cake totally overwhelming, and so it didn’t go over well with them.
Dawn
Never use one loaf pan....I learned my lesson- way too much batter and it took forever to cook the middle so the top was burnt. Use a cake pan or a bundt.
Beth
This was sooo good! I made it exactly as written in a Bundt pan, boiled the seeds in milk, the full two cups of sugar and separated the eggs and folded in the whipped whites at the end. The only change was I added all the juice and zest from one lemon. It came out amazing! It was soft and moist inside, dense with poppyseeds with a crunchy sweet crust all around to contrast the tender center. The sugar creates this delicious crust and the lemon addition counterbalanced the sweet. Perfect!
ADD LEMON
1-1.5 cup of sugar is probably good
BH
50 minutes in Bundt pan and cake tester came out clean
Diane Lipman-Groves
Like so many others, I have reduced the sugar significantly. I do set aside about 2 Tablespoons to top the cake before baking; less sugar in cake but a crunchy topping to enjoy that sugar. I use a bundt cake pan. This is my go-to cake for years!
Patrick
This has been my birthday cake for nearly 50 years. We make it in a Bundt pan with one significant difference-3 quarters of a cup of cream sherry. Your welcome.
Lesley
Like Lorna, below, I have a 2 layer recipe. It is my favorite cake and was my requested birthday cake for years. But the filling between the layers on mine is a vanilla custard. Mie too has a whipped Mascarpone icing. We also used lemon flavored filling with it.
Jane Eyrehead
This is a good cake. Cooking the poppy seeds is important; otherwise you will feel as if you are eating grit. The second time I made the cake, I cut the sugar in half and added a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers. Very good.
Toothy Ruthy
Absolutely delicious! But it is a Poppyseed Cake, people, not a Lemon Poppyseed Cake! Dense with poppyseeds like something you’d get in a cafe in Vienna. Use another recipe if you want lemon! Sweet enough with 1.5 cups of sugar. Baked in a Bundt. It’s fine to let the poppyseeds absorb the milk - they soften a little. Great recipe!
Ute
I made the cake three times so far. Once, like it is written down. Very nice, but a bit too sweet for my taste. So next time I reduced the sugar and added lemon zests and juice. mmh, yummy. The third time I ground the poppyseed-milk-mixture before adding it. It gives a smoother texture to dough and cake.
Sara
Even better when fully cooled. Used mini loaves for 35 minutes. Almond extract instead of vanilla. Didn’t separate eggs. Used a very small amount of lemon juice and brown sugar glaze.
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