Lemon Poppy Seed Coffee Cake
This lemon poppy seed coffee cake is sunshine on a plate. It’s got light lemon flavor, nutty poppy seed crunch and a buttery lemon streusel topping. The streusel sits only on top, so the crumb stays light and fluffy underneath while the top gets all the buttery crunch.
It’s a single-layer, snack-style cake. The batter is light thanks to the acidity in the Greek yogurt and lemon juice. A thick blanket of lemony poppy seed streusel goes on top before baking, then a simple glaze seals everything in. I love lemon poppy seed muffins, and thought a cake in this style would be super good too! It’s a slightly denser batter than for the muffins so the streusel doesn’t sink to the bottom, but it still bakes up super light and fluffy.
Key ingredients
You can find the ingredients and amounts in the printable recipe card down below but here is a rundown of some of the key ingredients and why.
How to make lemon poppy seed coffee cake
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and poppy seeds in a small bowl and set aside.
- Rub lemon zest into sugar to release the oils.
- Beat in eggs, vanilla, juice, and yogurt.
- Fold in the dry ingredients. It will make a really thick batter.
- Spread the batter into an 8 × 8 in pan.
Streusel
- Rub the sugar and lemon zest together. Add flour and pour over melted butter and stir until it makes a clumpy, crumbly dough.
- Crumble the streusel over the top of the batter, pressing some together into clumps.
- Bake until golden and set, then whisk icing sugar with enough lemon juice for a pourable glaze and drizzle over the warm cake.
Tips
- Take your time rubbing the lemon zest with sugar to release the lemon oils. It brings in so much more flavor! I do this for the streusel topping too.
- Room-temperature ingredients blend faster and easier.
- Glaze while the cake is still a bit warm. The drizzle soaks in just enough and sets shiny on top.
Storage
Keep the cooled cake in an airtight tin on the bench for up to three days or freeze slices for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp or warm briefly in the microwave to soften it.
More coffee cake recipes
Lemon Poppy Seed Coffee Cake
This lemon poppy seed coffee cake is pretty much sunshine on a plate. It’s got zingy lemon flavor, nutty poppy seed crunch and a buttery lemon streusel topping.
Ingredients
Cake batter
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 113 g unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 180 g Greek yogurt room temperature, or sour cream
Streusel
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 95 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
- Pinch of salt
- 75 g unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
Lemon glaze
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 1/2-1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180 °C). Lightly grease an 8×8 inch (20 cm square) pan and line the base with baking paper. Leave an overhang of paper so you can lift out the baked cake.
Cake batter
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Set aside.190 g all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
- In a large mixing bowl rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar smells really citrusy. Add the softened butter and beat with a handheld mixer (or a whisk and elbow grease) for about 2 minutes until light and creamy. 150 g granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 113 g unsalted butter
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla, then the lemon juice and yogurt. The mixture may look a little curdled at this stage but it will smooth out once the dry ingredients go in. 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla paste, 180 g Greek yogurt
- Tip the dry mix into the wet and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour. The batter will be thick.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes on the counter while you make the streusel.
Streusel
- In a small bowl rub the lemon zest and sugar to release the lemon oils. Whisk in the flour, poppy seeds and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until clumps form. Pop the bowl in the fridge while you make the batter. 100 g granulated sugar, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 95 g all-purpose flour, 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds, Pinch of salt, 75 g unsalted butter
- Scatter the chilled streusel evenly over the surface, pressing some of it together to make bigger clumps.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes until the streusel is golden and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake (through the crumb, not just the topping) comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan onto a wire rack.
- While it cools, whisk the icing sugar with lemon juice until you have a thick, pourable glaze. Add the extra juice drop by drop if needed. Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake. Leave to cool before cutting. 60 g powdered sugar, 1/2-1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Notes
- Start checking for doneness at 35 minutes because ovens vary. If the topping browns too quickly, lay a loose sheet of foil on top for the last 5 minutes.
- Resting the filled pan briefly keeps the streusel from sinking and gives you defined, crunchy crumbs.
- Both metric and US customary measurements are included. Use the toggle to switch between the two.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 162mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 329IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg
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