Start your morning right with this easy-to-make lemon poppy seed loaf recipe – a moist and fluffy loaf bursting with the tartness of fresh lemons, complemented by the nutty crunch of poppy seeds. This easy lemon loaf recipe combines sweet and tart flavors in a delectable cake-like loaf that the whole family can enjoy.
Spring in Massachusetts is weird.
Sometimes it’s 60 degrees and sunny, daffodils are blooming, and birds are singing their happy (and loud) Spring songs.
Then the next day it’s snowing sideways and you could have sworn you saw an abominable snowman in your front yard.
I just pretend the latter isn’t happening and bake myself a beautiful, Spring-y lemon poppy seed loaf.
For me, Spring is all things yellow. Yellow sun, yellow flowers, and yellow lemons. I freaking love lemons. And for that reason, I freaking love lemon loaves.
Is this a pound cake?
This is more like a lemon quick bread, rather than a lemon pound cake.
It’s lighter in texture and not as dense as say, the iced lemon loaf from Starbucks.
Key Ingredients
For the lemon loaf
- All-purpose flour – you can substitute for gluten-free flour, 1:1 ratio.
- Poppy seeds – because… well, this is lemon poppy seed loaf! 2 tablespoons feels like the right amount of poppy seeds for this recipe – you’ll find them in a jar in the spice aisle.
- Baking powder – this works with the acid in the recipe to give it a light texture and volume
- Salt – to help balance the sweetness and acidity of the lemon
- Eggs – acts as a binding agent to keep it all together
- Granulated sugar – for sweetness and texture
- Yogurt – for moisture, and you can also use sour cream
- Oil – also for moisture, any kind of neutral flavored oil you might have like vegetable, canola, or coconut oil
- Lemon bakery emulsion or extract – for lemon flavor!
- Fresh lemon zest – … for more lemon flavor!
For the lemon glaze
- Unsalted butter – Gives the glaze thickness for a base
- Fresh lemon juice – Remember that lemon you zested for the batter? Now you’ll use the juice for lemon flavor, as well as thinning out the glaze
- Lemon bakery emulsion or extract – for more lemon flavor!
- Powdered sugar – to add sweetness
How to make lemon poppy seed loaf
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar and yogurt/sour cream. Whisk until smooth and pale yellow (it’ll look kind of like custard at this stage).
Step 3: Add oil, lemon emulsion and lemon zest and whisk to combine.
Step 4: Add dry mixture to bowl of wet mixture and use a spatula to stir until just combined and mostly smooth.
Step 5: Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. To prevent the top from burning before the inside is fully cooked, tent a piece of foil over the top and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Step 6: Let cool in pan for at least 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
I have a real thing for that crack along the top of a nice warm loaf. It’s really the only kind of crevice that I like, because most crevices are on roads or something where it’s just dangerous and not at all delicious.
And those poppy seeds – just look at them. I don’t know how, but they somehow manage to space themselves exactly as much as they should be for even distribution. I’m 99% sure it’s not anything I’m doing and they’re just magical.
How to make the simple lemon glaze
Step 1: If adding glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl until completely combined.
Step 2: Pour or spread over the top of your cooled loaf.
I’ve made it with and without a glaze, and I love it both ways. It’s certainly not lacking in flavor, so if you want to save some calories you can leave it off and you won’t be disappointed.
Sometimes I want an extra kick in the mouth of lemon, and this glaze totally delivers.
When I add the glaze, I think of it more like a lemon poppy seed cake – which is in no way a bad thing.
Storage & Freezing
You can store the lemon loaf in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap) in the fridge for up to 1 week. After that, it will start to dry out.
You can freeze the unglazed loaf by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and then placing it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Let it thaw at room temperature (still wrapped), then prepare the glaze and add it to the top of the loaf.
Behind the scenes
You know who else approves of this recipe? This ridiculous cat.
While I was shooting my pictures, he was desperately trying to get into the box under my setup. There was nothing in said box – it was just an empty box.
But since he’s a cat, he had to get in it – regardless of what was happening on top of it. He’s super helpful.
FAQs
I know some people like to soak them in one of the wet ingredients before baking, but I don’t. If you’d like to try it, just add them to the oil you’ve measured out and let them set for an hour before adding it all to your batter.
They will just be harder than if you soaked them. When they’ve been soaked, they are typically easier to digest, but they also won’t provide the texture we’re looking for in this recipe.
I find that 2 tablespoons are just the right amount of poppy seeds for this lemon loaf recipe.
That’s a totally fair question because they don’t add a lot of flavors (thought it does add a little nutty flavor!) – they add texture. It’s a nice balance to the soft, moist lemon loaf itself. If you want to, you can leave them out.
You add them right into the batter – but if you wanted to, you could also sprinkle some on top just before baking.
You can use either one, but since you need fresh lemon zest for the batter, you may as well grab a fresh lemon!
You can store the lemon loaf in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap) in the fridge for up to 1 week. After that, it will start to dry out.
You can freeze the unglazed loaf by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and then placing it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature (still wrapped), then prepare the glaze and add it to the top of the loaf.
After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!
Description
Ingredients
Loaf:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or 1:1 gluten free flour
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable, corn, or coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon bakery emulsion or lemon extract, or to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
(optional) Glaze:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon bakery emulsion or lemon extract
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), sifted
Instructions
Lemon Loaf
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt. Set aside.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour2 tablespoons poppy seeds2 teaspoons baking powderPinch salt
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar and yogurt/sour cream. Whisk until smooth and pale yellow (it’ll look kind of like custard at this stage).3 eggs1 cup granulated sugar1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- Add oil, lemon emulsion and lemon zest and whisk to combine.1/2 cup vegetable2 tablespoons lemon bakery emulsion or lemon extractZest of 1 lemon
- Add dry mixture to bowl of wet mixture and use a spatula to stir until just combined and mostly smooth.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes*. To prevent the top from burning before the inside is fully cooked, tent a piece of foil over the top and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for at least 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
- If adding glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl until completely combined and smooth and brush over top of loaf. Let set, then slice, serve and enjoy!3 tablespoons unsalted butter3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice1 teaspoon lemon bakery emulsion or lemon extract1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.
Kathy
Perfectly tart and sweet! Love this lemon poppyseed loaf. I’ll be adding it to my favourites.
Leslie Kiszka
So glad that you liked it!
Lhae
Hey. So I made this loaf to celebrate the pagan holiday, Imbolc, and it was one of the first recipes I found. I didn’t even read the reviews for it, only the ingredients and steps.
I have to stay…. this loaf was delicious!!! it was nice and crumbley but moist at the same time. My whole family loved it!
Reading through the comments, esp the first one…I have no idea what the commenter did to make hers come out wrong. I followed the steps directly — the ONLY thing I would change is timing. I will agree that depending on your oven, you may need to bake for 60-65 mins instead of 50mins. My oven is gas based and a regular kind of oven. Nothing special. But I had to add 65mins —so, after the initial 40, placed the foil tent over for another 25mins.
Despite the longer bake, it came out amazing. So I’m VERY satisfied with this recipe and will use it again, maybe even to make muffins.
Leslie Kiszka
So glad to hear you liked it – thank you for sharing your experience!
Ashley Nieto
Well, here we are in 2019. Still no useful reviews, just people licking this blogger’s butthole about how it “looks”.
40 minutes plus 10 minutes tented is not going to be enough for ANY pound cake. A pound cake takes a minimum of 60 minutes, in any oven on Earth that is controlled by the laws of thermodynamics. In my oven, which has also had it’s temperature checked for accuracy, this recipe took 66 minutes.
This cake is just not the best. It tastes sharply of lemon pledge (I’m guessing 2 Tbsp of emulsion is overkill). In my opinion it needs slightly more sugar and a small dose (1-1 1/2 tsp) of vanilla.
The texture definitely left something to be desired, and I think that it’s primarily due to the use of the oil to create a moist mouth feel, but what you get is a gelatinous consistency to the crumb, instead of a tender, moist, and dense consistency. It’s very odd for sure, and I’m not fully sure how I feel about it.
Overall, I think this is quite the flop, but I may tinker with it and see if I can create a serviceable recipe.
Leslie Kiszka
I’ve made this many times as written and the people who I’ve given it to have always loved it, so that’s really disappointing to hear you didn’t care for the recipe and that it turned out the way it did for you. I know people’s tastes can always differ, but this definitely goes beyond taste preference, and I’m very sorry to hear that.
While I don’t appreciate the tone of your remark regarding people leaving comments to support each other, I also understand that it’s much more useful to see comments from those who have made the recipe itself – so I certainly hope others will continue to provide their feedback as well to be more useful to others.
Again, I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you, and I hope your day gets better.
Toni
I disagree with not only your assessment but your unnecessary snarky critique of the recipe. I did actually make it and found it to be quite tasty. I do tend to agree with you that it’s annoying when people rate recipes based only on how it looks. However, if people enjoy perusing through recipes and recording their comment, so be it. It’s still a free country, I think.
My assessment is. Cooking time for me was 48 minutes. The amount of glaze was too much for my taste but if you have a real sweet tooth….go for it!
Leslie Kiszka
I appreciate your feedback, Toni!
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery
One of the very best quick bread flavors in existence! I’m not sure what it is about this tiny, mostly tasteless poppy seeds, but they sure do pair beautifully with lemon breads!
Stacey
This is such a classic and one of my favorites! Yours looks so gorgeous!
annelawton
This cake speaks spring! It looks so good too. Hopefully the weather is warming up for you in Boston!
Amanda
Lemon poppyseed is one of my favorite flavor combinations for spring! This loaf sounds perfect for brunch, snack, or dessert. It looks like it has a fantastic crumb, too.
VeronikasKitchen.com
This loaf looks so delicious! Love anything with lemon, it is a perfect treat for the spring and summer!
Matt Kearns
This poppy seed loaf looks great Leslie! Not all it needs is some melted butter and I’m good! Well done!
prasanna hede
This looks incredible. its been long since I baked something. These pictures and recipe are making me try your recipe soon.
Tamara Andersen (Beyond Mere Sustenance)
Mmmm! This lemon poppy seed loaf would be fabulous with my second cup of coffee this morning! I hope you get spring soon… we hit 100 degrees in south Texas already (mid-February)!
Kelli
I love lemon poppyseed anything! Will definitely be making this.
Is there a homemade alternative to the lemon emulsion?
Paige
Well this looks really great! I love your kitty too, so funny! This bread would be great with some hot tea!
Amy
This looks so yummy! I love lemon poppyseed muffins but have never thought to make them in quickbread form. And I’m with you about that delicious crevice on top! It’s the best part.
Gloria Duggan
OMG I don’t even remember the last time I had some of this. SOOOOO good with tea, coffee, and brunch on the weekend. I love everything lemon….know I need to head into the kitchen and make this recipe.
Leslie Haasch
I LOVE eating this with a cup of coffee on the weekends!