HAPPY 2 YEAR VEGANNIVERSARY TO ME! Ya’ll I am so excited! I can’t believe that it has been two years since I’ve gone vegan! There have been ups and downs, but overall I still feel fantastic! I’m going to FINALLY share my lemon poppy seed cake with all of you. This cake is incredible! It took me about 4 tries to get it right and it is now perfect.
I have been on a serious lemon kick lately. I never was before- but for some reason now I am just obsessed with lemon desserts. I love lemon ice, lemon bars, lemon cookies and now lemon cake. There is something so light about lemon treats and it feels refreshing, even in these cold winter months.
Originally, I came across this recipe online from Sofia Von Porat– Check out her blog, it’s great! The cake had too much oil though for my taste, and I tried multiple times to rework it to my liking. I tried replacing the oil with apple sauce, but it turned too dense and apple-cakey. I also added in the poppy seeds because I just love the combination together.
The yogurt in this cake is the real secret ingredient here. It makes it so light and moist. Absolutely wonderful! It also adds a bit of tang to the mixture and doesn’t make it overly sweet. Make sure the yogurt you use is plain yogurt. Don’t get vanilla or anything like that. Plain is best for baking.
Add all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then slowly stir in the wet until combine. Be careful not to over-mix! You want to keep this cake very light and airy. Pour into a greased loaf pan and cook at 325 degrees for just about 35-40 minutes.
For me, I left this cake plain, however I have added a lemon icing on top in the past. Feel free to make it even more cake like by adding the icing, but sometimes I find it too sweet.
On to the recipe! I hope you all enjoy this cake as much as I do. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 TBSP poppy seeds
- 1 1/4 cup plain dairy-free yogurt
- 1 lemon zested
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 4 TBSP water
- 2 TBSP butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
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Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds to a large bowl and mix to combine. Make a well in the middle.
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In the middle of the dry mixture, add in the rest of the ingredients and slowly start to combine the two together. Mix until just incorporated, do not over mix!
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Add into a greased loaf pan and pop in a 325 degree oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top.
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Take out and let cool on a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
**adapted from Sofia Von Porat
-If you want to make a glaze for the cake- Mix together 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of water at a time until it is smooth and combine. Pour over the cooled cake and sprinkle with more poppy seeds or lemon zest.
Enjoy!
Xo, Melissa