Basic Lemon Cake Recipe (Poppy Seeds Optional!)

A lemon cake recipe that makes muffins, quick bread, or a bundt cake. A sweet dessert idea that uses basic pantry ingredients & lemon zest. Poppy seeds are optional!

lemon poppy seed muffins with glaze

I know you may be confused by the “lemon cake” title of this post after you’ve seen the above picture of lemon muffins…but up today is an easy, versatile recipe that can be used for a bundt cake, muffins, mini muffins, or quick bread. 

lemon poppy seed muffins on cooling rack

One of my favorite sayings is “simple is best.” That is especially true with this basic lemon cake recipe. There are no unusual ingredients and you should have everything right in your pantry, except maybe the lemons. 

As always when I use citrus in a recipe, the best part is the actual zesting. The lemon zest and juice add such a bright and fresh taste to this batter, that the time it takes is definitely worth it. 

lemon cake batter in muffin tins

Lemon Cake Recipe Tips

  • If you make muffins, resist the urge to fill the vessels too full. If you put too much batter in the vessels, the muffins overflow and the end result is a not-very-pretty flat muffin. One generous scoop works perfectly.
  • Don’t over bake. Remember that baking times are always just a guideline, and that every oven is different. 
  • Remove the muffins from the pan quickly, because they will continue to bake if you leave them in the pan to cool.
  • This lemon cake recipe makes a hefty amount of batter. If you want smaller batches of muffins or quick bread, cut the recipe in half. 
  • The poppy seeds are completely optional, but they do add a nice texture and pair beautifully with the lemon zest. Feel free to add more poppy seeds than this lemon cake recipe calls for, as it is a relatively small amount. 
  • The glaze is a very light topping, but if you wanted to leave it off, just a dusting of powdered sugar would be delicious.

lemon poppy seed muffins using lemon cake recipe

Recipe Variations

  • Lemon Mini Muffins: Bake in a mini muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Makes 48 mini muffins.
  • Lemon Bundt Cake: Bake in a prepared bundt pan at 350 degrees F for 45 – 55 minutes or until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean. 
  • Lemon Quick Bread: Bake at 350 degrees F in small loaf pans for 25 – 30 minutes. Watch closely at the end so bread does not get too brown. My small loaf pans measure 5.5 inches x 3 inches x 2.25 inches.

lemon cake recipe made into muffins pin with text

basic lemon cake recipe muffins fi

Basic Lemon Cake/Muffin Recipe

A lemon cake recipe that makes muffins, bread, or bundt cake. A sweet dessert idea that uses basic pantry ingredients & lemon zest. Poppy seeds optional!
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5 from 3 votes
Servings: 24 regular muffins
Author: Ann Drake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the Batter:

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks softened)
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 5 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)

For the Glaze:

  • 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Zest and juice three large lemons. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a standing mixer, add butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
  • Beat on medium speed for two minutes.
  • Add milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix to combine well.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.
  • Add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture in three increments, mixing very well in between. Make sure to scrape sides of the bowl.
  • Prepare a 12-vessel muffin pan with Baker's Joy or paper liners.
  • Using a two inch scoop, add a generous scoop of batter to each vessel.
  • Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 10 minutes more.
  • When done, tops of muffins should not be brown but they should be slightly firm to the touch.
  • Cool five minutes in pan and them remove to a cooling rack.
  • Prepare glaze by mixing together powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
  • Leaving muffins on the cooling rack, place rack on a cookie sheet. Drizzle glaze over cooled muffins.

Notes

Muffins will stay fresh for up to two days, loosely covered, at room temperature. 
Like this recipe?Follow me at @onsuttonplace

*Affiliate links included. Click HERE for my disclosure statement.

My favorite baking pans:

For a semi-homemade version of lemon cake, click here: Lemon 7 Up Bundt Cake.

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16 Comments

  1. Susan Boback says:

    5 stars
    Your event details and hints are really appreciated. You have planned and carried out your plans very much like I do a tea party including trying out the packaging, etc. After doing that once or twice, it becomes a necessity to be detail oriented about every little thing. Because of the social limitations of 2020, I held a much scaled down tea party/gathering in my garage (not really tea party atmosphere) but everyone was so eager to be together, even while spaced apart, that the little touches I could do seemed to outweigh the obvious locale that I could not fix. I’ll be trying some of your ideas and recipes because in 2021, there will be another garage tea party, and other such events. Thanks Ann! You never disappoint and are so encouraging! p.s. I have a link on my blog to On Sutton Place.

  2. Sharelle Kmetz says:

    I’m sure the muffins are delicious and I do plan to make them, but, I am so interested in the plate you have them sitting on. I’m nuts for pretty dishes. What brand are they or where were they purchased. Hoping they are not something you have had for awhile and are no longer available.

    1. Ann Drake says:

      Hi Sharelle…a very delayed response so my apologies. The plates are called Liberty Blue. They are no longer being made, but you can still get them on eBay, Etsy, and sometimes at antique malls and flea markets. I have seen listings on eBay for full sets. Good luck!

  3. I have lemons! I’m going to try this for our family’s Easter lunch. Everything I see so far in your website is incredibly beautiful. Thank you for sharing your gift of décor, food, art and faith with us. God bless. And have a blessed Easter.

  4. Thank you. I added the milk in between the flour and it worked…I think! The batter was really thick. I am serving them tomorrow. I am sure they will be good! Thanks again for the recipe

  5. Good morning Ann
    I have read the instructions several times. I don’t see when to add the milk! Am I missing it?
    Thank you!
    Mary

    1. Ann Drake says:

      No you didn’t miss it…I left it out. Thank you so much! I corrected the recipe card. You add the milk with the lemon zest and lemon juice.

  6. Love your recipes. Cant wait to try this.

  7. Connie Williams says:

    Ann,
    Do you know if it matters whether or not the butter is salted or unsalted!

    Thank you!!

    Connie W.

    1. Ann Drake says:

      In my opinion, it doesn’t matter. I always use salted butter…but there is salt in the recipe so you are OK either way!

  8. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says:

    Thanks, Ann, for another delicious recipe! I am going to make your muffins tomorrow! We love lemon anything! Have a great week!

  9. Carolyn Cox says:

    Want to try this recipe. Are you sure about the amount of flour? 5 cups seems like a lot of flour.

    1. Ann Drake says:

      Yes I’m sure! It does seem like a lot, but it’s quite a hefty amount of batter.

  10. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. We are actually going to make for Easter since most of our family doesn’t like the “traditional “ coconut cake .
    I look forward to your posts :)

  11. Thank you for the recipe and beautiful pictures- I love anything lemon! I’ve discovered that if I put extra lemons in mason jars, cover with water and store in the refrigerator, they last a long time and and I have lemons for use without running to the store.
    Also, you inspired me to organize my refrigerator with clear plastic bins this week and I am so pleased with the result- you’re right- such a simple thing can be life changing!

  12. Maureen Provost Ryan says:

    Good morning, Ann! As always, I enjoy your posts…
    Just wanted to tell you that when I was working in Student Personnel, our motto as a Career Services office running interview programs where hundreds of students had to follow complex instructions, was “You can never be too clear,” similar to your Simple is Best philosophy/approach. That was a nice memory!
    I made your Sour Cream Coffee Cake and it was beautiful and substantial but a bit dry; I think I would add applesauce to the batter if I were to make it again. And a little vanilla, too.
    Thanks for brightening my day!