The Best Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake

Bright, buttery, and layered with vibrant citrus flavor, this iced lemon poppy seed loaf cake is soft, refreshing, and finished with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze.

This Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake is the perfect balance of bright citrus and rich, buttery flavor. The loaf bakes up incredibly soft and moist with a tender crumb, while poppy seeds add a subtle texture throughout each slice.

To finish the things off, we add a silky lemon icing that soaks into the top of the cake, leaving every bite buttery, refreshing, and packed with layered flavor.

Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  
• ½ teaspoon Amoretti® Lemon Zest Oil Extract
• 2 teaspoons Amoretti® Natural Lemon Artisan Flavor
• 2 teaspoons Amoretti® Vanilla Bean Paste
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or any vegatable oil)
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour, sifted
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon Amoretti® Natural Lemon Artisan Flavor
• 1 teaspoon Amoretti® Vanilla Bean Paste
• 1 teaspoons of whole milk
• 2 teaspoons heavy cream

Directions

Prep work:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 1 lb loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5) with butter or nonstick cooking spray. For best results, line the pan with half a sheet of parchment paper for easy removal. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together. Mix in the poppy seeds and stir until combined. Set aside.

For the Cake

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (hand mixer and a large bowl also works here), cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add in the vanilla bean paste, lemon extract and artisan flavor, mixing until combined.
3. One at a time, add in the eggs, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as well!
4. Add the lemon juice, avocado oil, and sour cream and mix together.
5. Add in the poppyseed flour mixture and stir on low until combined. Don't overmix! We don't want a super dense cake.
6. Once the batter is ready, transfer to the prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking as you hit the 5 minute mark. Every oven runs different so toothpick test before removing!
7. When the cake is cooked through (a couple moist crumbs are ok, just no raw batter), remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing. 
8. Remove the cake while warm and let cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

For the Glaze

1. Once the cake has cooled, prepare the glaze. In a medium sized bowl, add the powdered sugar, lemon artisan, whole milk, and heavy cream. Whisk together.
2. If the mixture is too thick, thin it out with another teaspoon of whole milk.
3. The goal is a thick, pourable glaze that doesn't run off the cake!
4. Once the consistency is just right, pour over top the middle/domed part of the cake and let the excess dribble down the side. 
5. Let the cake rest until the glaze has hardened before serving, about 1-2 hours.
6. When ready to eat, slice the cake and enjoy!