Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake

This is the second recipe in my tribute to the Great British Bake Off! I am so excited about it. When I made the kouign amann a couple of weeks ago, it was such a blast. The lemon poppy seed drizzle cake that I made here was featured in the latest season airing on PBS right now. The minute I saw it I had to try and recreate it because I absolutely love lemon with poppy seeds. Luckily I found the recipe online here so that I could make it! It had a lot of little components to make but it was completely simple and doable.

The batter for the lemon poppy seed drizzle cake had simple ingredients and came together quickly. I didn’t even need my stand mixer! I will say that I couldn’t do the job without my kitchen scale. It was essential for this recipe to precisely measure the way they do on the show.
Once I put the cake in the oven, it was time to make the drizzle syrup. The lemon juice and sugar made the most incredible mixture to pour into the cake! It gently boiled for about 8-10 minutes to become thick and syrupy.
The syrup actually did double duty. Before I poured it into the cake, I boiled lemon slices in it for a couple of minutes to soften them. Then I made a cut into each of the slices and twisted the cut ends up into a pretty bow. When the cake finished baking, I reduced the oven heat and put them in to dry out. They were perfect little decorations for the lemon poppy seed drizzle cake.
I used toothpicks to make holes all over the bottom and top of the cake. Then that lovely syrup permeated the entire cake when I brushed it on. Once it cooled completely, it was time to decorate the lemon poppy seed drizzle cake!

I made a simple icing of lemon juice and powdered sugar and poured it all over the top. It dripped right down the sides gloriously. Then I topped the cake with more poppy seeds, toasted slivered almonds and the pretty lemon bows. It looked just like the cake on the show!! I was so happy! I hope you all enjoy my latest tribute to one of my favorite all time shows. xoxo

Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake
Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake
5 from 1 vote
Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake
Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs
 

This lemon poppy seed drizzle cake is so pretty and perfect for summer! It's my second attempt at recreating recipes from the Great British Bake Off.

Course: Dessert
Servings: 1 cake
Calories: 488 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
  • 250 grams self-rising flour
  • 250 grams granulated sugar
  • 50 grams ground almonds
  • 9 ounces unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 4 whole lemons zested. Reserve the juice for the syrup
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • hot water to loosen the batter if needed
  • vegetable oil or cooking spray to grease the cake pan
FOR THE SYRUP AND DECORATIONS
  • 10 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from the ones you zested
  • 8 tablespoons granulated sugar plus additional for sprinkling
  • 1 small lemon thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds
  • poppy seeds as needed
FOR THE ICING
  • 125 grams powdered sugar
  • 1 whole lemon juiced, plus an additional tablespoon of juice
Instructions
  1. First, prepare the cake. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Combine the flour, sugar, ground almonds, butter, baking powder, eggs, lemon zest and poppy seeds in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat it all together thoroughly. If it is too thick and stiff, loosen it just a bit with a little hot water and mix it a little more. Liberally grease a bundt pan with oil or cooking spray and spread the batter evenly in it. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, until it starts to become golden and pull away from the sides of the pan.
  2. While the cake bakes, make the syrup. Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a medium sauce pan and heat it up over medium high heat. Let it come to a gentle boil while you stir it occasionally until it is has thickened and become like a syrup. Set it aside to let it stop boiling, then put the lemon slices in it. Put it back on the heat to cook the lemon slices just until they soften for a minute or two. Get out a sheet tray lined with a silicone mat and use tongs to remove the lemon slices to the tray. Reserve the syrup and set it aside.
  3. When the cake is done, let it cool for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, reduce the oven heat to 200. Take the lemon slices and make a cut in each of them from the center to the outside. Twist the cut ends to make them all look like little bows. Sprinkle them all with a little sugar, then put them into the oven to dry out completely for an hour. They'll become chewy and candied.
  4. While the cake is still in the pan, poke lots of little holes in the bottom with a tooth pick. Brush about a third of the syrup onto it and let it seep right into the cake. Turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling and repeat the same process on the top with the remaining syrup. Let the cake cool completely, then make the icing. Just combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a bowl and stir it together well until you have a thick, white icing. Set it aside.
  5. Now it's time to assemble the cake! When the lemons are done drying out, take them out and set them aside. Transfer the cake to a cake plate and spoon the icing all over it, letting it drizzle down the sides. Sprinkle the toasted almonds and a generous dusting of poppy seeds on top of the icing. Then place the pretty bows on the very top. Serve the cake immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 488 Calories from Fat 230
% Daily Value*
Fat 25.6g39%
Saturated Fat 13.9g87%
Cholesterol 120mg40%
Sodium 174mg8%
Potassium 225mg6%
Carbohydrates 58.1g19%
Fiber 7.4g31%
Sugar 42.8g48%
Protein 4.1g8%
Calcium 80mg8%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake
Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake

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6 thoughts on “Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake”

  1. Oh my goodness, this looks and sounds so delicious! Perfect for the holidays too. Thanks for sharing!

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