Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

This incredibly moist and easy lemon poppy seed loaf is bursting with freshly squeezed lemon flavor and topped with a simple lemon glaze.

I am so excited to be kicking off Lemon Week 2022 today, and I’m even more excited for you to discover 50+ ways to use lemon in baking, cooking, and beveraging. I’ve been wanting to share a lemon poppy seed loaf recipe for a long time, and this occasion seemed the best time to debut it.

This loaf goes by many names, including lemon poppy seed pound cake and also lemon poppy seed cake, but know that really, today, all of these things = lemons and poppy seeds and a loaf pan and a scrumptious glaze and you can slice and devour faster than you can bake it.

You’re in for a good time, I assure you.

This means you can stock your pantry and fridge with those basic staples, and have what you have on hand to make a delicious batch of muffins, cookies, or even a basic cake at a moments notice.

This lemon poppy seed bread is really no different, making use of those same pantry basics that show up time and time again. In fact, other than some fresh lemons (and maybe the poppy seeds if you don’t use them often), you probably have everything you need on hand already!

You’ll also need some fresh lemons, for both the juice and the zest. I like to zest my lemons first, and then juice them. This makes the zesting part a tad bit easier, since your lemon is round and easy to hold versus lumpy, wet, and slippery.

See what I’m talking about? All pretty basic stuff here! And this glaze works for all kinds of applications. You can add it to lemon poppy seed muffins, strawberry lemonade quick bread, lemon poppy seed biscotti, or even a simple vanilla cake for a touch of lemon-y goodness!

Baking quick breads is (as the name implies) quick and simple. You still get all the satisfaction from a more complicated bake, but way less work, and way fewer dishes to wash. Anyone can get behind that, right?

Before we get started, make sure to prepare your loaf pan by spraying it with some cooking spray. I recommend you use a 9″ x 4″ loaf pan, as that is the standard size and will produce the most reliable results.

Oh, and don’t forget to preheat your oven to 350°F (170ºC)! It’s essential to always add your baked goodies to a preheated oven unless the recipe specifically asks you not to.

Not only does this help provide consistency with baking times, but it also is important to help any leaveners (like yeast, baking soda, and baking powder) react properly. Bet ya didn’t know that!

Give them a good whisk and set it aside.

Then, measure your cream into a small bowl, or (preferably) a liquid measuring cup with a pour spout. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and give it a stir.

The lemon juice will do its thing with the cream and thicken it up, which is totally what we’re going for here. Just set it to the side and get started mixing up the batter.

Add your butter, sugar, and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, OR a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer.

Beat the butter and sugar mixture until super light and fluffy. This generally takes about 3 minutes, and you’ll probably want to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during the process.

Add your eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, one at a time, beating the mixture after each addition. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, since we want everything to incorporate well.

Turn your mixer down to low, and add the flour mixture very slowly. Allow the mixer to run, mixing until the batter is mostly combined.

While there are still small bits of flour in the batter, add the cream mixture to the bowl. Mix on low, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the batter just comes together. This means the flour has been worked in, but only just barely. It’s crucial we don’t overwork the batter!

Pour all of that bright and citrus-y smelling batter (can you tell I had to fight the urge to eat it?) into your prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly with your spatula or the back of a spoon. Then, give it a bang on the counter to release any air bubbles.

If your loaf is browning a little more quickly than you would like, you can totally tent some foil over the pan for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.

Since this lemon poppy seed loaf is light colored, it tends to show more browning than darker loaves like banana bread, so if you want to keep the color light, adding a little foil at the end is a great trick and it works for all kinds of baked goodies.

Once your loaf has baked through, remove it from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Let it cool completely on the cooling rack before adding the glaze.

You can definitely leave your loaf in the pan during the glazing process, but if you want to remove it first, just run a butter knife around the edges of the pan after it has completely cooled. Place your hand on the top of the loaf pan and flip it upside down. The loaf should release into your hands, but if it doesn’t you can give it a few gentle taps and it should come right out.

This lemon glaze is semi-translucent, meaning it doesn’t form a solid white layer of glaze on top, but it’s not really thin and syrupy either. It’s somewhere right in the middle, and totally perfect for this lemon poppy seed loaf.

All you have to do to make the glaze is to add the powdered sugar, milk (or cream) and lemon zest in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup with a spout.

Then, whisk everything together until smooth. Add a little more (and I mean little) milk or cream if your glaze is too thick, but keep in mind that you want your glaze to settle on the top of the loaf, so you don’t want it too thin either.

Allow the glaze to set up, and then you’re ready to slice and serve!

If you want longer storage, you can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months! If you freeze your loaf, just thaw it at room temperature for several hours before slicing and serving.

If you’re wanting something on the savory side, I highly recommend my herbed tomato quick bread. It’s perfect for serving with soups, or just as a quick and delicious savory snack.

Monday #LemonWeek Recipes

• Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Feta by Palatable Pastime
• Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake No Churn Ice Cream by Blogghetti
• Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Egg Lemon Soup with Spinach by Art Of Natural Living
• Lemon Shortbread Bars by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Lemon Butter Salmon by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Lemon Curd by Devour Dinner
• Lemon Curd Cookies by Best Cookie Recipes
• Lemon Donuts by The Freshman Cook
• Lemon Fruit Dip by Simply Inspired Meals
• Lemonade Bundt Cake by The Fresh Cooky
• Lemon Ginger Chicken Thighs by A Day In The Life On The Farm
• Gluten-Free Lemon Almond Cake by The Spiffy Cookie
• Creamy Lemon Basil Shrimp Pasta by An Affair From The Heart
• Lemon Cupcakes by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
• 15 Minute Lemon Pasta by Jen Around The World
• Lemon Cheesecake by Lemon Blossoms
• Lemon Smoothie by Home Cooked Harvest
• Aromatic Lemon Chicken by That Recipe
• Lemon Pound Cake by The Redhead Baker
• Lemon Muffins with Lemon Drizzle by Jonesin’ For A Taste
• Lemon Garlic Pasta by Magical Ingredients