Lemon Poppy Seed Cake {No eggs, milk, or butter}

This lemon poppy seed cake is moist and fluffy and is bursting with refreshing lemon flavor. Topped with a cream cheese frosting, it looks ambitious, but it’s SO easy to make!

Love lemon dessert recipes? Try my lemon olive oil cake, lemon loaf, and lemon mousse.

My lemon poppy seed cake recipe looks impressive, but honestly, it’s one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make. I tested this using just pantry staples because, let’s be real- things are expensive these days, and we all deserve (need) some cake!

Why I love this recipe

• Basic ingredients. This cake has no eggs, no milk, and no butter, but you’d never tell.
• Perfect for lemon lovers. You get some lemon in the cake batter but also in the frosting.
• It looks incredible. I add a few drops of yellow food coloring to make the color pop, and when you pair that with the poppy seeds and cream cheese frosting, it’s a cake that will impress–just ask my friends!
• Quick and easy. From prep to plate, this cake takes less than 30 minutes to make. The hard part is waiting to add the frosting.

Ingredients needed

• Flour. Nothing fancy is needed here. Just sifted all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour if needed. 
• Sugar. I used regular white sugar. You can use brown sugar if you’d like, but it will make the cake darker and give it a more robust caramelized flavor. 
• Salt. Just a dash to elevate the other ingredients.
• Baking soda. To help the cake rise. 
• Poppy seeds. For lemon poppy seed cake, of course!
• Vinegar. To react with the baking soda and give it a light, airy texture. Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Vanilla extract. A must for any good cake recipe. 
• Oil. I used vegetable oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will work. It provides moisture and binds the ingredients.
• Lemon juice. I recommend using fresh lemon juice for the brightest lemon flavor. 
• Water. To bind the ingredients. Milk will also work, though I didn’t notice a huge flavor difference.
• Yellow food coloring. To enhance the color. You can skip this if you’d like, but the cake will be white.
• Cream cheese frosting. To frost the cake. I made my own with softened cream cheese and milk, but you can use a store-bought frosting instead.

How to make lemon poppyseed cake

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients. 

Step 2- Add wet ingredients. To the large bowl, add all of the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, minus the food coloring, and whisk to combine. Then, add the food coloring and mix until it reaches your desired color.

Step 3- Bake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Step 4- Frost. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool briefly, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Recipe tips and variations

• Don’t overbake. The cake will continue to cook briefly after being pulled out of the oven, so remove it as soon as a toothpick comes out ‘just’ clean. 
• Increase the lemon flavor. If you love tart lemon, swap the water for extra lemon juice and fold lemon zest into the batter.
• Make lemon poppyseed muffins. When I want to share this recipe, I find making muffins to be easier. Simply line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners and evenly distribute the batter among the pan. Bake for 17-19 minutes, then let them cool completely in the pan before frosting.
• Or make a bundt cake. Pour the batter into a well-greased bundt cake and increase the cooking time by at least 15-20 minutes to make up for the deeper-sized pan. 
• Double or triple the recipe. This recipe makes a single 8-inch cake with frosting, but if you’d like multiple cake layers, double or triple the ingredients. 
• Swap the citrus. I’ve made this exact recipe with orange and grapefruit, and I’ll tell you what: it tasted just as good!

Storage instructions

To store: Any leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

To freeze: To keep the cake fresher longer, wrap any leftover slices in plastic wrap and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, let it thaw overnight in the fridge.

More easy cake recipes to try