I love making people birthday cakes, but ever since I moved to Norway, it’s become a little difficult to do that for my family and friends back in the States. Sure, I still send gifts and cards, but it’s just not the same if I can’t also make them a cake. Which is why for the last year I’ve started making cakes in people’s honor, like this Breakfast at Tiffany’s cake I made last week. I can’t decide if this makes me awesome for still making them cakes or evil for showing them awesome cakes that they don’t get to eat… It’s still a little early, but since I have the fortunate of having parents who’s birthdays are only one day a part, I thought I’d start this week with an early birthday cake for my Mumsie. She’s not a fan of desserts, but if I had to force a cake on her, I know she’d want it to be something lemony. Happy birthday Mum! I wish I could send you a slice of this lemon sunshine cake!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Makes one three-layer 6″ cake
For the lemon poppy seed cake:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp. lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
For the lemon curd:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 tbsp. lemon zest
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter
For the vanilla buttercream frosting:
1 lb (500 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 lb powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Yellow food coloring (optional)
For this recipe, I recommend starting with the lemon curd since it’ll need some time to cool. If you’re looking to save time, you can easily bake the cakes and make the lemon curd a day or two before you want to serve the cake (the lemon curd can be kept in the refrigerator for a week and the cakes can be kept wrapped up in the refrigerator for 3 days). For the lemon curd, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice and zest, and egg yolks in a bowl over a pot of boiling water. Cook the mixture until it thickens considerably, stirring occasionally (it should reach an almost pudding like consistency). Once the lemon curd has thickened, remove the bowl from the pot of boiling water and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Cube the butter and whisk it into the slightly cooled curd mixture. Cover and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator before use. Is it just me, or does this stuff look like liquid sunshine?
To make the cakes, microwave your milk and butter until melted. Whisk together and set aside to cool in the refrigerator. In the bowl of a kitchen machine, whisk together the eggs and sugar until fluffy and much lighter in color (we’re going for an off-white here). Add the lemon juice and zest, poppy seeds, baking powder, and flour, and whisk together until the batter is smooth. Pour the cooled milk/butter mixture into the batter, and whisk until just incorporated. Divide your batter evenly between three 6″ pans (be sure to line the bottoms and grease the sides first!) and bake at 350*F (175*C) for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Make sure your cakes are completely cooled before trying to assemble them.
For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and beat on low until just combined, then increase the speed to high until the frosting is light and fluffy. To assemble your cake, spread some frosting on the bottom layer, creating a well in the center for the lemon curd. Add the lemon curd and top with the second layer. Repeat until all three layers are stacked, and coat with a thin layer of frosting to lock in all your crumbs (the crumb coat). Refrigerate your cake for about 20-30 minutes to allow your crumb coat to crust.
If you want to create the same ombre effect I did, divide the frosting between 3 bowls with a little extra in the bowl that you won’t be coloring (this one will have to cover both the top 1/3 of the cake and the top). Tint two of the bowls yellow with one slightly lighter than the other. Starting with the darkest color on the bottom, pipe the frosting around the lower 1/3 cake using a large round tip. Switch to the second shade of yellow and pipe that around the middle 1/3 of the cake. Switch to the untinted frosting and pipe the rest of the sides and the top of the cake. Smooth out the frosting using an offset spatula, and then, starting at the bottom, draw the spatula up the side of the cake to create a textured frosting effect.
Garnish the cake with a few dollops of frosting and some fresh lemons and poppy seeds, and voila! A cake full of sunshine!
Sources:
Cake recipe adapted from Miette‘s Hot Milk Cake recipe
Lemon curd recipe adapted from Miette‘s Lemon Curd recipe
This is stunning and you are right, I so want to try it!! All of my favorite flavors in one cake 🙂 (And colors too.) Thank you for the birthday wishes and have a wonderful trip to London!
I’m so glad you like it! I can definitely make it for you when I visit this summer (if Pappo will allow us to use the oven for that long, that is) if you haven’t already made if for yourself. 🙂
Hi Claire,
Is this cake moist? Do you think adding sour cream would make it moist? Lastly, if I attempt to make it for an 8 inch should I just double the recipe?
Hi Stephanie! I think it’s a pretty moist cake as far as white cakes go, but you could definitely add sour cream if you’d like. As far as adapting the recipe for an 8″ cake, doubling it would be slightly more cake than you would need (to perfectly scale it you’d want 1.75x the recipe) so just keep that in mind as you adjust your baking time. 🙂
How much sour cream would you add and would it be a substitute for the milk?
Hi Julie! I usually don’t use sour cream because it makes for a very dense cake. That said you could probably adapt this recipe, which uses sour cream, by halving the recipe and adding 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp zest and 1 tsp poppy seeds: https://thesimple-sweetlife.com/peaches-and-cream-sheet-cake/
Oh my goodness, Claire, this is gorgeous! My husband is addicted to lemon desserts and I love a good decorating challenge. Can’t wait to try this.
So glad you liked it! You’ll have to let me know what you think of it if you try out the recipe! 🙂
This cake sounds amazing! I’ve had lemon and poppyseed muffins loads of times – but never in a cake form. Love the idea for baking cakes for friends and family members’ birthdays – even if they’re not here to enjoy them!
Although I’m sure it’s not a novel idea, I haven’t seen many lemon poppy seed cakes that are frosted layer cakes and aren’t loaves. I figured that needed to change. 😉 But I definitely enjoy making cakes for people, even if they aren’t here to enjoy it- makes me feel like I’m able to celebrate them across the miles. 🙂
That gradient you have looks gorgeous! The flavor combo in this sounds just perfect.
Thank you! I think it turned out almost as good as your ginger beer cupcakes look! 😉
This is so beautiful, and I love that it’s called a sunshine cake! (We sure could use some sunshine in Connecticut right about now!!) I think this might be this year’s Easter cake! 🙂
Since we’re not getting any sunshine here in Norway either, I thought I’d whip up a little in my kitchen. 😉 Wishing you sunnier days!
This cake is too gorgeous for words! I seriously appreciate the step-by-step frosting pictures, too. I haven’t attempted ombre frosting yet but with your tutorial, I just might!
Ombre frosting is so much fun to do and a definite must try if you haven’t done it yet! 🙂 I find it easiest to pipe the frosting on because it helps keep it even and keeps you from mixing the colors as your applying them. I’m so glad you found this tutorial helpful and you’ll have to share some pictures if you try ombre frosting!
Wow your ombre frosting is so impressive! I am done with winter food and ready for lemon cake 😛
Down with winter! Long live lemon cake! 😉
This looks wonderful! It’s so, SO, pretty and looks delicious too. I love your frosting job. This cake makes me excited for spring/summer! 🙂
It has been SO gray here lately. Lots of rain and clouds, and the little display of lemons at the grocery store just kind of looked like a ray of sunshine! But hey, the days are getting longer (and ever so slightly warmer)! 🙂
This looks beautiful, and so delicious!
Thank you! I’m so glad you think so! 🙂
This cake is gorgeous! I love lemon desserts and I wish I had this right now!!
I’m so glad you like it! 🙂
Lemon desserts are one of my favorites, and I LOVE the hombre look of the frosting!
Lemon desserts are pretty tasty, and such a sunny flavor. Thanks for the sweet comment! 🙂
this is such a gorgeous cake! It makes me feel all sunshine-y just looking at it 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 It’s definitely the time of year for sunny cakes!
I love this cake and your tutorial photos make it look so easy to make! I’m pinning this so I can try my hand at it. Thanks for sharing!
You’ll have to let me know what you think of the recipe if you try it! 🙂
What a stunning cake! I love the frosting technique – pinned! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Thank you for the sweet comment! I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Completely gorgeous! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
My interest was captured at lemon and then I saw there was lemon curd in this recipe….OH MAN. I can’t wait to try this!
I figured if I was going lemony, I might as well go all the way. 😉 I hope you enjoy the recipe!
What an impressive cake! You make such wonderful things! Just wanted to let you know that I’m featuring this at our weekly link party http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2015/03/a-little-bird-told-me-link-party-131.html
Awww thank you for the sweet comment and feature! 😀 I’m so glad you liked the cake!
This looks so fabulous, I want to eat the whole thing!
I wish I could pop a (fresh) slice in the mail to you! 🙂
Oh my! You are my favorite of the week… Thank you so much for linking up with us. Featuring you tomorrow during the party!
xo
Desiree
Awww, yay! Thank you for the sweet feature! 😀
What a perfect lemony cake, it looks so lovely! Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!! Laura@Baking in Pyjamas
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Just gorgeous! love it Thanks for sharing with us for The Sunday Brunch Magazine, lovely to see you Bel & Eliza xx
So glad you like it! Can’t wait to see all the delicious recipes for this month’s magazine! 🙂
I just got an order from my dear friend that he wants a lemon cake to celebrate his 50th birthday! I like my recipe but I am convinced that I should try your recipe this time! I love how you iced the cake! Just gorgeous and will be great for a guy’s birthday or a sweet baby shower! Thank you!!!! Blessings!
You are just too sweet Grace! I’m so flattered! Please feel free to post a photo on Instagram or Facebook and tag me so I can see you’re beautiful creation! 😀
Love this design! Just a quick question, would it work with cream cheese frosting since I know it can be harder to frost with. Thanks!
I’m so glad you like the design! I think this would absolutely work with a cream cheese frosting as long as it’s a firm frosting and not too soft.
Just made this cake today (slightly altered.) The curd was made yesterday exactly as instructed and came out delicious. We didn’t have 6″ pans, so we doubled the recipe and made three 9″ layers. The recipe didn’t call for salt, so we added a pinch of salt to cut down on the sweetness. We had some concerns when we got to the butter cream frosting for two reasons. The first being the amount of frosting the recipe would yield… although we doubled the cake recipe, we kept the measurements of the frosting the same as instructed and still had A LOT left over. The second concern was the overwhelming sweetness to the frosting. We cut that with about 5T of lemon juice, and it made a huge difference. The last bit of altering we did to this cake was toast unsweetened coconut flakes to decorate the tops and sides. Unsweetened coconut is so mild in flavor and looks so pretty once it is toasted.
Overall, very pleased.
I have cake flour – would I just use that in place of the flour and baking powder?
Great question Tracy! The main difference between cake flour and all purpose flour is that cake flour is more finely ground and lower in protein. It does not have a leavening agent in it (like baking powder) so I wouldn’t omit that if I were you. Personally I don’t use cake flour very often so I don’t have a great answer for you in terms of substitutions, but this site recommends using 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of cake flour for every 1 cup of all purpose flour: https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-make-cake-flour-p2-3057755 If you try that, I’d love to know how that works out! 🙂
Oh my goodness!!! I made this today for dinner guests… Letting them cool… The whole condo smells divine!!! I could not wait to comment before tasting it… They look perfect… I did double the recipe, PLUS 3/4 c. flour, for 3 nine inch rounds and it was just about perfect minus a tablespoon or two of batter… They are light and springy in the middle… Nice and golden tops… Texture looks to be moist when turned out on cooking rack… The smell is KILLING me!!!😉😍 If this tastes half as good as it looks and smells??? This could be my new favorite!!! My Grandbabies will live this also!!!!😊😁 Thank you for sharing… Grandma Cami🌻