Poppy Seed Cake Recipe (2024)

This poppy seed cake is moist, and sweet and easy to make in one bowl! It’s an old, tried and tested recipe – and topped with a simple glaze – it is the best poppyseed cake ever.

Some recipes are special because of the memories they evoke – and such is the case for me and this Poppy Seed Cake. Not only is this the best poppyseed cake ever because it’s moist and flavorful with a delicious glaze, but one bite transports me back to my childhood.

When I was growing up a wonderful elderly woman named Bee lived in the house across the street. Her husband passed away, leaving her to live on her own until age 92. My dad often removed the snow from her driveway and sidewalks during the harsh Chicago winters. Bee always made this Poppy Seed Cake for us to thank my dad for taking care of her, and it was my favorite treat to receive.

She shared her recipe with me, and I have since made this poppyseed cake often. Not only is it incredibly delicious, but it’s easy to mix together in one bowl in 5 minutes. A great dessert to feed a crowd, give as a gift, or enjoy as part of a special brunch.

Poppy Seed Cake Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

I don’t recommend making many substitutions in this poppyseed cake recipe but we’ll discuss the ingredients below.

• All-purpose flour.Cake flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
• Fine sea salt.If using iodized salt, reduce the amount by half.
• Granulated sugar. regular white sugar or organic cane sugar are great choices in this poppy seed cake.
• Canola oil. I don’t recommend making substitutions for the canola oil. It keeps the cake moist.
• Evaporated milk.Another ingredient for which I do not recommend making substitutions. However, if you must, here is an article about the 5 best substitutes.
• Eggs. Use large eggs at room temperature for the best results.
• Poppy Seeds.No substitutes here – or else it’s not a poppy seed cake! 😉
• Vanilla extract.In both the cake and the glaze you can use almond extract in place of some or all of the vanilla extract if you want a slightly almond flavor.
• Whole milk.In the glaze you can use 2% milk, half and half or heavy cream in place of whole milk if necessary.

How to Make Poppy Seed Cake

As I stated above, this poppy seed cake recipe only takes 5 minutes to mix together in one bowl (or two depending on your preference).

Begin by combining the flour, sea salt and baking powder in a small bowl, set aside.

Then, whisk the sugar, canola oil, evaporated milk, vanilla and eggs together in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth.

Next, combine the wet and dry ingredients and whisk until smooth

Next, add the poppy seeds and whisk until they are evenly distributed throughout the cake batter.

Bake

Pour the poppy seed cake batter into a prepared angel food cake pan and bake it in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes , or until the top is just barely set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few wet crumbs (it will look wet, test the cake at 30 minutes to ensure you don’t over-bake).

You can use a different cake pan like a bundt cake pan if you’d prefer! Just be sure to grease it very well.

Cool

Set the poppyseed cake in the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Gently run a knife around the edges and the inside (all parts touching the pan) to release.

After 30 minutes carefully remove cake and let cool completely on the wire cooling rack.

Make the Glaze

In a small bowl whisk together glaze ingredients.

Transfer the cooled poppy seed cake to a serving plate and then pour the glaze over the cake.Let the glazed cake sit at room temperature until the glaze is hardened (about 30-60 minutes).

Serve

Slice and serve the poppyseed cake at room temperature!

Store

Store any leftover poppyseed cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freeze

You can also freeze individual slices, or the entire cake, for up to 2 months. Just be sure to wrap it well and store it in an airtight container or plastic bag.

FAQs about Poppy Seed Cake

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