Lemon Bundt Cake with Poppy Seeds

This easy lemon bundt cake is brimming with poppy seeds, thyme, flavour and texture. The delicate lemon sponge is topped with classic crunchy lemon drizzle as well as a zesty lemon icing.

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As the calendar rolls into October, I’m finding myself in the mood for cake frequently. There’s something about a home-bake that really brightens up a dull day and it’s just what I crave as the memories of summer fade and darker days set in.

Since I’ve been keen to put another bundt cake recipe out for a while, I’ve been testing out various versions of this lemon bundt cake on my family over the last few weeks. Now I’ve got the recipe perfected, it’s time to share it.

This lemon drizzle bundt cake has a well-structured, moist crumb that holds its form well when sliced. The sponge contains a subtle buzz of lemon and comes speckled with poppy seeds and thyme (optional). Topping off this trio of flavours is a zesty classic lemon drizzle and a sweet & fresh-tasting lemon icing. All in all, this lemon bundt cake is tangy and sweet, without being over the top. It’s also really rather stunning to look at.

What is Lemon Drizzle Cake?

Lemon drizzle cake is a real classic. It is essentially a lemon sponge cake topped with a crunchy lemon drizzle icing made from granulated sugar and lemon juice. The traditional lemon drizzle does not include the white lemon icing.

Lemon drizzle cakes are often baked in loaf tins, but bundt tins are a fine choice for anybody wishing to conjure up an easy yet impressive alternative look for this simple to make bake.

This lemon drizzle bundt cake can be made as a regular drizzle – the thyme can be left out and it is tasty even without the lemon icing.

Step-by-Step Instructions

It is a straightforward process to make this lemon drizzle bundt cake. No fancy equipment (apart from the tin) or skill is needed. Just follow these steps:

1. Begin by preparing the bundt tin. I use a cake release spray to grease my bundt tin as it can easily coat every nook and cranny the average bundt tin can throw my way
2. Next, rub the lemon zest into the caster sugar to help release essential oils which will intensify the citrussy aroma of this cake
3. Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
4. Next add greek yoghurt, followed by lemon juice and the poppy seeds and thyme (if using). Mix briefly
5. Sift the flour with the baking soda, blend into the cake batter and then spoon into the bundt tin and bake
6. Once out of the oven unmold the cake from the tin (see tips below) and prick with a cocktail pick
7. Mix the granulated sugar and lemon juice and spoon over the cake whilst it is still hot
8. Leave to cool and then spoon or pipe the lemon icing over the cake
9. Garnish with fresh thyme and/ or lemon zest

Why Use Yoghurt in Baking?

Remember I said that this lemon bundt cake has a wonderful crumb structure? Well, the reason for this is that I’ve included a generous amount of Greek yoghurt in the cake batter. In fact, I’ve replaced around half of the butter I would typically use in a regular cake batter with yoghurt. Why? Well, there are quite a few reasons:

• Greek yoghurt imparts a delightfully tangy flavour to baked goods. It’s often one of the ingredients listed in any cake labelled old fashioned and in the case of this lemon poppy seed cake that tanginess is an ideal partner for the citrussy flavour
• As far as cake baking goes, yoghurt helps produce a light and fluffy texture whilst also delivering an irresistibly moist crumb. What’s not to like about that?
• The natural acidity of yoghurt helps activate baking soda, leading to a light and bouncy sponge
• Yoghurt contains less fat than butter. Though I struggle to class any cake as healthy, this yoghurt-for-butter substitution does make a cake slightly less unhealthy than it would ordinarily be. And that’s without compromising on taste or texture – quite the opposite, in fact

How to remove cakes from a bundt tin

Have you ever baked the perfect bundt cake only to have it fall apart when you try to unmold it from the tin? Me too. Even during the baking of this lemon bundt cake I struggled to get it out of my beautiful bundt tin. They are tricky beasts. But fear not, I have a few tips on how remove cakes from a bundt tin:

• Prepare your tin by greasing it thoroughly. I use a cake release spray to ensure that every inner surface, nook and cranny of the bundt tin is well greased
• Once cooked, let the cake rest for 10 minutes out of the oven
• Next, invert the cake tin over a cooling rack and leave for another 5 minutes
• After 5 minutes try to lift the tin – if you are lucky, it will just fall out
• If not, hold the side of the tin and the cooling rack and give the tin a few shakes from side to side to help ease it out
• Still no joy? Don’t’ despair – try tapping the tin firmly. To do this I put on my oven gloves and give a few thumps to the tin at every angle
• If the cake still refuses to budge put it back into the cooling oven for 2 minutes. The residual oven heat will often help the cake to re-soften and fall away from the sides of the pan
• Repeat steps 5-7 as necessary until the cake comes away from the tin

Can I freeze lemon drizzle cake?

This lemon drizzle bundt cake stays fresh for up to 4 days. However, it can be baked ahead of time wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months. I recommend adding the lemon icing after the cake has been fully defrosted to ensure the icing looks its best.

Looking for more bundt cakes?

Have you made this lemon bundt cake recipe? If you have please give it a rating or leave a comment – I love to hear how you get along with my creations.

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