This Mini Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Easy Lemon Buttercream is going to be THE dessert of springtime! It’s the perfect size cake that doesn’t require any fancy tools or equipment! You can have a delicious and beautiful cake without any of the fuss!
Why You’ll Love…
This easy Lemon Poppyseed Cake is a perfect mini cake to make for a spring or summer dinner party, a grill out in the backyard or a picnic at the park! It’s a simple, single layer cake that still looks beautiful without any of the hassle! Making cakes can sometimes be stressful with making three different layers, making sure you level out the cakes, portioning out the icing for all the cake layers, but this cake doesn’t have any of that! It’s super easy to whip together and creates the perfect single layer cake!
This lemon cake is essentially the cake version of lemon poppy seed bread, which I have a recipe for here!
Citrus Season
Citrus season is here and I’m ready for all the lemon and orange treats! My favorite is probably lemon poppyseed muffins, I look forward to them every spring!
One of my all time favorite tips for working with citrus is how to incorporate the zest into the sugar! I like to zest my citrus directly into the sugar I’m using for that recipe, then I massage the zest into the sugar with my hands. This allows the sugar to absorb the oils from the zest and infuse the sugar with the perfect lemon (or other citrus) flavor! It adds so much flavor to the dessert without adding any extra liquid!
If you like this lemon tip, be sure to check out my recipe for Raspberry Lemon Cookies! I use the same trick here and it just infuses these cookies with the perfect hint of lemon without being overpowering!
Lemon Buttercream
Buttercream is one of my favorite types of frostings to make because you really just throw everything in the bowl of a stand mixer and then let it go! I have a few tips and tricks for making this buttercream the best buttercream!
Time – When it comes to making light and fluffy buttercream, it really needs time to whip up and create air layers in the frosting. I like to add the butter and let it whip for about 2-3 minutes before adding in the other ingredients. Then on a low speed whip it for about a minute, until the ingredients are mixed in then pump it up to high speed for another 5 minutes!
Heavy Cream- I like to use heavy cream instead of milk because I think that helps create a light and fluffy buttercream! If you whip heavy cream by itself, it creates whipped cream, which I think helps infuse the buttercream with lightness!
Spreading the frosting – instead of putting the frosting into a piping bag and piping crisp lines on the top of the cake, I like to add large dollops to the top, then use a spoon to gently swirl the frosting around! This allows the frosting to stay light and fluffy without being packed down into the cake!
Equipment Needed:
Cake Pan – you can use either an 8 inch or a 9 inch cake pan! Be sure to use a nonstick spray and parchment paper so you cake doesn’t stick to the pan! You can also use a muffin pan and turn these into lemon poppy seed cupcakes as well! Just add in cupcake liners to prevent sticking!
Rubber Spatula – I like to use a rubber spatula when mixing everything together for the cake so you don’t over-mix the batter! Over-mixing the batter can lead to a tough cake and we want a light and fluffy cake!!
Large Bowl – Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl to get the flour fully mixed together!
Stand Mixer – I like to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment when I’m making buttercream! I like to whip the buttercream for about 7-9 minutes to get it really light and fluffy, so I prefer to just pop the ingredients into a stand mixer! However you can also just use any electric mixer or hand mixer as well!
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Ingredient List:
See Recipe Card for Full Details
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1. In a separate bowl, add fresh lemon zest and sugar. Massage together.
Step 2. To a large bowl, add the lemon sugar, eggs and oil. Then mix in yogurt, vanilla, lemon juice and milk.
Step 3: Add in dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Step 4. Then pour into a prepared cake pan to bake.
Storage Instructions:
Since this cake has a buttercream frosting, you can store it covered at room temperature for about 2-3 days! You can store it longer in the refrigerator, but this can cause the cake to dry out so make sure you fully cover it!
Helpful Tips and Tricks
If you want to increase the lemon flavor of this cake, you can sub out the vanilla extract for lemon extract! However, I would just use a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract as it can sometimes be a bit overpowering in this recipe! We really want the fresh lemon juice to shine!
To make this cake look extra pretty, you can add some lemon slices to the top with a few poppy seeds!
Before adding the cake batter into the cake pan, I like to spray it down with a nonstick cooking spray (or a vegetable pan spray), and then line it with parchment paper! This just ensures that the cake doesn’t stick after baking!
I love the bright and zingy lemony flavor of this cake! It’s the perfect dessert to make this time of year for any dinner parties or special occasions! With just a few ingredients and a little bit of time, you’ll have the perfect Mini Lemon Poppyseed Cake!
Cheers!
-Holly Michelle
Mini Lemon Poppyseed Cake
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Oil
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 2 Lemons zested
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tablespoons Greek Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 tablespoon Poppyseeds
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 stick Butter
- 1 Lemon zested
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan and layer with parchment paper on the bottom.
- Add sugar to a bowl, then add in lemon zest. Massage together.
- To the sugar add in eggs and oil. Mix everything together until smooth.
- Then mix in yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
- After the wet ingredients are fully mixed, add in flour, baking powder, and poppyseeds.
- Gently pour in the batter and smooth out the top.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is a nice golden color.
- Let cool while you make the buttercream.
- Lemon Buttercream:
- Add softened butter to a bowl of stand mixer.
- Then pour in powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream.
- Whip until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Set aside.
- To assemble the cake, add large dollops of the buttercream to the top, then swirl around until it just hits the edge.
- Then top with more poppyseeds.
- Serve and enjoy!
