Lockdown has had me craving Lemon and poppy seed muffins, we all know where from… Besides blueberry, this is one of my all-time favourite flavours!

But lockdown has also brought out my lazy side, so instead of messing around with muffins (still CANNOT get them right) why not make it into a loaf cake? That way I can just slice and go, you know… for that commute from the bed to the sofa!

All jokes aside, this lemon and poppy seed loaf cake is to die for! Tender, buttery and zingy from the lemon and Kefir (or sour cream if using) is a winner in my books! This is the epitome of weekend breakfast/brunch goals with a cuppa in hand the way every Sunday morning should start! So, give this a go! Tag me on Instagram (@Make.A.Bake.For.It) if you do make this! I’d love to see how it turns out!

Ingredients

200 g self-raising flour

150 g unsalted butter

200 g golden caster sugar

150 g kefir yoghurt or sour cream

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda 

¼ tsp salt

2 large eggs

2 large lemons, finely zested and juiced

1-2 tbs poppy seeds

To decorate – 

1 large lemon, zested and juiced

300 g icing sugar 

1 tsp poppy seeds 

Method 

 1 – 

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees C and grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin.

In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine your butter and sugar and beat on a medium high speed until very light and fluffy. Make sure you stop occasionally to scrape down the bowl and beater to ensure there is no unincorporated butter. Add your lemon zest. This process should take 5 to 10 mins depending on the power of your mixer. 

2 – 

While the butter and sugar are mixing, measure out and sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir through the poppy seeds and set aside.

3 – 

Once your butter and sugar are pale and fluffy, slowly start to add the eggs, one at a time, ensuring they are fully incorporated. Once the eggs have been incorporated, begin to gently fold in your ingredients, alternating with the lemon juice and kefir yoghurt (you can mix these together to make it easier). I typically do this in thirds and mix until only just combined, ensuring that no dry spots remain. Be careful not to over mix as this can lead to a tough chewy cake. 

4 – 

Transfer your batter to your prepared loaf tin and level it off to ensure an even rise. Bake in the middle of your preheated oven for 50 mins to 1 hour or until deeply golden and a skewer, when inserted in the middle, comes out clean. You may want to cover with tin foil part way through should it brown too much. Once fully cooked, remove your cake from the oven, allow it to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove to cool fully on a wire rack.  

To decorate – 

In a large bowl, add your icing sugar and 2 tbs of your lemon juice to start and mix with a spatula to dissolve the sugar. You are looking for a very thick but pourable icing. Using an electric whisk, whisk the icing to make it smoother and whiter (lemon icing can be a little yellow). When the desired consistency is reached, you can add more lemon juice if you would like a thinner icing. 

Set the cake on a wire rack over a baking tray (to catch any runoff) and liberally and evenly spread your icing over the top of the cake, allowing it to gently run down the sides. Once done, sprinkle the top with the prepared lemon zest and a few pinches of poppy seeds to decorate. Cover and allow the icing to set and then slice and serve. You can store this cake for 3-4 days in an airtight container.