Go Back
Print
Photograph of Lemon and Poppyseed Cake with Almonds and Lemon Icing

Lemon and Poppyseed Cake with Almonds and Lemon Icing

This delicious lemony sponge, loaded with ground almonds, is topped with a silky, light, fresh lemon icing. The olive oil in the cake pairs wonderfully with the lemon, and they, in turn, are balanced with the mellow, sweet, nutty poppy seeds and almonds. The sponge is bursting with natural, harmonious flavours and the crumb is soft and moist. The sweet icing elevates this simple cake to a special treat for afternoon tea.

Course afternoon tea
Keyword cake, lemon, poppyseed
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes
Servings 12
Author Susan

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

  • 150g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 70g ground almonds
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 170g caster sugar

Wet ingredients:

  • 170g olive oil (mild flavoured)
  • 2 eggs
  • 200g natural yoghurt
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • grated zest of 2 lemons
  • juice of 1 lemon

Icing and topping:

  • 200g icing sugar
  • 6 – 7 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons roasted flaked almonds (optional)
  • poppyseeds

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 (fan 160°C) and grease and line the base of a 20cm/8in round, deep-sided cake tin. You could also cook this in a 20cm/8in square cake tin.

  3. Scatter the slivered/flaked almonds for the topping onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for 5 – 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Tip into a bowl to cool and set aside.

  4. Make the cake – measure all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl large enough to contain all of the ingredients. Stir with a balloon whisk to mix.

  5. Next, grate over the lemon zest and add the wet ingredients. Beat with a balloon whisk until incorporated – be careful not to over-mix. It should take only 30 seconds to a minute and you may need to stop half way to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.

  6. Fold in the poppyseeds.

  7. Pour the cake batter into a greased and lined cake tin and cook in the centre of a  preheated oven for 35 – 45 minutes or until cooked. It is cooked when:

    - the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains.

    - a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

    - the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin.

  8. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, remove and then transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

  9. Make the icing – slowly add the lemon juice to the icing sugar. Mix thoroughly until you have a thick, but easily spreadable, paste.

  10. Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Pour on the icing and spread over the surface of the cake. It is OK for it to spread down the sides of the cake – in fact I like it!

  11. Scatter with toasted almonds, if using, and some poppyseeds. .

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • kitchen scales and measuring spoons 
  • mixing bowl and balloon/electric whisk 
  • greased and lined 20cm/8inch deep-sided round cake tin 
  • grater
  • reamer
  • small mixing bowl