This super moist Lemon Poppyseed Cake is easy to whip up with the help of a cake mix and a few ingredients like lemon pudding and sour cream!
For more light and delicious lemon desserts, check out my reader-favorite posts for Cream Cheese Lemon Bars, Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars, Baked Soft Lemon Cookies, and this Easy Lemon Tart.
Why This Recipe Works
Lemon — Okay so you can’t have lemon poppy seed cake without lemons, I totally get that. But, to me, lemon desserts are up there with chocolate ones. Totally serious! If you gave me both, I’d have a hard time choosing between them. Add in the poppy seeds and glaze? So. Darn. Good.
Store-bought mixes — This lemon poppy seed cake starts out with a cake mix and a lemon pudding mix. These are integral to making this cake so very easy to make and so tasty too (and that pudding is the key to a moist cake as well).
Quick, easy dessert — I mentioned that this recipe starts with two pre-bought mixes. That’s easy part number one. Once those are mixed together, it’s just a matter of stirring in the rest of the ingredients and popping it into the oven. Ta da! So. Easy. Great for bake sales, pot lucks, and other get-togethers — I created this lemon poppy seed cake one snowy day when I was experimenting with desserts for a bake sale for a church youth group’s fundraiser. I took this one along with two other chocolate desserts and guess which one was purchased the quickest? You guessed it, this cake! I’ve since made it again, oh, at least a dozen times for various other occasions and it’s always the first dessert to go.
Ingredients
- Box white cake mix — I use a name-brand white cake mix. Whatever’s on sale honestly. You don’t have to be too picky here.
- Box instant lemon pudding mix — Same goes with the instant lemon pudding. I chose a name-brand box but if something else is on sale then get that.
- Plain or vanilla greek yogurt — Add plain or vanilla Greek yogurt to get the ultimate in moist cakes. Sour cream will work in a pinch. Either ingredient also adds just a hint of sour flavor to the cake which goes well with the sour of the lemon.
- Vegetable oil — Another moist-making ingredient.
- Eggs — Regular, large eggs help bind all the ingredients together
- Warm water — Tap water is fine.
- Poppyseeds — Purchase poppyseeds in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
- Powdered sugar — Essential for making the icing.
- Fresh lemon juice — Fresh is always best, I say, but you can use bottled juice if you have it — it just won’t be as bright and lemony flavored.
- Milk — Milk helps make the powdered sugar turn into glaze. Add a little at a time till you get the right consistency.
- Sprinkles — Add sprinkles for fun, cuz, why not? But totally optional!
Here’s How You Make It
Grab those box mixes, a few other ingredients, and a bowl — let’s get baking!
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees then grease a bundt pan. (not pictured)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, the pudding mix, the yogurt or sour cream, oil, eggs, and water. Mix all ingredients together until just incorporated. Lastly, stir in the poppy seeds. (photos 1-4)
- Pour the batter into your greased bundt pan and put it in the oven. Set a timer for 40-50 minutes. Check at 40 to start by inserting a toothpick into the center and seeing if it comes out clean. If it does — your cake is done! (photos 5-6)
- Take it out of the oven and let it cool for about 30-45 minutes, then invert the cake to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. (photo 7)
- Mix the glaze together while the cake is cooling on the rack by mixing together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk. (photos 8-9)
- Drizzle the glaze over the cake using a spoon. Top with fun sprinkles if you want or just dig right in! (photo 10)
Expert Tips & Tricks
- I also love to use an almond glaze for this cake instead of lemon. To make this, skip the lemon juice and add 1-1/4 teaspoons of almond extract instead. Then, add just enough milk as you’re mixing the powdered sugar and almond extract for the glaze to be pourable.
- This cake can be kept in an airtight container (you’ll need a really big container if you want to store the whole bundt cake together, or use a cake plate with a lid) for up to 3 days on the counter. Then, I’d transfer it to the fridge.
Poppy seeds are often paired with lemon because they add a mildly nutty flavor and texture that just pairs really well with baked goods, and in particular citrus and in super particular — lemon. They also look nice (like nature’s sprinkles!) and have a great texture.
Bundt pans were first put into circulation in the 1950s by a company called NordicWare as a decorative way to shape cakes, gelled desserts (who remembers Jello salad) and even meat loaves.
The word “bund” means “a gathering of people” in German. The pan was called Bundt as a loose play on the German word. Gather ’round the cake/gelatin/meatloaf I guess!
I like bundt pans because they are easy to use, conduct heat well, and are also so easy to slice.
More Cake Recipes
- Lemon Bundt Cake From Scratch
- Strawberry Poppy Seed Cake
- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
- Firecracker Bundt Cake
- Zucchini Sheet Cake
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 3.4 ounce box instant lemon pudding mix
- 1 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt - (may sub sour cream)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons poppyseeds
Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice*
- 3-4 tablespoons milk - or as needed*
- optional: sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Heavily grease a bundt pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together cake mix and pudding mix. Add sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and warm water and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in poppy seeds.
- Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool 30-45 minutes before inverting cake onto a cooling rack.
- For the glaze, mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk (start with 3 tablespoons and add more as needed until glaze is pourable). Drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Top with sprinkles if desired. Store covered at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Six Sisters Stuff
This cake was extremely moist and fluffy! Used the sour cream option and a lemon cake mix instead of white.
Sounds like a great substitute! I’m happy it turned out well! Thank you for your review 🙂
How far ahead can you make this cake
This cake keeps well for about three days at room temperature or five-seven days in the fridge.
Have you ever tried to make chocolate chip muffins with this recipe by using vanilla pudding mix instead of lemon, and adding chocolate chips? Looking for a moist and fluffy muffin, and your lemon cake was amazing!!
I haven’t tried that but it sounds delicious! I have fluffy muffin recipes you can look at and see if you’d like to make one of them!
This is an easy recipe that delivers a fantastic cake! I’ve made this about 30 times and it never disappoints. I’ve also used it for loaf cake, muffins, and given it to others as a special treat when visiting. Just the best moist and flavorful lemon poppyseed around : )
I see that this has a 2024 date attached, but I have literally treasured this exact recipe, word-for-word, for years. It is printed and taped inside my kitchen cabinet door, has moved houses with me, and has been whipped up again and again for friends, fundraisers, and fun. Simply by changing the cake mix and pudding flavors, deleting poppy seeds and adding nuts, raisins, or dried fruits, I have made a myriad of luscious combinations over the years. A treasure to be sure. One note: be SURE to follow directions and allow to cool 30-45 minutes before inverting, as directed.