This lemon poppyseed bread is the ultimate fluffy and moist loaf. It’s soaked with a lemon simple syrup and topped with lemon icing.
Why This Recipe Works
The beauty of this lemon poppyseed loaf is that it’s light, moist, and actually tastes like lemon. This recipe has been years in the making and I have to say it was worth the wait! Here are a few features of the ingredients that just make it work.
- Butter for fat: unlike this recipe for blueberry lemon poppyseed muffins, this quick bread uses butter as the primary source of fat. This makes it light and fluffy. I’ve tried this recipe multiple times with oil as the primary fat, but always found the bread a little too dense for my liking.
- Lots of lemon zest: all of those sweet, aromatic lemon flavors actually come from the zest and not the juice.
- Lemon simple syrup: I wanted to find a way to infuse as much lemon flavor as possible into the bread and keep it moist. A common hack that bakers use is soaking their cakes in simple syrup, so I applied the same logic to this lemon bread.
- Sour cream and milk: lemon loaves typically use sour cream or buttermilk for moisture.
- Lemon icing: to add even more sweetness and lemon flavor, the loaf gets coated in an easy to make, simple lemon icing.
This is a great loaf to make as spring arrives and I think it’s best enjoyed on a sunny morning, outside with coffee. However, it also could be a great midnight snack so honestly make it for any occasion you want! When life gives you lemons and all that, ya know.
Ingredients for Lemon Poppyseed Bread
Below is a list of the ingredients that you’ll need to make this recipe. However, first things first you need the correct equipment! You will need an electric mixer as well as a rectangular loaf pan. It’s highly recommended to use a metal loaf pan and not glass to ensure that the bread cooks evenly. Glass will lead the outsides to cook much faster than the middle.
- All-purpose flour: Measure the flour with a digital food scale if you have one, otherwise spoon and level it.
- Granulated sugar, for sweetness
- Lemons: you will need the zest and some of the juice.
- Unsalted butter: softened to room temperature
- Oil: you only need one tablespoon for this recipe. I’d recommend something neutral in flavor like avocado or vegetable.
- Large eggs, at room temperature: to quickly warm the eggs, soak them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt: either one will work for this recipe. If you’re using Greek yogurt make sure it is unsweetened/unflavored and at least 2% fat (though 5% or more is better).
- Milk: you can use any kind of milk that you have on hand
- Baking powder, for leavening the loaf
- Vanilla extract
- Poppyseeds
- Powdered sugar: for the lemon icing that goes on top
Tips for Making the Best Lemon Poppyseed Bread
Use room temperature ingredients: your eggs and sour cream should all be warmed to room temperature. Cold ingredients do not mix together as well and will cause your fats to split. This affects the crumb and texture. For the eggs, soak them in a bowl of very warm water for 10 minutes. For the sour cream, heat it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Don’t overmix the batter: when combining wet and dry ingredients, it’s important to mix only until the flour is just combined. A few lumps are actually okay here! Overmixing causes gluten in the flour to develop, resulting in a tough and gummy bread.
Check that your baking powder is fresh: did you know that baking powder loses effectiveness over time? If your leavening agents are well over a year old, or you’ve noticed your bakes not coming out with quite as good a rise, it may be time to replace them. You can do a quick test by sprinkling some baking powder in a glass of warm water. If it starts to fizz, then you’re good to go!
Line the pan with parchment: to make it super easy to lift the loaf out of the pan when its done baking, line the bottom of your loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper, letting it hang off the sides. You could also use some loaf pan liners,
Try using Meyer lemons: if you want to change it up a bit, try baking with Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons are a citron/mandarin hybrid that are bright but less acidic than lemons.
How to Store Leftover Lemon Poppyseed Bread
Store your tightly wrapped or in an airtight container, where it will last for around 3 days at room temperature. To extend the life of the bread, you can keep it in the fridge for up to one week. Note, though, that the bread may dry out in the fridge and not be as good by the end of the week.
Pin and Save for Later
If you’re not ready to bake yet, no problem! Simply hover over any image in this post (pick your favorite), or tap if you’re on mobile, and click the pin icon in the corner to save for later.
If you’re looking for more lemon dessert inspiration you could also try lemon poppyseed cupcakes or creamy lemon bars (with strawberries!).
Lemon Poppyseed Bread
A extra moist and fluffy lemon poppyseed bread that's soaked in lemon simple syrup and topped with lemon icing.
Ingredients
Lemon Poppyseed Batter
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp lemon zest, freshly grated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp poppyseeds
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Lemon Simple Syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- splash of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat to oven to 350°F. Grease a 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan and line it with a stripe of parchment paper.
- Add butter and sugar to a mixer bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs in, one at a time, fully incorporating each one before adding the next. Then add the oil and vanilla extract and continue beating for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add the lemon zest, and then with your mixer running, add the sour cream ¼ cup a time, followed by the 2 tbsp of milk. The mixture may split a bit, but continue beating until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppyseeds together until well mixed. Dump the flour into the mixer bowl and fold it in on low speed until combined.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift it out. Continue letting the bread cool for another 10 minutes.
- While the bread is cooling, make the lemon simple syrup. Mix 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 2 tbsp of sugar together in a small bowl. Microwave for about 20-30 seconds, or until the sugar is dissolved.
- Use a toothpick to poke a lot of holes all over the top of the lemon poppyseed loaf. Brush the simple syrup over the top of the bread and along the sides too if you wish. Let the bread cool completely from here.
- Once the bread has cooled, make the icing by whisking the lemon juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Add more or less lemon juice to achieve your desired consistency. Pour the icing over the loaf, using a spoon to spread it out. Cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
- Measuring flour: I highly recommend measuring your flour by weight with a digital scale since it easy to over- or under-measure. If you do not have a scale, then use the spoon and level method.
- Eggs: Make sure that the eggs are at room temperature. To quickly warm up cold eggs, soak them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Use a metal pan: use a metal pan (like aluminized steel) and not a glass pan for this bread. Metal will ensure a more even bake, while glass may overcook the edges before the middle is done.
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