Easy to put together in minutes, this soft lemon poppy seed cake is made with nutty almond flour and farmers or ricotta cheese.
Check out this lemon poppy seed beauty – doesn’t it look like there’s been some effort put into making it? To be honest, it took me less than 15 minutes to put this together. 
Along with raspberries, lemon is my favorite flavoring to use in baking – along with farmers cheese (which can be replaced by ricotta cheese) – and poppy seeds just seem to go hand in hand. This can be made with any flour, including gluten free flours, and I think almond flour seems perfect with lemons and poppy seeds. This cake comes out moist, flavorful and easy to slice (even before it completely cools down).
As a tip, make sure your ingredients, particularly the eggs and cheese, are at room temperature before you start mixing. This gives you a smoother batter and a more evenly baked cake. Also remember, the simplicity of the ingredients allows the natural flavors to shine, so using the best quality lemons and a good olive oil for an extra touch of luxury makes all the difference.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Almond Flour
Preheat the Oven
1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
Prepare the Pan
2. Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides to prevent sticking.
Mix Wet Ingredients
3. In a blender or food processor, blend the butter, sugar, eggs, farmer’s cheese or ricotta, vanilla extract, and the juice and zest of one lemon until smooth.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients
4. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Fold in the almond flour, poppy seeds, and baking powder until the batter is evenly mixed.
Bake the Cake
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cooling
7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
- Ensure all ingredients, especially the eggs and farmer’s cheese or ricotta, are at room temperature to achieve a smoother batter.
- If using a bundt pan, increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes and ensure the pan is well-greased.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Almond Flour
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
Description
Easy to put together in minutes, this soft lemon poppy seed cake is made with nutty almond flour and farmers or ricotta cheese.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) farmer’s cheese or ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) almond flour
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
Preheat the Oven
1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
Prepare the Pan
2. Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides to prevent sticking.
Mix Wet Ingredients
3. In a blender or food processor, blend the butter, sugar, eggs, farmer’s cheese or ricotta, vanilla extract, and the juice and zest of one lemon until smooth.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients
4. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Fold in the almond flour, poppy seeds, and baking powder until the batter is evenly mixed.
Bake the Cake
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cooling
7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients, especially the eggs and farmer’s cheese or ricotta, are at room temperature to achieve a smoother batter.
- If using a bundt pan, increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes and ensure the pan is well-greased.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Baking, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
This cake was a wonderful surprise. The flavor is delicious – just perfectly lemony – and the consistency you get with the twarog makes it a bit like a Polish cheesecake I remember from my travels. Not at all like an American/Italian-style cheescake, more cakey. We loved it! I did, however, add 1/2 cup more sugar, but that was just to our sweet tooth taste. I will definitely make this again.
Loved this cake… easy, moist and lemony. will make it again.
Loved the texture and the flavor balance is just spot on.
I liked the flavors too: the nutty almond mixed with the tart lemon and farmer’s cheese. But my cake did not rise very much. I rechecked the directions and everything seemed to be done correctly. Any suggestions?
Made this for a friend’s afternoon tea and it was the star of the show!
Love it, very delicious!!!
Your recipe turned out beautifully. The cake was flavorful and moist, exactly how I hoped.
My go-to recipe for family gatherings now. The lemon really pops and the poppy seeds add such a great touch!
Fantastic recipe! Followed your steps to the letter and it turned out perfectly. Even better the next day.
A new favorite in our house. The lemon and poppyseed combo is perfect, and it’s so easy to make!
Just tried this recipe over the weekend and it was a hit! The almond flour really makes a difference in keeping it moist and rich.
Can this be made as a bundt cake?
Absolutely! For a bundt cake, ensure your pan is well-greased to capture all the designs of the pan without sticking. You might need to adjust the baking time slightly, as bundt cakes can take longer to bake through than round cake pans. Start checking for doneness at 40 minutes, but it may take up to 50-55 minutes depending on your oven and the size of your bundt pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Thank you for an awesome recipe, it is truly delicious!