With a bit less sugar and fat than traditional cake, I’m okay with slipping a piece into my kid’s lunchbox for a treat.

This cake can be enjoyed as is but I’m partial to a drizzle of that tangy lemon glaze.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. oil
• Juice and zest of 2 lemons
• 1/4 C. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 t. vanilla
• 2 C. water
• 3 C. all-purpose flour
• 2 t. baking soda
• 1 t. salt
• 1/3 C. poppy seeds
• 1 C. powdered sugar
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 9 x 13" pan.

Step 2

In large mixing bowl, whisk together, sugar, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, applesauce and vanilla until well-combined. Add water and mix thoroughly.

Step 3

Add flour, baking soda and salt and stir until just combined. (Your batter may have a few small lumps and that's okay. You don't want to over-mix.)

Step 4

Fold in poppy seeds.

Step 5

Pour batter into pan. Bake 35 minutes or until edges are golden and beginning to pull away from pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Step 6

In the meantime, prepare your glaze by simply whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Step 7

Allow cake to cool completely (or at least 15 minutes if you just can't wait!) before drizzling with glaze. Enjoy!