Lemon Poppy Seed Snack Cake
Do you love lemons? You're going to absolutely adore this lemon-flavored baked good! This cake is moist, delicious, and full of amazing lemon flavor!
Servings 16 servings
Calories 260kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar
- ½ cup of vegetable oil
- Juice and zest of 2 small lemons
- ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla
- 2 cups of water
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ⅓ cup of poppy seeds
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 4 to 5 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, applesauce, and vanilla until well combined. Add water and mix thoroughly.
- Add the 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 overmix.)
- Fold in the poppy seeds.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until the edges are golden and begin to pull away from the pan. Take a toothpick, insert it into the middle of the cake and make sure it comes out clean. If it doesn’t bake in 5 minute increments until it does.
- In the meantime, prepare your glaze by simply whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Start with 4 teaspoons, and if it’s too thick, add another one.
- Allow the cake to cool completely (or at least 15 minutes if you just can't wait!) before drizzling with glaze. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t overmix the batter: I know it seems odd not to make sure that cake batter is 100% smooth, but overmixed cake batter will have a weaker structure, leading to a fragile cake (which already has less structure as it’s egg-free). It can also impact texture, changing from fluffy and light to more chewy/gummy.
- Measure flour carefully: I recommend using the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup then the back of a knife to level it off. DON’T simply scoop the cup into your bag of flour all you’ll end up with too much flour and a denser cake.
- Slicing the lemon sheet cake: This cake makes an excellent option for gatherings as there are so many ways to slice the cake - slice it into squares or bars of different sizes. You can even cut bite-sized pieces to be part of a dessert platter.
Nutrition
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg