This was my first time ever making a lemon poppyseed cake. I always thought the yellow of the loaf came from its namesake (lemons) but I learned that it actually comes more from the eggs!

Grandma’s recipe didn’t even call for lemons in the cake itself – in fact, its lemon flavour comes from lemon pie filling which is meant to be layered into the cake. In my travels around the internet, I haven’t found a recipe quite like this one.

I misunderstood Grandma’s recipe with its proportions and the layering. I now realize she intended for the cake to be baked in two 9” square pans and those cakes would be layered onto each other. What’s more, each of those layers is to be cut horizontally to then create what is ultimately a four-layer cake.

I made it in loaf tins. It worked out ok, but next time I would try this cake as a square. There might be too much batter, since I’ve altered the ratios, or the cakes may need longer in the oven. I’ll update the recipe when I try again.

So what I’ve done is suggested two versions – one as loaves (as I’ve done) and one as a layered cake which is truer to Grandma’s recipe.

Ingredients

SEPARATE BOWL

• 4 cups flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

MIXER BOWL

• 2 cups Earth balance
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Zest from 5-6 lemons
• 8 eggs

LATER ADDITIONS

• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup poppy seeds

AFTER THE CAKE COOLS

• Lemon pie filling (for layered cake)
• Lemon flavoured frosting (for layered cake)
• Lemon glaze (for loaves)

Yield: 2 large 9×13” loafs

Preheat oven to 350^o

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. I like to use a whisk for this.

In the stand mixer’s bowl, cream the Earth balance and gradually add sugar and vanilla. Mix in the lemon zest. Next add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet – alternating with the soy milk and lemon juice, mixing lightly just to blend. Fold in the poppy seeds at the end.

Spread batter evenly in two prepared 9×9”pans (for a square cake) or 9×5” loaf pans (for loaf style). They can be greased and floured or you can use parchment paper as I have. Bake for 50-60 mins. The edges should be light golden brown and just beginning to pull away from the sides.

FOR LOAVES: cover in a lemon glaze while in the warm pan and let cool. Alternatively you can glaze when cool but I like the loaf soaking in some of the glaze while warm.

FOR LAYERED CAKE: Let the cake layers cool in their pans completely.

Cut the loaves in half horizontally. Spread lemon pie filling between the layers and return to its original shape. Cover the sides and top of cake with an icing that has been flavoured with 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp grated lemon rind.