This gluten free lemon poppy seed loaf cake is so bright and perfect for Spring! Serve up a slice for dessert or even breakfast.
I love using citrus in my baking this time of year. Whether it's my orange olive oil cake, or this glazed lemon poppy seed cake I'm about to tell you all about... it just tastes so bright and fresh. And just so Spring-like!
This poppy seed loaf is perfect for an Easter brunch, not that you really need an occasion or excuse to whip this one up! Once you see just how easy it is, you're going to immediately want to add it to your Spring baking list. I can almost guarantee it 😉
I've always loved a good poppy seed cake. I feel like it's a hard flavor to describe, but it's almost kind of floral? And nutty? Poppy seeds add a delicious touch to this glazed lemon loaf, as far as I'm concerned, as well as a bit of added texture.
And speaking of texture, this quick bread is perfectly soft and moist. I'd say it's not light and fluffy but it's also not dense, so it kind of falls somewhere in between.
We're finishing it all off with a simple glaze. I highly recommend adding the glaze, because it just adds that perfect amount of sweetness and goes great with the lemon flavor. However, if you are short on time or would prefer to leave off the glaze, the lemon poppy seed loaf is delicious plain, too.
Why You'll Love This Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf...
- This lemon poppy seed cake is super easy to make and doesn't even require a mixer! We're mixing everything up by hand, including the glaze.
- And speaking of that glaze, it's SO simple (2 ingredients) yet adds the perfect finishing touch to this loaf cake.
- It's the perfect quick bread for brunch, Easter, Mother's Day... the list goes on and on.
What You'll Need...
- The dry ingredients: flour + baking soda + baking powder + salt.
- The fat: vegetable oil.
- The flavor: sugar + lemon juice + lemon zest.
- For moisture: Greek yogurt + milk.
- Mix in: poppy seeds.
- Top it off with: powdered sugar + milk.
How To Make Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf...
Make the loaf:
To make my gluten free lemon poppy seed loaf, we'll start by combining our dry ingredients. Set that aside and use a rubber spatula to mix the oil and sugar together. Add in the rest of your "wet" ingredients -- the yogurt, milk, lemon juice, and zest.
Pour your dry mixture right in and mix it all up by hand. Stir in the poppy seeds (I like to go with just one tablespoon but you can do two tablespoons if you'd like). Bake on 350ºF for around 30-35 minutes. Make sure you cool your loaf completely before glazing.
Make the glaze:
To make your glaze, simply add milk to your sifted powdered sugar. I recommending adding your milk one tablespoonful at a time, so that you can monitor the consistency.
Add more milk to thin the glaze out and, if you accidentally go too thin, add just a bit more powdered sugar to thicken (again, working one spoonful at a time).
Drizzle or pour your glaze right on top and serve. Like I said, if you'd rather skip the glaze, that's totally ok. This quick bread will be delicious either way!
To Make This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Vegan...
If you are looking to make this loaf dairy-free and vegan, you will need to substitute the Greek yogurt and milk. The yogurt is essential as an egg substitute here -- it adds richness, moisture, and helps bind. I haven't tested it, but you can try your favorite non-dairy yogurt here.
Did you make my glazed lemon poppy seed loaf? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf - Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (259g) gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable or canola oil
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (150g) Greek yogurt room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk room temperature
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5" loaf pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a separate, larger bowl, mix the oil with the sugar until combined. Stir in the yogurt, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in the poppy seeds.
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from the pan and glazing.
To make the glaze:
- Mix the powdered sugar with the milk until fully combined. Be sure to add the milk one tablespoon at a time as you monitor the consistency. If needed, add more milk to help thin out the glaze.
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