This Lemon, Almond and Poppy Seed cake has a light sponge with a Lemon Drizzle topping. A quick and easy recipe to make. Cut into 12 good sized squares.
This recipe is adapted from my Lemon Drizzle Traybake recipe. It has the addition of ground almonds and poppy seeds in the cake mixture with Flaked Almonds on top. Another easy recipe to make. You can omit the Lemon drizzle if you wish to reduce the lemon zing flavours.
How to make Lemon, Almond and Poppy Seed Squares
The butter must always be at room temperature. It makes creaming the butter and sugar together that much easier and quicker.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until you have a light and fluffy texture. I’ve been using a Kenwood Flexible Beater with my electric mixer ( Kenwood Major) and find mixing so much quicker and thorough as it scrapes down the sides of the bowl as it goes along. It was such a pain having to stop and start the machine several times using my usual K beaters. This attachment saves me a bit of time.
Add the eggs, one at a time, adding a little flour between each one to help prevent curdling. Mix until well combined.
Add the remaining flour and ground Almonds and on a slow speed, mix until well combined. Add the lemon zest and poppy seeds. Mix until well combined using a spatular or wooden spoon.
Pour the cake mixture evenly into the prepared baking tin.
Scatter the Flaked Almonds evenly over the top of the cake batter mixture.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 – 30 mins. Or until baked. Testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean. The top of the traybake springs back when pressed.
While the cake is cooling, make the drizzle. It’s important to add the drizzle while the cake is still warm as it helps the lemon drizzle seep through the sponge giving it that extra zing.
Mix the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to a runny consistency. Pierce the cake at various points with a cake skewer and spoon the Lemon Drizzle topping over the cake.
Cut into 12 squares. This cake tastes delicious while still slightly warm. It will keep well for a few days when kept in an airtight container. But I doubt it will last that long. It’s so delicious and refreshing.
Other traybake recipes that you might like to try.
- Lemon Drizzle Traybake with Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice
- Chocolate Tray Bake with easy to slice hard chocolate topping.
- Matcha Green Tea cake with a zingy white chocolate frosting, topped with strawberries and Pistachio nuts
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Lemon Almond & Poppy Seed Squares
Ingredients - Imperial /oz are approx weights which are calculated by a 3rd party app
For the Cake
- 200 g caster sugar
- 200 g butter softened
- 4 eggs medium sized
- 150 g self raising flour
- 50 g ground almonds
- zest of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 40 g flaked almonds
Lemon Drizzle Topping
- 100 g caster sugar
- juice of 2 lemons approx 3 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 deg fan assisted. Grease and line a 10.5 inch (27cm) x 7 inch (17.5cm) x 1inch traybake tin or similar with baking parchment or greaseproof paper. Please note. If you use a tin with a different size, the baking times may differ.
- Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go along. My mixer is a Kenwood Major and I use the Kenwood Flexible Beater attachment. It saves me having to scrape down the sides of the bowl.Since using it, I’ve found my cake batter whips up a lot quicker and fluffier.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Adding a little flour in between each one to help prevent curdling. Mix until well combined. Add the remaining flour and ground Almonds. Mix until well combined.
- Add the lemon zest and poppy seeds. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix until well combined.
- Pour the cake mixture evenly into the prepared baking tin. Scatter the Flaked Almonds evenly over the top of the cake batter mixture.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 – 30 mins. Or until baked. Testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean. The top of the traybake springs back when pressed.
- While the cake is cooling, make the drizzle. It’s important to add the drizzle while the cake is still warm as it helps the lemon drizzle seep through the sponge giving it that extra zing.
- Mix the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to a runny consistency.
- Pierce the cake at various points with a cake skewer and spoon the Lemon Drizzle topping over the cake.
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