Lemon Poppyseed Cake + Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

April 9, 2015

I love a good homemade dessert, especially when I can share it with others. Since I can't pass you a plate with a slice of this cake on it and we enjoy it together over coffee, I wanted to at least share the recipe. 

I'll never pass dessert down, and really enjoy my time in the kitchen baking. If there's a big event coming up, we're hosting others at our home, or just because, I'm a firm believer that dessert must be involved. Like I posted earlier this week, my family came over for Easter celebrations. So that Sunday I whipped up a lemon poppy seed cake. Can I just own it here...I'm crazy for anything lemon poppy seed. As for the frosting, I wanted a flavor that would complement the cake, and what's better than a strawberry/lemon combo?! So I tried my hand at making a fresh strawberry buttercream.

  • What You'll Need
    • 3 cups cake flour
    • 1 3/4 cup sugar
    • 4 1/2 TSP baking powder
    • 1/2 TSP salt
    • 3 TBSP poppy seeds
    • 2 sticks butter, softened
    • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
    • 5 egg whites
    • Zest of 2 large lemons

  • What You'll Do
    • Preheat the oven to 350°, and spray two round pans. (I don't have the same size round pans so I had a staggering cake).
    • Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
    • In a separate bowl cream the butter, zest, and just a cup of the buttermilk together. Once well combined add to the dry mixture and beat until smooth.
    • In another bowl whisk the egg whites and remaining buttermilk together. Then add to the batter and stir until well combined. 
    • Lastly, stir in the poppy seeds. Equally divide the batter up between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes. 

  • Optional Syrup
    • On the stove top bring 1/3 cup water, juice of 1 lemon, and 1/4 cup sugar to a boil. Continue to let it boil until it reduces down and appears thick. After the cakes have come out of the oven and are cooling, use a brush to spread this simple syrup over them. 

For the fresh strawberry buttercream....

  • What You'll Need
    • 3/4 cup butter, softened
    • 1/2 cup strawberries, pureed
    • 4 TBSP heavy whipping cream
    • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • What You'll Do
    • In a bowl cream the butter, heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar together on a low speed. 
    • Set the buttercream aside and puree the strawberries. By tablespoon add the strawberry mixture to the frosting until you get the desired taste.
    • You can add more powdered sugar, whipping cream, and/or strawberry puree until you get the flavor and texture you like. 
    • Using a plastic spatula, spread the buttercream over the first cake. Then stack the second cake and spread more buttercream. If you want you can cover the entire cake or just the tops.


Now go make this and tell me how it turns out!