Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

All purpose flour: Measure it by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling the top so you don’t accidentally add too much and end up with a dry loaf.
Butter: Let it soften to room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar.
Fresh lemon: You’ll use both the juice and zest in the batter, plus more juice for the glaze. Fresh lemon makes a noticeable difference here.
Buttermilk: This adds moisture and gives the loaf its soft, tender texture.
Eggs: You’ll need 3 large eggs. Room temperature eggs will mix more easily into the creamed butter.
Poppy seeds: Two Tablespoons give you little bits of crunch throughout the loaf without overwhelming it.
Vanilla extract: A little vanilla works really well with the lemon.
Icing sugar, lemon juice and milk: These make the thick lemon glaze that goes over the cooled loaf.

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Cream the butter and sugar: Beat them together for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs and lemon: Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Finish the batter: Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, mixing just until combined. Fold in the poppy seeds.
Bake: Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool and glaze: Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Once completely cool, whisk together the glaze and drizzle it over the loaf.

Substitutions and Variations

Make muffins: One reader made this recipe as muffins and got 14 from one batch. She baked them successfully and loved the texture, so this is a good option if you don’t want a full loaf. Start checking them around 20 minutes since they’ll bake much faster than the loaf.
Make mini loaves: A reader doubled the recipe and successfully made mini loaves to give to her neighbors. Adjust the baking time according to the size of your pans.
More lemon flavor: If you like a really lemony loaf, add a little lemon extract or some extra lemon zest. One reader used the zest of 2 lemons plus a little lemon extract and loved the result.
Orange poppy seed loaf: Swap the lemon juice and zest for fresh orange juice and zest.
Gluten-free: Use a good 1:1 gluten-free baking flour that contains xanthan gum in place of the all purpose flour.

Serving Suggestions

With a drink: Enjoy an iced lavender matcha latte, sparkling strawberry lemonade or whipped dalgona coffee with a slice of this lemon loaf.
With dessert: Ice cream is always a good idea to serve with any kind of cake or loaf. The contrast of the cold, creamy ice cream with the soft, sweet cake is always a hit. Strawberry sorbet or lemon sorbet would pair well too.

How to Store

Store: Keep the lemon poppy seed loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Wrap the loaf or individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. I prefer freezing individual slices so I can take out just what I need.
Thaw: Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.