Nothing says summer quite like lemon poppyseed cake fresh from the oven. With little effort and a few ingredients, you can create an impressive dessert which looks as good as it tastes. Our lemon poppyseed cacti cake is an exciting twist on the classic american favourite, adding a splash of green to any spring or summer get together. Not only does the vibrant cacti design look incredibly effective, it’s also surprisingly easy to achieve.
The sweetness of the poppyseeds and the zing of the lemon come together perfectly in this simple recipe, creating a moist and fluffy texture that isn’t too sweet or too tart. Topped with a creamy buttercream frosting, you can’t go wrong with this deliciously original cake. Celebrate the warm weather by creating something edible and totally unique.
Lemon Poppyseed Cacti Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons poppyseeds
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
¾ cup butter, softened
3 ½ cups icing sugar
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs, milk, poppyseeds, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To make the frosting, cream together the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla extract and continue to beat until fully incorporated.
8. To assemble the cacti cake, spread a layer of frosting onto one cake layer, then top with the second cake layer. Use a small offset spatula to spread and smooth a thin layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake.
9. To decorate the cacti, use a star-shaped tip to pipe the spines of the cacti. Start by making a central circle, then work your way around, making shorter and shorter circles.
10. Dip a toothpick into the star-shaped tip and use it to make the details on the central flower.
11. Finally, fill in the middle of the flower and the spines with a small dollop of buttercream frosting or sprinkles.
Once your lemon poppyseed cacti cake is complete, you’ll have an impressive and tasty dessert that’s sure to impress all of your guests. The addition of the zingy lemon zest and crunchy poppyseeds make this cake
