Moist Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake with Lavender Glaze

Be sure to grab the FREE bonus homemade lavender simple syrup recipe along with a recipe checklist for this lemon poppy seed loaf cake! Find it above in the full recipe post.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that it covers the bottom and long sides with about an inch of parchment paper extending beyond the pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the lemon zest and white sugar by rubbing the ingredients together with your fingers until it looks like wet sand. Add the softened butter to the same bowl and cream it with the zest/sugar mixture until it's fluffy and a light yellow color. An electric mixture is ideal for this step, and it should take about 3 minutes to cream properly. Add the eggs one at a time to the same bowl, and beat well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and vanilla, and mix together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the mascarpone. Finally, add the poppy seeds to the batter and mix well.

Pour the batter into prepared pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in pan until warm to the touch. Run a knife along the short ends of the pan, and use the parchment paper edges to lift and remove the loaf from pan. Allow to cool on a cooling rack. Prepare the glaze while the loaf is on the cooling rack.

Whisk together the syrup, powdered sugar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add more lavender syrup if desired. Place a tray or plate under the cooling rack to catch any drips and proceed to spoon the glaze over top of loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides a bit. Garnish with lavender and sliced lemons.