
All my tea friends are pretty easygoing, so I feel safe enough around them to ask for their opinions every time I whip up a new baking recipe. My lemon poppy seed almond cake is one of those latest experiments, and it was such a smash hit that they practically beg for it at every tea party now. I can’t wait to share the recipe with you!
Why This Almond Poppy Seed Cake Is The Best

- These cakes are classic Goldilocks — not too much or too little, just perfect! The almond extract gives them a classy, sweet kick that doesn’t overpower everything else like a heavy dose of sugar often does.
- Meanwhile, the poppy seeds bring a delightful, nutty crunch that melts adults and kiddos alike! Not to mention the extra tablespoon of lemon juice (like in my recipe below), which goes beautifully with the almond taste.
- You can grab all the ingredients at your regular grocery store, so baking them up is a no-brainer. And since these cakes are not heavy, feel free to enjoy them to your heart’s content without feeling like you need a serious nap afterward. Just the right choice for a guilt-free treat!
- When dusted with powdered sugar, these babies look all “fancy pants” for any tea party or brunch. Oh, and some glossy gaze doesn’t hurt if you crave extra pizzazz.
8 Basic Steps To Make Almond Poppy Seed Tea Cake
Step 1.
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (about 177°C). Mix some melted butter with a tablespoon of sugar, then brush this magic combo into each muffin pan cup. This little trick will give our cakes the crispy, crunchy outside we are after!

Cake
Step 2.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and a pinch of salt. Set that bowl aside for a second!

Step 3.
In a big bowl, cream the butter with sugar using your stand or handheld mixer until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes at high speed (and well, don’t worry if it looks a bit curdled; that’s fine). Add the large eggs, almond extract, vanilla extract, and sour cream, and mix it up at medium-high until everything’s combined.
Step 4.
Now, gently stir in the bowl of dry ingredients we set aside earlier (Step 2) at low mixer speed until everything’s JUST mixed. I don’t want you to go crazy here — keep it light.
Step 5.

Spoon this batter into your prepared muffin cups; I often fill them halfway. Pop them in the oven for 15 minutes, give or take, until they’re lightly golden and a small toothpick poked in the middle comes out squeaky clean. They might have some bumpy spots in the middle, but don’t think much about it. That’s just part of the charm!
Step 6.
Once they’re out of the oven, flip the pan over immediately to get the cakes out (You might want them to sit perfectly flat, but that doesn’t matter much to me, tbh). Let them cool for 10-15 minutes with the bottoms up before drizzling on some icing.
Try my strawberry poppy seed cake next for a refreshing change! And if you are craving more almonds, this almond coconut cake recipe will be your best bet.
Icing
Step 7.
Mix confectioners’ sugar with a tablespoon of milk (or lemon juice; this one’s my favorite) and a dash of almond extract until smooth. Don’t freak out if it’s too thick — just add another splash of milk or lemon juice to get it right!

Step 8.
Are your cakes cooled down and ready to go? Great! Now drizzle the icing all over them, sprinkling on a few sliced almonds if you fancy. Voila! Your delicious tea cakes are now ready to steal the show.

Private Notes
1.
Running out of ingredients or in the mood for some experiments? Here are some ingredient swaps to consider!
Flour
Do you know that all-purpose flour can be replaced with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend? However, since gluten helps A LOT with structure, I suggest using a blend containing xanthan gum! Trust me, the xanthan gum will act as a binder in gluten-free baking and mimic some of the gluten’s properties. That’s how your baked tea cakes hold their shape.
Sour Cream
We all agree that sour cream adds extra moisture to our rich cakes.
Don’t have it on hand? Try plain yogurt. And if you don’t have yogurt, either, a quick solution is to curdle some milk with a little lemon juice or vinegar! The acid in the lemon juice or vinegar reacts with the milk proteins and, you guessed it, creates an almost identical texture to sour cream.
The entire curdling process is super straightforward. Simply add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to ½ cup of milk, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then use it in my original recipe.
Almond Extract
I name this cake “almond poppy seed” for a reason, you know?
But if you can’t find almond extract anywhere in your kitchen, a small amount of amaretto liqueur (about 1 teaspoon) can be used in a pinch. There’s only one thing: amaretto has a MUCH stronger flavor, plus some alcohol content, so be mindful of the amount you use. Don’t expect the taste profile to stay the same!
2.
Want an even more tender and flavorful tea cake? Brush the tops of the warm cakes with simple syrup! FYI, syrup is just equal parts sugar and water dissolved over low heat, so it creates a concentrated sugar solution that soaks into the lovely tea cakes. Your baked treats will be delightfully moist without being overly soggy.
3.
Poppy seeds come in various colors, but black or blue are my favorite choices for this recipe.
Yeah, yeah, you can choose any color, actually, and the flavor profile won’t even change that much. It’s just that the black or blue seeds bring out a much more impressive visual contrast to the light cake batter, and who doesn’t want to add a pop of color to their treats? And you don’t even have to try that much; sprinkling these seeds into the batter takes, like 5 seconds.
FAQs
How Should I Store My Leftover Tea Cakes?
These tea cakes are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven when they are at their most moist and flavorful! But you can still store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. I even freeze them when planning ahead of time and thaw everything in the refrigerator overnight before D-day.
Can I Add A Glaze To My Homemade Tea Cake?
Totally! As I said earlier, a simple glaze sweetens the fluffy cake and adds a very lovely sheen. To make the glaze, mix powdered sugar with a little milk or almond extract until you reach a pourable consistency (as in thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still thin enough to drizzle easily).
—
That’s it!
Discover More Unique Cake Recipes:

Almond Poppy Seed Tea Cake
Ingredients
Prepping Pan
- 2 tbsp melted, unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Cake
- 1 cup spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 6 tbsp softened, unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp almond extract
Almond Icing
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tbsp milk or lemon juice
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- a handful sliced almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (about 177°C). Mix some butter with a tablespoon of sugar. Brush the mixture into each muffin pan cup.
Cake
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and salt. Set aside.
- Grab another bowl. Cream the butter with sugar using your mixer (2-3 minutes at high speed). Add the large eggs, almond extract, vanilla extract, and sour cream, and mix it up at medium-high until combined.
- Gently stir in the bowl of dry ingredients (from Step 2) at low mixer speed until JUST mixed.
- Spoon this batter into your prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes until they’re lightly golden and a small toothpick poked in the middle comes out squeaky clean.
- Flip the pan over immediately to release these cakes. Let them cool on the wire rack for 10-15 minutes (bottoms up) before drizzling on some icing.
Icing
- Mix confectioners’ sugar with a tablespoon of milk (or lemon juice) and a dash of almond extract until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add another splash of milk or lemon juice.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled cakes, sprinkling on a few sliced almonds if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can switch all-purpose flour with a gluten-free blend. To replace sour cream, use plain yogurt or a homemade lemon juice/vinegar and milk mixture. Amaretto liqueur can work as a substitute for almond extract.
- For an extra moist cake, brush the top of the cakes with simple syrup after they come out of the oven.
- You can use any poppy seeds, but black or blue ones create a more visually appealing contrast in the cake.