Description
This vibrant 9×13 sheet cake features a tender, citrus-infused crumb studded with poppy seeds and topped with a velvety cream cheese frosting. A luscious homemade lemon curd is swirled throughout the topping, creating a bright and tangy dessert that is both simple to prepare and impressively flavorful.
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Egg yolks
- Cornstarch
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Cake flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Poppy seeds
- Granulated sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Melted butter
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a saucepan; add lemon zest and juice, then cook over medium heat until thickened before stirring in butter and chilling.
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl.
- In a separate small container, stir the milk and sour cream together.
- Rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar in a large bowl until fragrant and moist.
- Whisk the oil, melted butter, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla into the lemon sugar mixture.
- Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, followed by the milk mixture, and then the remaining dry ingredients until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Whip the room-temperature cream cheese and butter with powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy to create the frosting.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, scoop chilled lemon curd on top, and use a knife to gently swirl it into the frosting before serving.
Notes
For the most consistent results, ensure your dairy and eggs are at room temperature to prevent the batter from curdling. If you want a more pronounced citrus flavor, you can make the lemon curd a day ahead of time to allow the flavors to deepen and the texture to firm up in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American