Sunshine in a slice! As spring blossoms around us, our kitchens crave that same fresh, vibrant energy. And what better way to capture the season's essence than with a perfectly tangy lemon poppy seed loaf? 

This recipe from Del at Del's Cooking Twist, is a burst of citrus sunshine, dotted with delicate poppy seeds, making it the ideal treat for brunch, afternoon tea, or simply a sweet moment of spring indulgence. 

INGREDIENTS

For the lemon poppy seed loaf:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup high quality butter, softened at room temp (NOT MELTED)

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Zest of 2 lemons

2 tbsp poppy seeds

3/4 cup milk

For the lemon glaze (optional):

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 tsp milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease the bottom and the sides of a 9x5 inch loaf pan with melted butter or vegetable oil. Set aside. 

2. Sift flour in a medium size bowl. Add baking powder, salt and mix well. Set aside. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or using a hand mixer on low-speed setting, cream softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. If you end up with a chunky texture while mixing butter and sugar, stop everything, then use a rubber spatula and press butter and sugar until creamy. You need to have this creamy softened butter-sugar texture before going further in the recipe. 

4. Slowly add the beaten eggs to the mixer, one at a time. Add the lemon juice, zest and poppy seeds. Keep the mixer running on low speed and pour in half the milk with half of the flour mixture. Beat until all ingredients are combined, then slowly add the remaining milk and flour, and beat until combined. 

5. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. 

6. When the cake is cooled, make the icing. Start with adding 1 tbsp lemon juice to the powdered sugar then add milk, adjusting quantity if needed. The icing should be thick and not too runny. Spoon icing over the cake and let it harden before serving.