Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cakes:  Citrus laden mini Bundt cakes are perfect for tea time, dessert or a very indulgent breakfast! 

Not a traditional British Tea Cakes Recipe but definitely a treat that’s delicious with a cup or tea or coffee.

Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cake on a white plate garnished with raspberries.

Why You Must Make

  • Everyone loves their own personal dessert!
  • Adding frosting, whipped cream or ice cream will even make these more enticing!
  • These buttery gems are a legitimate breakfast treat, too!!!

If you can believe it, the hubby is not the pickiest member of my family. Katie wins that title. It’s easier to list what she will eat than go through the long list of foods she refuses to eat or try.

I blame this on her father’s genes. In fact, his dad’s family apologized to my MIL about his food proclivities before they married. Katie does love poppy seed muffins, both the lemon and almond varieties. So I had a feeling she’d be thrilled with these tea cakes.

Expert Tips

  • A dusting of powdered sugar is a nice touch, but totally optional. If you’d like to serve these for dessert, feel free to add a drizzle of icing.
  • As with any specialized baking pan, this mini Bundt pan needed a good coating of butter followed by flour or a spray with a product like Baker’s Joy to allow for a clean release.
  • PRO-Tip: If you over-mix a quick bread batter (like muffins or tea cakes), you’ll get tunnels in your final product. So when you mix the dry ingredients into the wet, stir by hand just till the flour is incorporated, and never use an electric mixer.
Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cakes - citrus laden quick breads baked in festive mini Bundt pans!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Meyer Lemon?

Meyer lemons are thought to be a cross between a conventional lemon and a mandarin orange. They are rounder and sweeter than lemons with a bit of an orange hue in their rind.
You can easily substitute an ordinary lemon for the Meyer lemons in this recipe. Your end result will be a more intense lemon flavor.

How Do You Prevent Bundt Cakes from Sticking to the Pan?

Make sure to prep the pan properly. Grease the pan then dust with flour or use a flour and oil spray like Baker’s Joy.

Old pans will stick more since their interior surface is not as smooth as a new pan. Sometimes it’s best to just bite the bullet and purchase a new pan.

Do not leave the cake or cakes in the pans too long. Let them cool long enough for the exterior to get firm, but not until the cake is fully cooled, usually about 10-15 minutes for a large Bundt pan.

What is a Tea Cake?

Tea cakes originated in Britain, and unlike the name implies, they are more of a plain soft cookie or a yeasted bun speckled with dried fruit than a cake. Though tarts and small cakes can also be referred to as tea cakes.

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Meyer Lemon Tea Cake on a white dessert plate with fresh raspberry garnish

Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cakes

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Yield 8

A citrus quick bread baked in mini Bundt pans for a beautiful presentation!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened; plus more for greasing pans
  • 2 cups flour; plus more for dusting pans
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon or traditional lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice or traditional lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup cold milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease two mini Bundt pans with butter, then dust them lightly with flour or spray with Baker's Joy.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds together in a medium-size bowl and set aside.
  3. In a separate, big bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixture until light lemon-yellow in color. With the mixer speed low, beat in the eggs, continuing with the lemon zest and juice.
  4. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir half the milk into the wet ingredients. Stir in half the flour. Stir in the remaining milk. Add the remaining flour, and stir just until no flour is visible.
  5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans with a rubber spatula, filling about 3/4 full.
  6. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until the tops are a very light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into middle of one of the cakes comes out clean.
  7. Cool in pan for a few minutes, then invert and let cakes cool on wire rack. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Once Upon a Tart.

Batter can also be baked in loaf pans. Just bake till tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 311Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 201mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 7g

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