I have this incredible love for the Lemon Poppyseed Loaf from Starbucks.
Ahh… that lemony moist cake with the yummy poppy seeds – wow! This loaf cake brings back great memories…
This was our life a few years ago (does 10 years pass as a ‘few’? It sure feels like it was yesterday) : Me and my soon-to-be husband, living in Port Credit, a sweet little ‘town’ just west of TO, it’s really just a small strip with character buildings of a cute little town and the best part…. it’s right by the lake. We lived there for six years in a small apartment right in the hub of this great little area… now very trendy. But even back in those years, we loved the shops and the lifestyle of live/work in a great area.
We were living the life. We both worked from home and we started many days with a walk out by the lake…. grabbing some coffees and (of course) some Lemon Poppyseed Loaf cake from Starbucks. A little morning stroll, arm in arm when everyone was stuck in cubicles was a dream-come-true. I always enjoyed the little things… the lake, my man, coffees, great conversation and a great cake in my hand were more than the little things – this was, at the time the best years of our life…. Mid 20s and life was good pre-kids and pre-mortgage, pre-health struggles…. I guess we just knew how to create great moments with very little and enjoy every day as it came ;)
Of course, some memories just never fade and looking back to our life in Port Credit always brings a smile to my face. We bring back great stories and treasure them so they don’t fade away. After all… living by the lake is amazing. To have such a great place to relax and have stunning view of the beautiful lake just steps away is amazing. But the best part also, is that our daughter was born there. I have amazing memories of sitting with her as a little baby on the balcony and soaking up some sunshine and going for strolls while hearing the waves splashing. Of course we were outgrowing this apartment and needed to move on and get more room for those early days as family.
But I never wanted to really move. And we swore that one day we would go back to Port Credit. And maybe those days of grabbing coffee and Lemon Poppyseed loaf cake and going for a walk by the lake would be part of our everyday once again….. one day, we’ll see if that happens. Meanwhile, I borrow little pieces of that old life and adapt it to our right now…
We no longer have Starbucks or the lake within a walking distance. And I no longer eat wheat/ gluten, eggs and dairy… so this cake, I dream of, isn’t even possible to grab at Starbucks. Of course, I no longer care…. I can have it all anyway…. We can drive out to the lake, grab coffees and I can pack a home-baked Lemon Poppyseed Loaf cake with us. We can set up a blanket right by the shore and enjoy that sameness that wakes a small heartwarming piece in my heart. We can have a picnic with our daughter and the little baby that will arrive soon… and me and my husband can still get lost in our old life stories and bring back fun memories from years ago, when we sat in the very same spot, dreaming of one day coming here with our kids and growing old together…. ;)
Lemon Poppyseed Loaf | gluten, dairy and egg free
Ingredients for the loaf cake:
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons white chia seed powder
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup powdered stevia*
1/4 cup raw cane sugar*
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or grape seed oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 organic lemon
* Or 3/4 cups raw cane sugar if cutting our sugar is not a priority. However if you can cut down on the sugar, this is so much better for you!
Ingredients for the lemon icing :
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
water if needed
You will need 2 bowls and a rectangular loaf pan, about 6×9″, and parchment paper to line the inside.
Directions :
First, soak the poppy seeds in the milk for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Make a chia egg : Mix two tablespoons of chia powder (preferably white so it blends into the white cake), whole chia seeds are also ok. And mix them with 4 tablespoons of warm water. Set aside for about 5 minutes, the amount of time it takes to gather your ingredients.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine all dry flour ingredients in one bowl. Combine sugar and all wet ingredients in another, whisk for a few minutes to let the sugar dissolve. Zest your lemon, then juice it. (if not using organic lemon, be sure to remove some of the wax build up on the skin – you can do this by putting the lemon into a mug or a small bowl and pouring hot boiling water over it to cover completely. Leave for about 10 seconds, remove with a spoon and wipe clean.)
Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. If lumps form, use an immersion blender to mix the batter thoroughly. Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes, enough to line your pan with parchment paper. (Resting helps the batter to get fluffier as the baking powder is activated better with the dough’s rest).
Bake at 350F for about 30-40 minutes. The loaf cake should be golden in colour and firm to the touch, the toothpick should come out dry. Allow to cool completely before serving.
To make the Lemon Icing, add the powdered sugar into a small bowl, add in the lemon juice and mix with a spoon, add a 1/4 teaspoon of water at a time and mixing well to reach the right runny consistency. Drizzle over the Lemon Poppyseed Loaf and serve. Enjoy!
Now I can go back to those memories with coffee and Lemon Poppyseed Loaf cake anytime I want…. And there’s a little extra pleasure that I can have cake and eat it too! ;)
And there’s something about the Lemon + Poppy seed moist yummy cake that I will always love…. maybe it’s the memories, maybe it’s just the good cake. I know one thing… I like to enjoy good things in life! And this Lemon Poppyseed Loaf cake would be a very good thing in my life right now…. along with my family on that picnic blanket by the lake… that would pure happiness – and I can’t wait! ;)
♥
Pure Ella
If you’re new to Pure Ella, please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: Facebook // Pinterest // Twitter // Instagram @pure_ellaPure Ella is hosted with :
Blogger, Recipe Developer, Photographer and Author. Loves healthy food, photography, sunshine and dancing in the kitchen with her two daughters. 
Oh man, you got me with this one! I worked for starbucks for years and the smell of this loaf always got me!
tell me, what gluten-free flour did you use?? because i need this in my life :)
Hi Gabby!
Oh you must have been teased left and right with all that yumminess at Starbucks! I couldn’t do it ;)
As for the g-f flour, I really like this brand from Heartland Gourmet http://heartlandgourmet.com/collections/gluten-free/products/2060-gluten-free-flour-mix
I found it at Home Sense/ Winners of all the places. It’s not gummy or beany and it is great for baked goods.
I just need to find regular stock of this one.
I’m sure you can use any gf all-purpose flour blend you find. I think they are very good now and the variety is there.
Hope that helps and you can have your cake and eat it too… soon!!! ;)
xox
Hi! I came across Bob’s Gluten Free baking mix. Can I use this? Baking for guests.Thx.
Hi Carol,
Thanks so much for your question. I use Bob’s Gluten Free baking mix quite often so I think it will work very well in this recipe.
I haven’t done this Lemon Poppyseed Loaf cake with it though, but I will next time and compare. Most g-f blends are interchangeable and there will be just a tiny taste difference – so not too worry. Enjoy your cake!! Let me know how it works out with Bob’s ;) xoxo Ella
I just wanted to say, that was a beautiful story. The memories of sunshine and little moments with your love, your family, and the cute sweetness of that life really came through. :) that being said, I can’t wait to make this. I’m also a huge sucker for their lemon loaf! Cheers to sunshine and memories, and keep smiling :)
Oh thank you so much Beth ;)
Good memories are just wonderful things… here’s to more of those magic moments!!! ;)
xoxo ella
I made this today and it’s wonderful. Everything about it was perfect. The almond extract was a great touch. Thank you!
Thank you so much Anne ;)
You made my day with this comment but I realized I haven’t ‘personally’ thanked you yet ;)
Thank YOU! <3
xoxo ella
Hi, I will do this recipe but if I would like to replace the chia egg by an egg, how many eggs I have to add, 2 ? Thx in advance
Hi,
So I’ve been thinking about this, and I haven’t baked this recipe with eggs but I would think that 2 eggs would work in this recipe.
Beat those first until fluffy, then slowly add in the flour ingredients and then the rest.
I honestly haven’t done this version so I don’t know how it will turn out. When you do make it, please give me feedback if you can as to how it comes out.
Thanks so much,
Enjoy!
Ella
Thks. It was great. I put 2 eggs and added 3/4 cup od rice flour, 1/2 cup od chesnut flour and 1/4 of coconut flour, the mixture was not so runny because of coconut flour that absorb it but it turned good after baking. I added 1/2 cup of coconut sugar. I will definitely make again this recipe, maybe with a little bit less than 1/4 cup of poppy seeds..Thx again..