READY IN 5 mins

Five Minute Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake

Read Reviews (7)

"I read a recipe a while back about a chocolate cake that was cooked in 3 minutes in the microwave. I didn't really believe it, but I tried it out and then proceeded to alter it to suit my own tastes because I thought it was too heavy and the texture was a bit wonky - if decent for an instant chocolate fix at 12:00 in the morning. Still, the unpleasant texture just became more pronounced as I experimented with vanilla variations. At last, here is my 5-minute lemon-poppy seed cake that rises beautifully and is light and airy - unlike the chocolate cake." — AgnesPterry

Directions

Whisk flour, sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, baking soda, poppy seeds, and lemon extract together in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the egg. Pour batter into a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic mug or cereal bowl.
Heat in the microwave on high until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 3 minutes.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 2 mins
COOK 3 mins
READY IN 5 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Note
Want a totally vanilla cake? Strike out the poppy seeds and lemon extract and use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract instead.
For years my mother made buttermilk for homemade Southern-style biscuits by curdling milk with some vinegar. This seems like a bit of work for this recipe; if I did not have store buttermilk on hand I think I would try plain nonfat yogurt in place of buttermilk.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jun 25, 2010

The texture is a bit wierd but it might be because I used Splenda, Egg Beaters and fat free buttermilk. The taste is right on for a lemon cake. I thought I had poppyseeds but alas, I didn't and already had the rest made. So cooked in my microwave for exactly 2 1/2 minutes, worked perfect. I put a little glaze on top of powdered sugar, skim milk and lemon extract. Thanks for a great idea, and I'll buy some poppyseeds for sure to make this again.

—Cindy in Pensacola

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 02, 2010

I had high hopes for this recipe and really, really wanted to like it, but for the life of me, I can't get this to turn out. I've tried several times, each with an oversized 2c. ceramic coffee mug. It always looks great from the outside, but it keeps burning on the inside. I've reduced the cook time to 2 minutes with little success. The inside just wants to change colors to an unappetizing burnt brown and is very chewy. Flavor wise, the cake is great, especially when topped with lemon glaze.

—DIZ♥

See full review »

8 Ratings

Jun 25, 2010

This was a fun experiment but not one I'll repeat. While not exactly inedible, there was just something offputting about the texture and taste. I added a lemon glaze to top it off which definitely helped.

—CC♥'s2bake

See full review »

Jun 24, 2010

I used a large cereal bowl and it turned out quite well at 3 min. The middle looked different/soft at first, but cooled to the same shortly. I reduced the sugar to a bit over half but then ended up sprinkling it on top. Not as lemony since I used lemon juice. The milk/vinegar substitute for buttermilk seemed to work, doesn't take long. Used a bit more poppy seeds and ground them for more flavour. If I'd thought of it, wonder if soaking them in milk like in some other poppy seed recipes would have improved it? Also I used whole wheat flour. For a microwaved cake I was impressed.

—offerthesky

See full review »

Jun 23, 2010

If you're at high altitude like me, better split it between two mugs... mine spilled over during the cook time. I didn't have lemon extract, so I used juice and grated peel... probably would have been more flavorful with the extract... not bad overall, especially if you sprinkle it with more sugar.

—ehreng

See full review »

Feb 07, 2011

I've had the microwave chocolate cake many times, and I've never once gotten it to turn out. I tried the vanilla option for this, and for a microwave cake, it was fantastic. I'm out of eggs, so I tried it without an egg and a little extra buttermilk and hoped for the best. I microwaved it for 45 seconds and sampled it then, it was very moist and dense.. But with a much, much better texture than microwave chocolate cake.

—Brina

See full review »

May 09, 2012

The taste was okay, but I'm reviewing to say DO NOT use yogurt as a sub for buttermilk as suggested in the Cook's Notes. I did & it was horrible!!! It came out rubbery & chewy, ick! But I will try it again, I just didn't want anyone else ending up with the mess I did :o)

—cookie_cooker

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Poppy Seed Bundt Cake I

Delicious Moist Poppy Seed Cake

Moist Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Chocolate Poppy Seed Cake

Poppy Seed Cake III

Sour Cream Poppy Seed Cake

Five Flavor Pound Cake I

Five Flavor Pound Cake II

Poppy Seed Bundt Cake III

Ukrainian Sour Cream Poppy Seed Cake

Nutrition

Calories
407 kcal
20%

Carbohydrates
39.2 g
13%

Cholesterol
107 mg
36%

Fat
25.2 g
39%

Fiber
0.8 g
3%

Protein
6.3 g
13%

Sodium
375 mg
15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Five Minute Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake

Serving Size: 1/2 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 407
Calories from Fat: 226

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25.2g 39 %
Saturated Fat 4.3g 22 %
Cholesterol 107mg 36 %
Sodium 375mg 15 %
Potassium 117mg 3 %
Total Carbohydrates 39.2g 13 %
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3 %
Protein 6.3g 13 %
** Sugars 26.9g
Vitamin A 3 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 13 %
Iron 16 %
** Thiamin 18 %
Niacin 18 %
Vitamin B6 4 %
Magnesium 8 %
Folate 24 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.