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This old-fashioned glazed almond poppy seed bread is the perfect addition to your breakfast, brunch, dinner, or dessert table. The quick bread is really a decadent, buttery pound cake with a moist crumb, a beautiful golden brown exterior, and a hint of almond and vanilla. Pair it with eggs and coffee in the morning, in a bread basket at dinner alongside bbq, roast chicken, and grilled steak, or as an evening treat with a cup of tea.
Poppy Seed Cake
This might be called poppy seed bread, but it’s probably more accurately described as a loaf pound cake. The texture of the bread isn’t light and airy, but instead has that crisp exterior and soft, buttery crumb that we all know and love in a pound cake. It maintains a rich, dense pound cake texture without feeling dry or crumbly.
The batter is flavored with almond extract and vanilla extract, and studded with just enough flecks of poppy seeds for a tiny bit of crunch. Add a sweet vanilla almond glaze on top, and this treat is totally over the top. It’s simple dessert perfection, and it’s equally appropriate for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, too!
Pound Cake vs. Quick Bread
Unlike traditional cakes, pound cakes have a dense, rich texture and a crisp crust. Made with simple ingredients like butter, flour, sugar, and eggs, pound cakes are heavy cakes that don’t rise as much as other cakes. Pound cakes are traditionally prepared in Bundt pans or tube pans, but can also be baked in loaf pans.
Pound cakes are actually a type of quick bread, since the term “quick bread” refers to any dough or batter that’s leavened without yeast. In this case, the eggs help the batter rise a little bit, along with the aerated creamed butter and sugar, and a very small amount of baking soda. While a simple dusting of powdered sugar is a classic finish, some versions also include a glaze on top (like this sweet almond icing!).
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need for a delicious loaf of poppy seed bread. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable box at the bottom of the post.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the bread.
- Poppy seeds: their distinctive flavor and crunchy texture pairs nicely with the almond flavor in the cake.
- Salt: to balance the sweetness and enhance the other flavors in the bread.
- Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps this quick bread rise.
- Butter: adds rich flavor and keeps the cake moist. Allow plenty of time for the butter to soften at room temperature.
- Sugar: for a cake that’s sweet, but not too sweet.
- Eggs: give the cake structure and lift.
- Sour cream: use the full-fat variety for the best flavor and texture. A thick, full-fat plain Greek yogurt would probably work well, too.
- Vanilla extract: for warmth.
- Almond extract: a perfect companion for the poppy seeds in this bread!
- Confectioners’ sugar and milk: combine with additional almond extract and vanilla extract to make the glaze for the poppy seed bread.
What does sour cream do to a cake?
The sour cream is an important ingredient in this loaf cake, thanks to its high fat content and its acidity. The sour cream adds moisture without thinning the batter, adds fat for creaminess, helps to control the browning, and activates the baking soda.
How to Make Poppy Seed Bread
Bake a loaf of this poppy seed bread in advance and you’ll have a ready-to-go breakfast, brunch, snack, dessert, or dinner side whenever you need it!
- Whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside the flour mixture.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, then the sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Beat until well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
- Tap on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for 55 minutes – 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the glaze over the bread.
- Slice and serve!
How to Serve Almond Poppy Seed Bread
This almond poppy seed bread is a perfect addition to a breakfast or brunch spread. Offer some butter and jam on the side and your guests will be thrilled! The bread also goes well with any of these other brunch dishes:
- Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet or Baked Western Omelet
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Sausage Hash Brown Casserole
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Fresh fruit salad
- Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche or Quiche Lorraine
- Crustless Quiche with Spinach
- Biscuits and Gravy
- Virginia Country Ham Biscuits
If you prefer, you can add the sliced bread to your dinner table along with biscuits or rolls. And of course, the poppy seed pound cake makes a delicious dessert for any occasion!
Storage
Always wrap your loaf in plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. The poppy seed cake will stay fresh at room temperature on the counter for 1-2 days, and it will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freezer Instructions
Allow the bread to cool completely, do not glaze, and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc freezer bag or wrap again with foil. The bread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread on the countertop. Add the glaze, let it set, then slice and enjoy!
Note: I have also frozen this bread with the glaze already on it. That works fine, but the glaze just doesn’t look quite as good when it’s thawed.
Poppy Seed Cake Recipe Variations
- If you prefer a lemon-flavored cake, try our favorite recipe for easy lemon poppy seed bread with lemon glaze.
- Add sliced almonds on top of the bread with the glaze, or fold chopped almonds into the batter for some added crunch.
- Instead of topping the bread with a glaze, sprinkle the top of the batter with cinnamon and sugar before baking, or dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
- Double the ingredients and bake the batter in a Bundt pan for a larger poppy seed pound cake. Bake the Bundt cake at 325°F for about 70 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for the Best Poppy Seed Bread Recipe
- The total baking time will vary depending on the type of loaf pan that you use. A dark metal, nonstick pan cooks the bread faster, so it will likely be done within 45-50 minutes. By contrast, a lighter metal pan, a glass pan, or a ceramic pan can easily require 60 minutes (or more) in a 350°F oven. You can tell that your loaf is cooked through when you insert a toothpick or long stick deep into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean.
- Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so that they blend together smoothly.
- Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Whipping this air into the batter will help the cake rise during baking.
- Don’t leave the cake in the pan for too long after baking — about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
- Make the cake about 1 day ahead of when you plan to serve it. The cake just gets better as it sits!
More Quick Bread Recipes and Pound Cakes to Try
- Vanilla Pound Cake with Caramel Icing
- Honey Beer Bread
- 7-UP Pound Cake
- Almond Cherry Bread
- Easy Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Gingerbread Loaf {Better than Starbucks!}
- Persimmon Bread
- Best Ever Banana Nut Bread
- Apple Bread
- Old-Fashioned Boston Brown Bread
- Pumpkin Bread
- Cranberry Bread
- Strawberry Bread
- Zucchini Bread
- Blueberry Bread
Poppy Seed Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (about 6 ounces) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract
Glaze:
- 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, poppy seeds, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on high speed to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until incorporated.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix just until incorporated; do not over-mix. It’s fine if the batter is a little bit lumpy.
- Spread the batter in the prepared loaf pan. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to release the larger air bubbles.
- Bake the bread for 55 minutes – 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. You may want to cover the bread loosely with foil after the first 45 minutes to prevent the top from becoming too dark.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze:
- Once the bread is completely cool, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. If the glaze seems too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar. If it’s too thick, add a small amount of milk.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cool bread. Once the glaze is set, slice the loaf and serve!
Notes
- The total baking time will vary depending on the type of loaf pan that you use. A dark metal, nonstick pan cooks the bread faster, so it will likely be done within 45-50 minutes. By contrast, a lighter metal pan, a glass pan, or a ceramic pan can easily require 60 minutes (or more) in a 350°F oven. You can tell that your loaf is cooked through when you insert a toothpick or long stick deep into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean.
- Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so that they blend together smoothly.
- Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Whipping this air into the batter will help the cake rise during baking.
- Don’t leave the cake in the pan for too long after baking — about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
- Make the cake about 1 day ahead of when you plan to serve it. The cake just gets better as it sits!
- If you prefer a lemon-flavored bread, try our favorite recipe for easy lemon poppy seed bread with lemon glaze.
- Add sliced almonds on top of the bread with the glaze, or fold chopped almonds into the batter for some added crunch.
- Instead of topping the bread with a glaze, sprinkle the top of the batter with cinnamon and sugar before baking, or dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
- Double the ingredients and bake the batter in a Bundt pan for a larger poppy seed pound cake. Bake the Bundt cake at 325°F for about 70 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
