Lemon Poppyseed Muffin
Submitted by SANDRA120
Bakery-style lemon poppy seed muffins with cake flour, sour cream, fresh lemon juice, and zest. Tender crumb dusted with confectioners sugar. Rich and citrusy.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThese lemon poppy seed muffins lean closer to a butter cake than a quick bread, and that’s what makes them special. Creaming butter with sugar, then beating in eggs one at a time builds a tender, fine crumb that cake flour makes even softer.
Sour cream is the key to the moisture here. It adds richness and a subtle tang that plays off the lemon juice and zest, keeping the muffins from drying out the way all-milk batters tend to. Three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice plus grated zest deliver real citrus punch, not just a whisper of flavor.
The recipe notes mention an optional meringue fold where you separate the eggs, whip the whites with half the sugar, and fold them in at the end. That extra step gives you a noticeably lighter, more airy muffin if you want to take it further.
Pro Tips
- Cream the butter until genuinely fluffy, not just combined. That aeration is what gives these muffins their lift.
- Fill tins ¾ full, no more. These rise significantly and will overflow if overfilled.
- A dusting of confectioners’ sugar right out of the oven gives a sweet, bakery-shop finish. Do it while they’re still warm so it sticks.
- Sour cream should be at room temperature before adding. Cold sour cream can seize the creamed butter.
Variations
- Blueberry lemon: Fold in a handful of fresh blueberries for color and bursts of fruit.
- Lemon glaze: Skip the powdered sugar dusting and drizzle with a lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar glaze instead.
Ingredients
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Butter muffin tins for 12 muffins.
Sift the dry ingredients (flour and soda) and set aside.
Cream the butter in a large bowl and add the sugar a little at a time, beating until light and fluffy; add the eggs one at a time, beating well, then add the lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel and poppy seeds.
Add the flour and sour cream to this making sure the batter is well mixed.
Fill muffin tins about ¾ full.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.
Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm or cool on a cake rack.
The original recipe calls for separating the eggs and whipping the egg whites separately with half the sugar.
This meringue is then folded into the batter just before baking.
This makes for a lighter muffin, but is unnecessary.
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