Lemon Poppyseed Whoopie Pies
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A lemon poppyseed whoopie pies recipe featuring a pair of soft, lemon poppyseed cakes and a homemade lemon buttercream filling.
Why Make These Lemon Poppyseed Whoopie Pies?
In my South Central Pennsylvania hometown, whoopie pies are a way of life. Famous for their dome-shaped cakes and creamy filling, you’ll spot these soft, sweet sandwiches at market houses, bakeries, roadside farmstands, and even the bakery counter at the neighborhood grocery store.
The classic whoopie pie includes chocolate cakes and vanilla frosting, but these days you’ll find all sorts of flavor combinations, from banana chocolate chip and strawberry red velvet to raspberry mojito and pumpkin spice. So why not add lemon poppyseed to the list?
Inspired by my popular lemon whoopie pies recipe, and by these tart-meets-sweet lemon poppyseed muffins, this lemon poppyseed whoopie pie recipe adds a citrus-y twist to a Central PA bakery staple. I love these lemon poppyseed whoopie pies because they’re easy to make without a trip to the store. Just grab pantry staples like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, plus poppy seeds from the spice cabinet and a fresh lemon or two from the fruit bowl, and you’re ready to bake.
Lemon Poppyseed Whoopie Pie Ingredients
To make these lemon poppyseed whoopie pies, start by gathering the following ingredients:
- Flour – All purpose flour (or plain flour, in the UK) forms the base for the whoopie pie batter.
- Raising Agents – Baking powder and baking soda (bicarb of soda) help the cakes to rise.
- Salt – A small amount of fine sea salt cuts the sweetness of the sugar.
- Butter – You’ll need softened, unsalted butter to make the whoopie pie cakes, plus more for the lemon buttercream.
- Sugars – Granulated sugar (or caster sugar, measured by weight) sweetens the cakes, adds moisture, and promotes browning, while confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar) sweetens the buttercream frosting.
- Food Coloring – It’s totally optional, but I like to add a few drops of yellow gel food coloring to my whoopie pie cake batter to make my cakes an eye-catching shade of yellow. (Without it they’ll be pale yellow or tan, like my lemon whoopie pies.)
- Lemon – Fresh lemon zest and juice give the whoopie pies their bright, citrus-y flavor. I recommend using a Microplane (rather than a box grater) to finely zest the peel.
- Poppy Seeds – Without these tiny black seeds, these won’t be lemon poppyseed whoopie pies! You’ll only need a few tablespoons of poppy seeds for the cakes, but save the rest to make lemon poppyseed muffins, or a batch of homemade everything bagel seasoning.
- Egg – Along with baking soda and baking powder, one large, room temperature egg gives the cakes their rise.
- Milk and Cream – You’ll need whole milk for the batter, plus whipping cream (heavy cream) to make the frosting. If desired, you can skip the cream and use additional whole milk for the frosting instead.
More Ways to Bake with Poppy Seeds
A little jar of poppy seeds goes a long way! Use them to make other lemon poppyseed recipes, like lemon poppyseed muffins; slice and bake lemon poppyseed shortbread cookies; poppyseed loaf; poppyseed rolls; or lemon poppyseed ice cream.
You can also add the seeds to homemade spice blends, like everything bagel seasoning (which in turn can be used to make everything bagel pinwheels, everything bagel bread, or an everything bagel smoked salmon tart!) or sprinkle them on puff pastry bakes such as anchovy sticks or spinach and feta puff pastry parcels. You can also turn the extra seeds into a tasty lemon poppyseed dressing to toss with your favorite salad greens.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
The lemon buttercream should be smooth and creamy, but still firm enough to pipe. If necessary, add a bit more confectioner’s sugar or cream to adjust the consistency.
Whoopie pies don’t require much special equipment, but you will need disposable piping bags to pipe the batter and frosting.
For extra crunch, roll the frosting edge of each finished pie in additional poppy seeds; yellow nonpareils; or tiny bits of chopped candied lemon peel.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
I suggest baking the whoopie pie cakes on the day you plan to assemble and serve; whoopie pies taste best on day one.
You can prepare the lemon buttercream up to 24 hours in advance. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to use, or scoop the buttercream into a piping bag and place the bag in the fridge. Allow the lemon buttercream to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or until soft enough to pipe.
To store: Layer leftover whoopie pies between sheets of parchment and store in an airtight container at room temperature, or tightly wrap the individual whoopie pies in clingfilm/plastic wrap for up to three days.
To freeze: Wrap pies individually in a layer of clingfilm/plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.
Other whoopie pie recipes you might enjoy:
Watermelon Whoopie Pies
Rainbow Whoopie Pies
Raspberry Lime Whoopie Pies
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Lemon Poppyseed Whoopie Pies
- Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield12 2 1/2-inch whoopie pies 1x
lemon poppyseed whoopie pies recipe featuring a pair of soft, lemon poppyseed cakes and a homemade lemon buttercream filling.
Ingredients
Cakes:
192 grams all purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
60 grams unsalted butter, softened (4 tablespoons)
100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
1 large egg, at room temperature
12 grams lemon zest (2 tablespoons)
75 milliliters whole milk (1/3 cup)
16 grams poppy seeds (2 tablespoons)
2-3 drops yellow gel food coloring
Lemon Buttercream:
60 grams unsalted butter, softened (4 tablespoons)
435 grams confectioner’s sugar (3 1/4 cups), plus more to adjust consistency
60 milliliters whipping cream (1/4 cup), plus more to adjust consistency
30 milliliters lemon juice (2 tablespoons)
4 grams lemon zest (2 teaspoons)
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F / 190° C. Line a half sheet rimmed baking tray with a silicone mat.
In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
In a separate mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in the confectioner’s sugar, followed by the egg, lemon zest, and gel food coloring. Continue mixing on high speed until well combined.
Reduce mixer to low speed. Add the dry ingredients, followed by the whole milk, mixing until just barely combined.
With a rubber spatula, fold in the poppy seeds.
Scoop batter into a piping bag fitted with 1/2-inch round tip.
Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto prepared trays, allowing space for the cakes to spread as they bake. You should have about 24 rounds total. Pat the top of each round with your fingertips to smooth.
Refrigerate tray for 20 minutes.
Bake, one tray at a time, in preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, or until edges are very lightly golden brown.
Cool on trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling while you prepare the buttercream.
Lemon Buttercream:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, alternating with the cream and mixing well after each addition. Mixture will seem dry and thick.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and fine sea salt and mix until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. If necessary, add more confectioner’s sugar to adjust the consistency. The buttercream should be thick and creamy, but soft enough to pipe.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with 1/2-inch round tip.
Assembly:
Divide the cakes into pairs, choosing tops and bottoms that match closely in size.
Pipe a dollop of buttercream on the flat side of the ‘bottom’ cakes.
Top each with the second cake to create a sandwich.
Serve immediately. Store whoopie pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Chilling Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11-13 minutes
- Category: Whoopie Pies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Pennsylvania Dutch
