The EASIEST Poppy Seed Bread with Cake Mix

I’ve become a huge fan of quick bread recipes lately. This super quick and easy poppy seed bread with cake mix is moist & tender, full of flavor, and can be mixed in minutes and makes a perfect snack or dessert.

This recipe has special meaning to me, as I got it from my Grandma Bernice. In fact, I remember it being the very first recipe I wrote down to have as my own! I loved thinking about her and her happy kitchen as I made this recipe the other day.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Requiring only a few ingredients, there isn’t a lot of fuss and preparation to this recipe. Using just one bowl, it can all be dumped in together, mixed, and ready for the oven.

Poppy seed loaf is quick to mix, and delicious to eat. You’re going to love it!

And, if you want to prepare ahead for guest or special occasions, this poppy seed bread freezes beautifully.

Ingredients

(For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

• yellow cake mix
• instant vanilla pudding
• cold water
• oil
• eggs
• all purpose flour
• poppy seeds

Instructions for this easy poppy seed bread recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 loaf pans with a parchment paper sling.
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mix, pour in the cake mix and pudding powder.
3. Add remaining ingredients in the order given.
4. Start the mixer speed at low for 30 seconds to mix the ingredients together and then increase the speed to medium high.
5. Mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the the bowl to make sure everything is mixed together well.

6. Pour into prepared loaf pans, filling to only 2/3 to the top.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Note that baking times differ between sizes and types of loaf pans. Keep an eye on it after 35 minutes. (For instance, the loaf baked in the glass pan had less batter in it, and was finished baking before the metal loaf pan was.)
8. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, and then remove to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

Substitutions

To turn this poppy seed bread into lemon poppy seed loaf, substitute the yellow cake mix for lemon cake mix.

For a slightly different flavor, use instant coconut pudding instead of the vanilla pudding. In fact, my Grandma’s original recipe calls for instant coconut pudding mix, but I can’t get it here in Canada right now.

Variations

Quick bread recipes can be baked in different sized loaf pans for different presentations and looks. Mini loaf pans or even muffin tins could be used for this recipe – you would just cut down on the baking time.

A quick vanilla or lemon glaze could be made and drizzled over the top before serving for a pretty presentation and sweet topping.

Equipment

For this quick bread recipe, I used my electric stand mixer – which makes quick work of mixing it up. A hand mixer could be used if you prefer. Or, you could mix it by hand if you don’t have either of those options.

(Don’t forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite kitchen tools!)

Storage

If you are going to use this poppy seed bread quickly, it can be stored on the countertop covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days.

If storing for longer than that, I recommend wrapping it in saran wrap well, then covering in aluminum foil, and putting in a Ziploc freezer bag in the freezer. If wrapped well, this quick bread will still be fresh for up to 3 months. Thaw before slicing.

Other Quick Bread Recipes:

• Fresh Strawberry Bread
• Buttermilk Banana Bread
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Easy Pumpkin Bread with Canned Pumpkin and Yellow Cake Mix Recipe
• Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

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