• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Add soy milk and lemon juice to a bowl and whisk together. Leave to curdle while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
• Make a well in the middle and add buttermilk, oil (or butter), vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix until just combined.
• Carefully fold in the poppy seeds. Be careful not to overmix.
• Pour into a prepared loaf pan and smooth the top of it. Tap onto the counter to remove any large bubbles and make it more even.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes, then take out and cut a slit in the middle with a knife. Then bake for an additional 35-45 minutes until golden brown and when you insert a toothpick in the middle, it comes out clean.
• After it is baked, let cool 10-15 minutes in the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature.

Toasted Almonds

• In a dry pan, add your almonds and slowly toast until they turn slightly brown.
• Turn off the heat the heat and add the brown sugar. Stir quickly with a rubber spatula as the sugar begins to melt.
• Pour onto a parchment lined or silicone baking sheet and let cool. The sugar will harden, so you can break it up with your fingers.

Icing

• Make the icing by sifting the powdered sugar. Add lemon juice, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk. If too thick, add more milk or lemon juice. If too thin, add more powdered sugar until it is the right consistency.
• Once cake is cooled, pour the icing on top and top with toasted almonds. Optional, but you can also add slices of lemon and poppy seeds on top.