1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In a big mixing bowl, beat the sugar and margarine together until they look pale and fluffy. This step makes the cupcakes irresistibly light, so don’t skip it.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each.
4. You want the mix to be smooth and velvety before moving on.
5. In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
6. Slowly fold these dry ingredients into your wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Take it easy here; over-mixing can mess up the texture.
7. Once your batter is silky, gently stir in the poppy seeds, lemon juice, and lemon zest. If you’ve got some lemon essence handy, now’s the time to toss it in.
8. Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners.
9. Fill them just above halfway, don’t get carried away because they rise like champs.
10. Pop them in the oven for about 15–20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a skewer comes out clean.
11. Let the cupcakes cool for a bit in the tin before transferring them to a wire rack. 

Optional Finish

Keep it simple with a dusting of icing sugar or go all out with a drizzle of tangy lemon glaze. Either way, these cupcakes are the kind that disappear before you know it.