Recipe: Poppy Seed Cake (with Lemon Glaze or Cream Cheese Frosting)

POPPY SEED CAKE

1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
4 large eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
dash salt
Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 10-cup Bundt pan.

Soak the poppy seeds in the buttermilk for 15 minutes.

Sift sugars together. Cream butter and sugars. Add unbeaten egg yolks, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add flavorings.

Sift flour and dry ingredients three times. Add flour and milk alternatively to creamed mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the flour.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter. Pour batter into Bundt pan.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done. Set on rack 15 minutes before removing from pan. Serve plain or iced with lemon glaze.

LEMON GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice
grated lemon rind (optional)

Sift powdered sugar into small bowl. Add lemon rind and lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, just until glaze is spreading consistency. Pour over cake.

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POPPY SEED CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

A moist poppy seed layer cake is delicious with a cream cheese frosting.

2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup poppy seed
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (*you could sub some almond extract for part of this to get your desired almond flavor)
1/2 cup milk
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons poppy seed, for decoration
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans for baking.

Bring the 2/3 cup milk to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in poppy seed; cool to room temperature.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside. Cream the 1 1/4 cups sugar and butter together, beat until light. Add vanilla.

Combine poppy seed mixture and the 1/2 cup milk. Add this mixture alternately with flour to the creamed mixture, adding one third of each mixture at a time.

Beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks (do not overbeat). Gently fold into batter. Divide batter evenly between the two pans, and bake until cake draws away from the sides of the pan or a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to finish cooling.

Frost with cream cheese frosting and decorate with poppy seeds. (The picture in the book shows stripes of poppy seed across the frosting, very pretty.. it says the striped effect is achieved by placing strips of paper over the top of the cake, then sprinkling the poppy seeds onto the icing.)

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, beat until creamy. If frosting is too runny, add more sugar, if it is too stiff, add a little milk.

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POPPY SEED CAKE

1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
4 large eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
dash salt
Lemon Glaze (optional, recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 10-cup Bundt pan.

Soak the poppy seeds in the buttermilk for 15 minutes.

Sift sugars together. Cream butter and sugars. Add unbeaten egg yolks, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add flavorings.

Sift flour and dry ingredients three times. Add flour and milk alternatively to creamed mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the flour.

Best the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter. Pour batter into Bundt pan.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done. Set on rack 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Serve plain or iced with lemon glaze.

LEMON GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice
grated lemon rind (optional)

Sift powdered sugar into small bowl. Add lemon rind and lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, just until glaze is spreading consistency. Pour over cake.