Recipe: Poppy Seed Custard Cake (with Creme Patissiere) from 1975 ed. joy of cooking

Loretta..this sounds like it.

POPPY SEED CUSTARD CAKE
Source: The Joy of Cooking; 1975

Have all ingredients about 70 degrees. Combine and soak 2 hours:
2/3 cup poppy seed
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat until soft:
2/3 cup butter

Add gradually and cream until fluffy:
1 1/2 cup sugar

Sift before measuring:
2 cup cake flour

Resift with:
2 1/2 tsp. double acting baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine the poppy seed-milk mixture with:
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Add the sifted ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the liquid ingredients. Beat the batter after each addition until blended.

Whip until stiff, but not dry, then fold in:
4 egg whites

Bake about 20 minutes in pans with greased bottoms.

Place between cooled layers:
Creme Patissiere (recipe follows)

Dust with:
powdered sugar

CREME PATISSIERE:
Scald:
1 1/2 cups milk
Vanilla bean

Mix in top of double-boiler over boiling water:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 to 4 well-beaten egg yolks or 2 eggs and 2 yolks

Beat this mixture until light. Now remove the vanilla bean and add the scalded milk gradually. Stir until all is well blended. Cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and continue to stir to release the steam and prevent crusting. Cool mixture before filling pastry.