Recipe: Sour Cream Poppy Seed Cake (boiled poppy seeds, Bundt cake)

SOUR CREAM POPPY SEED CAKE



"This is probably my favorite cake in this book; it is not simply a pound cake with poppy seeds, though it is, in fact, basically a pound cake with poppy seeds in it. It is so, so, so, so much better. If you love poppy seeds, you must try this cake. However, you must be a poppy seed lover with inner strength: it is best to make it 2 to 3 days ahead of time and let it sit well wrapped. It can also be iced with Cream Cheese Icing."

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup sour cream or whole milk plain yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a Bundt pan.

Place the milk and poppy seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix well.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle and beat until light, fluffy, and a pale lemon color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl before each addition.

Add 1 cup of the flour and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add half of the reserved poppy seed mixture, continuing to beat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the baking powder, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour, and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining half of the poppy seed mixture, and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour into the prepared pan.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the top is just golden and a knife inserted comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.

Makes 1 Bundt cake
Source: The Bake Sale Cookbook by Sally Sampson