An absolute classic that always gets raves – a buttery, lemony pound cake with a poppy seed crunch – and a standing order for my fashion week clientele. I am always asked for the recipe so without further ado – here it is.
Lemon zest goes into the batter, but it’s the lemon syrup poured over the cake while hot from the oven that makes this cake sing and keeps it fresh and moist for days (if it last that long!)
The recipe is adapted from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum – truly the best cake cookbook ever.
Ingredient note: Poppy seeds have a high fat content that makes them go rancid quickly. If you seeds that been around for awhile, give them a sniff – they should smell clean not stale, musty or unpleasant. To keep poppy seeds fresh for longer, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 6 months or in the freezer for up to a year.
Classic Poppyseed and Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
- Serves 8
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon (6 grams) loosely packed grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons (28 g) poppy seeds
- 13 tablespoons (184 g) unsalted, room temperature butter (must be softened), cut into 1-inch cubes
- Lemon Syrup
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (75 grams) sugar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Equipment
- One 8 x 4 x 2 ½ inch loaf pan (4 cups) or a 20 x 10 x 6 cm loaf pan (1 liter)
-
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350° F (180° C).
- In a medium bowl lightly combine the milk, eggs and vanilla.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Add the lemon zest and poppy seeds and mix until they are fully incorporated. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed and beat for a minute to develop the cakes structure.
- Scrape down the sides and add the remaining egg mixture, beating for about 40 seconds until the batter is smooth – but don’t overbeat.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a small spatula to smooth out the top. The batter should be about an inch from the top of the pan. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (if at any point the cake looks like it is getting to brown on top, cover loosely with butter foil.)
- While the cake is cooking, prepare the Lemon Syrup. Place the sugar and lemon juice in a small pan over low heat. Stir just until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove it from the pan onto a wire rack. While still hot, poke holes all over with a toothpick or wire tester. Brush the top with ½ the syrup, then brush the sides and bottom. Allow the cake to cool completely before wrapping it airtight. Allow the cake to rest 24 hours before slicing to give the syrup a chance to distribute evenly.
3.1
https://www.charlottepuckette.com/recipes/desserts/lemon-poppy-seed-poundcake/
