6.28.2010

#77) Lemon Poppy Seed Cake




After nearly 2 years of blogging (my blog bday is on the 19th), it is sometimes hard to find new sweet treats to share with you guys. It is true, I tend to stick within my comfort zone of chocolate and peanut butter a lot, but every now and then it is really fun to whip up something totally different than my usual flavour combos, and that's why I enjoyed this cake so much!

I have to admit, until this bad boy came out of the oven, I had never even tasted any lemon and poppy seed sweet treats before - but I have been converted! This cake is so light and citrus flavour is so crisp that each bite addictive. And the four-berry curd in the middle - OMG! I was a little unsure while it was still hot, but once it cooled and settled into the cake.... well, let's just say it was a match made in heaven :)

I am going to be MIA again now for a while - July is gonna be a busy month - so with the exception of a couple of possible posts this week, I won't see you much next month. I am away in beautiful Quebec for two weeks, travelling home to Newfoundland for a week, getting married, and heading back to Quebec for the honeymoon... See you in August!!!


Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seed
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup evaporated milk
5 egg whites, room temperature (keep the yolks for the curd)
1/2 tsp sugar

Steps

-Spray 13x9 inch pyrex dish and line with parchment paper (long enough so there are "handles" on each side to lift out cooled cake).

-Preheat oven to 350F.

-In a medium bowl, stir together cake flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.

-In a large bowl, cream sugar, zest, and butter.

-Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture in 4 additions, starting with milk and ending with flour. Beat after each addition.

-In a separate bowl, beat eggs and 1/2 tsp sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter.

-Pour batter into prepared dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in dish for 15 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Cut down the middle to form to square cakes.


Four-Berry Curd

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups berries, fresh or thawed
5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Steps

-Melt butter in large sauce pan.

-Add berries, yolks, and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently and mashing berries. Mixture should thicken. (Mine didn't thicken very much so I ended up with a slightly runny curd, but the flavour was great)

-Once thickened, pour through a large strainer to remove the large pieces of berry. Add lemon juice and let cool to room temperature (should thicken more as it cools).


Assembly

-Pour some curd over top of one square cake. Place second cake on top.

(There will be plenty of curd left over to add to individual servings, as desired)

14 comments:

  1. Gotta love that curd oozing from the cake. you really know how to tempt a girl.

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  2. Beautiful cake...love lemony stuff and poppy seed is a perfect combination :-)

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  3. WOW! I love lemon-poppyseed, and that 4-berry curd looks sooo yummy!

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  4. poppy seed and lemon are like my two favorite things ! i'll have to try this some time !

    much love <3
    http://bisousmonamourrevised.blogspot.com/

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  5. I hope you have a fabulous wedding and vacation! Oh, and the curd oozing out really takes that picture over the top - yum!

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  6. I have never had poppy seed along with lemon either, but I'm dying to taste it! Wishing you a beautiful and blessed wedding and honeymoon. Have fun!

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  7. thanks paris pastry! only one more week before the big day!!!!

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  8. I just happened upon your blog. Love the look of this cake.... YUM. I'm a new follower.

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  9. I love lemon cakes...and making a berry curd to go between makes this absolutely perfect. All that's missing is some lemony cream cheese frosting...;)

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  10. what a great idea kimberly! i will have to keep that in mind next time :)

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