poppy seed cake.

i recieved a text from Ruby while i was painting this morning saying that she would be here in time for dinner! i’d been wanting to try this poppy seed cake recipe since seeing it on The Wednesday Chef a few days ago. i figured that this was the perfect excuse to make it, and it was delicious. i ended up making a glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar to pour on the top. it was fantastic.

the ingredients: flour, sugar, poppy seeds, salt, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla extact, buttermilk, milk, eggs, and butter

heat the milk in the microwave, then mix in the poppy seeds. set aside.

combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. whisk together.

separate the eggs.

place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer,

and beat until stiff peaks form. move this to another bowl.

add the butter and sugar to the bowl of the electric mixer.

mix the two together until fluffy. then add the vanilla,

and the egg yolks. mix well.

grab a small strainer,

and strain the poppy seeds. throw out the milk,

and add the seeds and the buttermilk to the mixing bowl. mix well.

add the flour to the wet ingredients in two or three batches.

fold in the egg whites in a few batches.

spread the batter into a greased spring form pan. ignore my dirty kitchen counter, please.

bake and admire!

pour some powdered sugar in a bowl and squeeze a few lemons into  it. pour over the cake and allow to harden slightly.

Deborah Madison’s Poppy Seed Cake
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Makes one 9-inch round cake

1 cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup milk, heated, but not boiling
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the poppy seeds and the hot milk. Set aside until needed. Heat the oven to 375ᵒF. Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high until firm but moist peaks form. Transfer the egg whites to a small mixing bowl. Using the same bowl as for the egg whites, but now using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, then beat in the egg yolks, adding one at a time and beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed.

4. Drain the milk from the poppy seeds, discarding the milk. Add the buttermilk and the drained poppy seeds to the batter. Beat until well combined, then again scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Add the flour mixture to the batter, in thirds. Again scrape the bowl with the rubber spatula, making sure it’s all well mixed. Fold in about a quarter of the beaten egg whites with the spatula, then fold in the rest, mixing gently until just combined.

5. Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula. Bake until golden and firm, with the sides just beginning to pull away from the pan, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Carefully run a sharp, thin knife along the sides of the cake, just against the pan, then gently remove the rim and allow the cake to cool to room temperature before slicing.