Soured by Cookies, Saved by Lemon Cake
I tried a couple of new cookie recipes recently and as the saying goes, you win some you lose some. The first recipe Malted Milk Chocolate Cookies came from a book I received to review, Holiday Cookies. Decidedly MEH. The malt flavor was barely discernible and the milk chocolate did not stand out.
Another Cookie Bust
A few days later with the fall season in full swing, a recipe for pumpkin snickerdoodles popped up on my feed. Never get swept up by fall pumpkin fever. But they looked delicious so I baked a batch. I waited for the first batch to cool, grabbed one off the rack, and took a bite…MEH. Noooo, another cookie bust. Little pumpkin or spice flavor, very nondescript.
It’s Not a Lemon
A new recipe caught my eye, not a cookie but a cake recipe. Food52 posted a lovely lemon poppy seed cake from Ottolenghi. I am a sucker for lemon and poppy seeds. Hoping my luck would change, and having the utmost confidence in Food52 and Ottolenghi, I decided to make the cake. After all, I can’t have three lemons in a row, even if the last recipe actually calls for lemons.
The cake is quick and easy. The recipe starts with beating eggs and sugar together until thick and frothy. Heavy cream is then added to the egg and sugar blend. I took the heavy whipping cream straight out of the fridge and with the mixer running, added it in a steady stream to the egg mixture. Beat until it has the consistency of pancake batter. The flour is then folded in along with the melted butter, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. The recipe calls for 3 lemons to make 1 tablespoon lemon zest but I only needed two good sized lemons and that’s with really packing the measuring spoon (because I LOVE lemon). The lemon was not overpowering. While the cake was baking, I made the lemon icing. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Spread the icing over the top as soon as you remove the cake from the oven. Do not even think of forgoing the icing. It adds that sweet-tart lemony oomph and creates a beautiful glossy sheen. The cake has a nice crumb and is denser than say a sponge cake but lighter than a traditional pound cake. If you are a poppy seed addict you could increase the amount as you like. Thankfully this cake saved my week of baking. From cookie bust to cake champ. Sweet success.
Bookmark this cake and make it soon, you’ll thank me.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (National Trust)
Equipment
- 1 standard loaf 9x5 loaf pan
Ingredients
The Dry Stuff
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 170 grams
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
The Wet Stuff
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 225 grams
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold 120 milliliters
Butter Mixture
- 5 tablespoons 70 grams unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
- 1 -1.5 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp Finely grated zest of 3 lemons I needed only 2 lemons
The Icing
- 3/4 cup 90 grams confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350° (180° C).
- Grease the loaf pan(s) and line with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl, then set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest, and set aside.
- Place the eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and frothy.
- Add the cold whipping cream and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture has combined, thickened a little, and turned pale.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredient mix into the egg mixture. Then fold the melted butter, poppy seeds, and zest mixture in.
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan(s) so that it rises three-quarters of the way up the sides.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
The Glaze
- To make the glaze, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the lemon juice in a bowl. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, spreading it over the top so that it sinks in and creates a nice coating.
- Set aside to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Let it come to room temperature before serving.