Lemon and poppy seed cake is one of my favorites. It is super moist, rich and easy to make. The lemon juice and zest gives it a wonderful fresh flavor and the poppy seeds add a little bit of crunchiness. I call it spring cake, because of its nice bright color and fresh taste. I believe it has a right balance between tart and sweet, but if you are not a fan of tart flavor you may need to cut a little bit in the lemon juice. I use olive oil instead of butter, because I love how well it matches with lemon flavor and add a little bit of vanilla, to enrich the taste. I usually serve it without any topping, but if you are feeling naughty , you may add a layer of cream cheese frosting.
Time – 1 hour
Serving size : 12 persons
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- The juice and zest of 2 small lemons (you may use only one, in case you prefer it less lemony flavored)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- ¾ cup yogurt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup poppy seeds
- A pinch of salt
Frosting (optional)
- 250 g mascarpone
- 30 g butter
- 1 tbs honey
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
Directions
Butter a 22 cm bundt cake tin and preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius..
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, vanilla and poppy seeds. Set aside.
Mix the eggs and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Then add the olive oil and yogurt, and beat again.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing each addition just until incorporated (be careful not to over-mix).
Pour the batter evenly into the pan.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes inside the pan.
Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a wire rack set over a large plate or serving dish. Cool before serving.
As I previously mentioned I prefer it without frosting, but in case you like it, you may top it with a cream cheese layer.
Cream the butter, mascarpone cheese and honey together and put in the freezer to chill for around 20-30 min.
Spread it all over the cake and sprinkle with poppy seeds if you like.
Enjoy it with a dollop of Greek yogurt and strawberries…
