99 – Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

This cake 100% takes me back to my childhood. It takes me back to the days I used to take swim lessons at the local YMCA. Back to the days where I was young enough that I would get away with being in the women’s change room. Wait…what?

Sorry, that sounded a little weird. This lemon poppy seed cake doesn’t bring about any vivid memories of me being in women’s change rooms, it only reminds me that it did in fact happen, that I did in fact change where I no longer dare to. I remember nothing specific from that time, and am in no way trying to jog my memory back to that time with cake.

Sorry, this is probably the strangest blurb ever for a bundt cake blog post. I started talking about the YMCA because after swimming lessons there, I used to always beg my mother for one of the muffins they – for some reason – sold in the lobby. They sold chocolate chip, blueberry, and my favourite (or at least the most exotic and therefore more tempting), the ever-delicious poppy seed. Since that time I have loved any sort of cake, loaf or muffin featuring poppy seed.

That’s all I was trying to say before. Whoops. Oh well, they can’t all be winners – unlike this cake! (What a segue, right?!)

Maybe I should just get to the recipe… It’s adapted from The Seaside Baker, though only slightly. It’s hard to mess with perfection, so I tried not to as much as possible. I used salted butter instead of unsalted (thereby omitting any additional salt), but essentially changed nothing else in terms of the ingredients.  Honestly, make sure to check out her blog because all credit belongs to her (and her pictures are way nicer).

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Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Pam cooking spray, for greasing the pan

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F
• In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, whip the butter for about two minutes on medium until it starts to get light and fluffy. Add in the granulated sugar and continue whipping for 2-3 more minutes, until the sugar and butter are well-incorporated and light.
• While this is happening, sift together the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and set aside.
• Continuing with the mixer on medium speed, crack in the eggs one at a time, allowing each to be mixed in fully before adding the next. Then, mix in the vanilla and 1 1/2 tsp. of the fresh lemon juice as well.
• While the mixer is still set to medium, add 1/3 of the flour/baking powder dry mixture. Once combined, add in 1/3 of the buttermilk. Repeat this process until all of the dry mixture and buttermilk is incorporated.
• Add to the batter 2/3 of your lemon zest and the poppy seeds. Use a spatula to mix these ingredients in by hand.
• Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan using the Pam cooking spray, then pour the batter in carefully and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 60-70 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the cake, looking for it to come out clean. Keep in mind that the cake will continue to cook slightly after removing it from the oven, so one or two little spots where the toothpick may not come out completely clean is okay.
• While baking, prepare the icing by simply mixing together the remaining lemon zest, 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice, and the icing sugar.
• Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Once cooled slightly, remove from pan to a wire rack to cool further(hold the rack to the top of the cake, flip together, then carefully lift way the pan).
• Pour the icing over the cake, allowing it to run down the sides, following the contours of the cake.
• Slice and enjoy!

Serves 12

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***(Updated 01/15/2016)***

 

As usual, I’m sharing this recipe over at Fiesta Friday. I’m very happy to say that this week our co-hosts are Elaine @ Foodbod and Julie @ Hostess at Heart. Both women have been very encouraging of me as I’ve ventured out into the world of food blogging. Actually, Julie has commented the most on my blog out of anybody, and by a fair margin. I’m pretty sure she was commenting on posts and sending encouragement my way before I even knew how to remove my camera’s lens cap. As such, I highly recommend you check out the good stuff going on over at Fiesta Friday, as well as at both of these love ladies blogs.