Lemon poppy seed cake
This festive cake is truly delicious! A soft poppy seed-filled cake layered with refreshing lemon cream and lemon curd. Prepare the lemon curd well in advance, as it needs to be thoroughly cooled before use. The lemon curd recipe makes a jarful and is too much for this cake. You can enjoy the leftovers by adding them to yogurt or serving them with scones. Mmmmm.
Ingredients
Oven set to 175°C
Cake
170 grams of Lisa's Choice flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp psyllium
1/2 tsp salt
50 grams of softened butter
80 ml sunflower oil
200 grams fine granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
15 grams of poppy seeds
150 ml milk
3 large egg whites (save the egg yolks for the lemon curd)
Lemon Curd
200 grams of sugar
Zest of 2 lemons (wash the lemons with lukewarm water)
120 ml lemon juice
2 egg yolks (save the egg whites for the cake)
3 large eggs
100 grams cold butter, cubed
Lemon Cream
200 grams of Lemon curd
200 grams of heavy cream
Preparation
Lemon Curd
1. Mix the sugar and zest together thoroughly and set aside.
2. Place a saucepan with water on the stove and bring the water to a boil. In a stainless steel bowl, combine lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, and the sugar-zest mixture. Mix well and place the bowl over the saucepan with water. Ensure that the bowl doesn't touch the water! Heat the lemon mixture using a double boiler method. Keep stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture thickens. Be cautious not to let the mixture get too hot (maximum 75°C) to avoid ending up with scrambled eggs.
3. Once the mixture has thickened, remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool down (to about 50°C).
4. Add the cubed butter to the lemon mixture and stir with a spatula until the butter is completely dissolved/melted.
5. Transfer the lemon curd into a clean jar and let it cool down entirely. Store it in the refrigerator.
Cake
1. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, psyllium, and salt using a whisk. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract, and stir until you achieve a creamy texture. You can use a whisk or an electric mixer.
3. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well until the flour is incorporated. Then add half of the milk and mix thoroughly. Repeat, and finally add the remaining flour (1/3 portion). Mix until you have a smooth and homogeneous batter.
4. Add the poppy seeds and mix.
5. In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool.
Lemon Cream
1. Place heavy cream in a clean bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
2. Gently fold in lemon curd bit by bit. Refrigerate the mixture.
Assembling the Cake
1. Slice the cake horizontally into two layers.
2. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a plate. Spread 2/3 of the lemon cream evenly over it.
3. Fill a piping bag with some lemon curd and pipe it over the cream layer.
4. Place the top layer onto the bottom layer and press down slightly (very gently!).
5. Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake. Finish by garnishing with lemon zest and a lemon slice. For an extra festive touch, decorate the cake with blueberries and/or edible flowers.
Enjoy your creation!