Lemon Poppyseed Easter Cake

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons poppyseeds
• 2 lemons
• 1 scant cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, softened but fairly firm
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs

Glaze

• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• Grated zest of 1 lemon (yellow part of peel)
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10 inch tube pan or similar Bundt pan. Sprinkle a little flour into the pan and shake to coat all over. Shake out excess flour.

Cake

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Sift again. Add poppy seeds.
2. Grate the zest, the yellow part of the rind, on the lemons. Set aside.
3. Halve the lemons, squeeze out their juice and pour into a glass measuring cup. Add milk to measure a total of 1 cup. Add vanilla extract. (Combining lemon juice and milk causes the milk to curdle. Batter may be lumpy, but that is okay.)
4. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy and no lumps remain, a minute or so. Beat on high speed as you gradually add sugar and lemon zest. Beat for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture is light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until the color is uniform. Scrape the sides of the bowl after each beating.
5. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, stirring with wooden spoon or with the beaters set on low.
6. Spoon into pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger.
7. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, turn it out on a wire rack.
8. Cool a few minutes more then drizzle with glaze.

Glaze

1. Mix sugar, grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour over warm cake.