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Two-bite, cute, a devil in disguise. With a tender tangy crumb and poppys in every seedy bite, these cakes are quick to disappear.
Why These Cakes Are So Tender
Cake flour. I rarely use, so forget the magic this flour creates. A “melt in your mouth” crumb rests in the pan. Question: dare I cut, knowing the domino to follow.
Who has cake flour on hand? I hear you. Included, are easy to make instructions further below.
This Easter, these cakes.
How are you spending the weekend and holiday? Although different, I hope comfort is found in who you’re with and what the cabinets allow.
We usually spend Easter with my mom. I hadn’t put thought into this year until she called about a post. A post? Not much on Avi Pie stands out to my diabetic enjoys her meat mom. She couldn’t resist the carrot cake, but didn’t have all the ingredients. Dave and I made another and with a bunch of groceries, delivered. The drive was breathtaking, the snow whiter from less cars and the deer more comfortable to explore.
A scene from E.T. as the garage opened and my mom and Gary appeared in masks, gloves, hats, and sunglasses. Gary dropped the truck tailgate and directed, “everything on the bed.” When one would drift an inch (of less than ten feet) towards us, the other pulled. We understand and are grateful they’re protecting each other. My mom cried, “my heart is broken. I can’t touch my kids.” Things are different and that’s okay. With meaningful connection, deep love, and health—all is good and well.
Let’s Bake Together
– lay eggs, butter, and milk out to reach room temperature.
– gather remaining ingredients
Mix three bowls
One – cake flour/poppy seeds/salt/baking powder and soda
Two – butter/sugar/lemon zest/eggs/vanilla
Three – milk/lemon juice (which makes homemade buttermilk)
How to Make Cake Flour
For 1 cup all purpose flour, subtract 2 Tablespoons. Now add 2 tablespoons cornstarch and sift twice.
This batter looks different than other batters. Making buttermilk, ends in separated areas and that’s okay.
This cake almost wasn’t. In the last five – ten minutes of baking, it looked like edge to edge cake soup. Ready to scrap the project, Dave swooped, suggesting ten more minutes. Thankfully, because never had I seen a cake turn from liquid to finished in minutes. Bee saved the Lemon Poppy Seed Baby Cake Day.
To Make Egg Shapes –
Make sure the cake is cooled through.
Dip a cookie cutter in powdered sugar; shake excess.
Push cutter through the cake; as the cutter moves toward the bottom, place fingers along the top cutter edge and press the rest of the way.
Loosen and lift the cutter and inside cake as a whole.
Carefully loosen then press and release the egg or other shape.
* If using another shape, I suggest an open design, so as to avoid cake sticking in small places.
Lemon Poppy Glaze
Mix, drizzle, or drape.
A little, lot, or none at all.
Sprinkle with reserved poppy seeds and zest.
Delight in baby cakes,
the sweetest little cake.
You are my sunshine.
Lemon Poppy Seed Baby Cakes
Ingredients:
- 2¼ +3 Tablespoons cups unbleached cake flour (sea level – 2¼ cups)
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (sea level – ¾ teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (sea level - 1 teaspoon)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (sea level – 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 cup whole milk - room temperature
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1⅓ cups sugar (sea level – 1½ cups)
- 2½ tablespoons lemon zest - packed
- 4 large eggs, room temperature (sea level – 3 eggs)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (sea level – ½ teaspoon)
Lemon Poppy Glaze
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoon poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to: Sea Level - 350° F.High Altitude - 365° F.
- Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment and spray with a light coat to prevent cake from sticking; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, poppy seeds, salt, baking powder and soda.
- In a small bowl, whisk milk and lemon juice. We’re making buttermilk, so the lemon juice will cause the milk to curdle and the mixture will look slightly thickened.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat butter, sugar and lemon zest until creamy and fluffy; make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl along the way. This should take close to four minutes, seems long but these cakes are the time. Switch the mixer to low, then add one egg at a time until incorporated, then vanilla.
- With your mixer still on low, alternate adding flour and milk to the butter mixture, begin and end with flour. With each addition, mix until just incorporated. The batter will look loose or separated in parts, that’s okay.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan; spread and smooth even with a spatula. On a dishtowel on the counter, tap the pan a few times to further even and remove air bubbles. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Done is when a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake and allow to cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake (leaving the parchment in place) and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- If wanting to make cookie shapes -Dip a cookie cutter in powdered sugar; shake excess.Push the cutter through cake; as the cutter moves toward the bottom place fingers along the top cutter edge.Lift cutter and cake and carefully loosen then press to release the shape.
- Lemon Poppy Glaze
- When ready to serve - in a small bowl, whisk sour cream, lemon juice, and salt. Add ½ to 1 cup powdered sugar at a time until incorporated, then stir half the poppy seeds and zest. Spoon or drizzle over cakes, then garnish with the remaining seeds and lemon zest.
- Delight in baby cakes.
Notes
- Cakes will keep in an airtight container for about three to four days.
Nutrition
I hate poppy seeds.
Does this comment come thru?
I’m so excited! Finally getting comments again. Thank you for helping chiggity check it out.
Only you. You’re the only I’ve met who hates the innocent little poppy. But “only you” and “only me” make “only we” and for that reason, we jive 🕺🏽