Description
Ina Garten’s lemon poppyseed cake brings zesty brightness to classic dessert traditions. Home bakers can easily craft this delightful treat with simple ingredients and straightforward techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup poppy seeds
- ⅓ cup grated lemon zest
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
- Nonstick baking spray with flour
Instructions
- Seed Infusion: Blend buttermilk and poppy seeds, letting the mixture rest at room temperature for flavor development.
- Oven Preparation: Position rack in middle, preheat to 350°F. Generously spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- Butter Creaming: Utilize electric mixer to whip butter and granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and pale yellow, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Egg Integration: Add eggs individually, ensuring complete incorporation. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest, scraping bowl sides for uniform blending.
- Dry Ingredient Preparation: Sift flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together to eliminate lumps and ensure even distribution.
- Liquid Base Creation: Whisk lemon juice into buttermilk and poppy seed mixture, forming a tangy liquid foundation.
- Batter Assembly: Fold dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture into butter mixture alternately in three batches, starting and ending with flour mixture to maintain optimal consistency.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan, spreading evenly. Bake 40-50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and dry.
- Syrup Preparation: Combine remaining sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan, simmering until sugar dissolves completely to create a smooth syrup.
- Cooling and Syrup Application: Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Slowly drizzle warm lemon syrup across the surface, allowing absorption.
- Glazing Finale: Whisk confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice to create a smooth glaze. Artfully drizzle over cooled cake for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Poppy Seed Soak: Let buttermilk and poppy seeds rest for at least 2 hours to enhance flavor depth and texture complexity.
- Butter Creaming Technique: Beat butter and sugar until light and pale yellow, taking 3-4 minutes to develop a fluffy, airy base for the cake.
- Egg Incorporation Method: Add eggs one at a time, fully blending each before the next to ensure a smooth, homogeneous batter without curdling.
- Flour Folding Strategy: Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture in three batches, starting and ending with flour to maintain optimal batter consistency and prevent overmixing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg