Lemon-Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 10slices | 25mins |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 30mins | 2hours |
|
|
Ingredients
Lemon-Poppyseed Cake
- 2-3/4cups cake flour
- 2tsp baking powder
- 1/4tsp baking soda
- 3/4tsp salt
- 3-1/2tbsp poppy seeds
- 3/4cup unsalted butterroom temperature
- 1-3/4cups superfine sugar
- 2tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1/4cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1tsp lemon extract
- 1-1/2tsp vanilla extract
- 1-1/3cups buttermilk
- 3tbsp lemon juice
Simple Syrup
- 1/4cup water
- 1/4cup sugar
- 1/4cup limoncello liqueuror lemon juice
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8oz buttersoftened
- 16oz cream cheesesoftened
- 4cups confectioners sugarsifted
- 2tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1tbsp heavy cream
- poppyseedsfor garnish
Instructions
Prepare Lemon-Poppyseed Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Grease bottom & sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds, dust sides with flour.
- In a large bowl, sift together, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until mixture becomes very pale and fluffy.
- Mix in canola oil.
- Mix in one egg and a time, mixing well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- Add in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mix just until combined.
- Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Mix in remaining 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and finish by mixing in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture.
- Fold in poppyseeds.
- Scrape sides and bottom with a rubber spatula and gently fold until batter is evenly
- incorporated.
- Evenly divide batter between two prepared cake pans. Spread into an even layer.
- Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven let cool in pan 20 minutes.
- Invert cakes onto wire racks, cool completely.
Prepare Lemon Syrup
- In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar to dissolve sugar.
- Remove from heat and stir in limoncello (or lemon juice).
- Let cool.
Prepare Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Beat in heavy cream and vanilla bean paste.
- Sift in confectioners sugar, mix on low to incorporate sugar.
- Beat until fluffy. Set aside.
Assemble the Cake:
- Poke 15 holes in each cake layer, brush each layer with 1/4 cup lemon syrup.
- Gently peel-off parchment round from one cake layer.
- Place cake layer upright on to a 9-inch cardboard cake round.
- Spread a generous layer of frosting on top of bottom cake layer, spreading to the edges.
- Place top layer top-side down onto first frosted layer, gently peel-off parchment round.
- Put a large dollop of frosting into top of cake, spreading it all the way to the edge. Spread frosting on sides of cake in an upward fashion to meet the frosted top.
- Using an offset spatula, spread frosting evenly and smooth.
- Holding frosted cake from the bottom, gently press in poppyseeds around sides of cake.
- Garnish top of cake with a sugar pastillage poppy flower (see notes below). Refrigerate 1 hour to set. Serves 10.
Recipe Notes
My friend, Michelle Capogreco in New York sells the red sugar pastillage poppy seen in photo, as well as other flowers, and custom designs on her Etsy store, Sweetpea Sugar Art
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