Readers, this cake is truly a sensation. Whenever I serve it, the reviews are stellar. I baked it just the other day to help celebrate a co-worker's birthday. After the candles were blown out and the birthday wish was made, the Mmmmm's started to be uttered. Another success!
The cake is moist and light; the poppy seeds lend a nutty flavor and have a delightful, "poppingly" crunchy texture. When I was mixing the batter, I was instantly reminded of the days when my girls were little and loved to "help Mommy" by licking the batter from the mixing bowl and beater. In fact, I think they almost preferred the batter to the finished cake because they began to ask for bowls of it! Now that they're adults, they are doing their own baking and licking their own mixing bowls. When my older daughter, Claire, was studying abroad in Sweden, it was one of the cakes she baked and served to her fellow international students. What a tribute!
Maida Heatter, the magnificent "queen of desserts", got this recipe from San Francisco pastry chef, Sheila Linderman.
POPPY SEED CAKE
From "Maida Heatter's New Book of Great Desserts"
8 ounces butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (reserve 1/4 cup of sugar for the egg white mixture)
5 eggs (graded large), separated, plus one additional egg white
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 t cream of tartar
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a plain, loose-bottomed tube pan.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with 1 1/4 cups of sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Scrape the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula. In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, poppy seeds and vanilla. On low speed, add 1 cup flour, the baking soda and baking powder to the butter mixture. Mix in the sour cream mixture, scraping the bowl as necessary. Then add the remaining flour, beating only until smooth and well-blended. In another bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the whites hold soft peaks when the beaters are raised. Gradually add the reserved 1/4 cup of sugar to the whites and beat until they hold definite peaks but is not stiff and dry. Gradually, fold the whites into the batter using a large spatula. Turn into the ungreased pan. Place in the bottom third of your oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. It is done when a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately turn the pan upside-down to allow the cake to cool completely. To loosen the cake from the pan, use a knife with a sharp, firm blade. (I use a boning knife.) Insert the knife between the cake and the side of the pan. Pressing the blade against the side of the pan (not against the cake!), saw around the cake cake with short up-and-down motions. Then, do the same around the tube. Remove the sides of the pan. Remove the bottom of the pan by inserting the blade between the cake and the pan, making sure you press against the pan. Place right-side-up on your serving plate.
* While Poppy Seed cake is perfectly fine served with nothing more than a cup of tea, you might want to dress it up with a side of berries and a dollop of fine vanilla-bean ice cream
One of my favorite cakes. Once my siblings and I learned how to bake, our mother has always requested this for her birthday—which means that for several years she’s had to make it herself, as we all live between 1.5 and 20 hrs away, driving or flying. This year, I will be there :)
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