Lemon and poppy seed cake recipe

Let’s continue by preheating the oven in static mode at 165°C. Now, generously butter and flour a loaf tin measuring 30cm x 10cm or line it with parchment paper. Sift together 225g of all-purpose flour or cake flour with 10g of baking powder; alternatively, you can use the same amount of self-rising flour. Take the zest of 2 lemons, only the yellow part, and mix it with 165g of caster sugar, working it with your fingertips. All the essential oils will transfer to the sugar, and when we bite into the cake, there will be an explosion of sweet and sour taste together, almost effervescent. Now, add 175g of soft unsalted butter with a spatula or, better yet, a whisk, working it to incorporate. When the sugar and butter are well mixed, add 3 medium/large eggs one at a time, making sure they are not cold. A pinch of salt will enhance the sweet taste, and now add the sifted flour in three parts, mixing with a spatula to avoid deflating the mixture, alternating it with our homemade “buttermilk.” Finally, add 20 or a maximum of 30g of poppy seeds.

Transfer the mixture into the mold and bake on the center rack for 45 minutes, checking the doneness with a toothpick test not before 40 minutes. Do not leave it in the oven for too long, or it will dry out, and do not take it out too early, or it might deflate—everyone knows their own oven. Wait until it’s almost cool and then unmold onto a long plate. In the meantime, you can prepare a simple glaze with 120g of powdered sugar with lemon juice and zest to spread on top of our cake…