Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Here's a lovely Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake adapted from The Cake Bible. It's perfect to serve for an afternoon snack or tea.  Lemon oil, zest, and a simple syrup made with freshly squeezed juice ensure bright lemon flavor, while the poppy seeds add a subtle nutty crunch.  For the best flavor and texture, bake this bread a day or two ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator wrapped well in plastic wrap.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• professional loaf pan https://amzn.to/2uCEsPM

• the cake bible https://amzn.to/2WxAeF5

• lemon squeezer https://amzn.to/2WwmD0E

• microplane zester grater https://amzn.to/2V8tJYP

• food grade lemon oil https://amzn.to/2M8yXnF

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Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

makes one 8x4-inch loaf pan (or two 8 x 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 cocktail loaf pans if you can find them)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Pound Cake:

• 3 tablespoons whole milk

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure lemon oil (not extract)

• 1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, lightly packed

• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds

• 13 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Lemon Syrup:

• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions

To Make the Pound Cake:  

1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray loaf pan with flour/oil baking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and lemon oil; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or BeaterBlade attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, poppy seeds, and butter; beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

4. Add half of the reserved egg mixture and beat for 20 seconds, repeat with the remaining half of the egg mixture (scrape sides of bowl if necessary).

5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To Make the Simple Syrup:  

1. A few minutes before the bread is done baking, heat the lemon juice and syrup together until the sugar dissolves.

2. When the pound cake comes out of the oven, use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the surface.

3. Brush the warm simple syrup all over the loaf.

4. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

5. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a day or two before serving.

adapted from The Cake Bible

Irish Soda Bread

Here's an awesome recipe for Irish Soda Bread.  It's not the most attractive bread, but it tastes fantastic.  Lightly sweetened with a very tender crumb, it's absolutely delicious all by it's self, toasted with jam, or plain with a healthy schmear of Irish butter (our favorite way to eat it).  There's no yeast in this recipe, so it can be made in a fairly short amount of time.  Just bring a stick of butter to room temperature, then mix everything together, shape, and bake.  That's it - give it a go.

Start with flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Whisk together well.

Add softened butter.

Mix and smoosh the butter and flour together until it looks like this.

Add egg and buttermilk - stir, stir, stir.

When the dough looks like this, pour it out onto a clean, flour-dusted surface.

Knead for just a minute or two until you can form a round ball of dough about 2 inches tall.

Use a bench scraper to scrape away all the excess flour.

You can strain the excess flour through a sieve - throw away the clumpy bits.

Place the dough on a greased sheet pan.

In a heat proof container, combine butter and buttermilk.

Gently melt them together.

Brush the loaf well with the butter/buttermilk mixture.

Use a very sharp knife to cut an "X" into the top of the bread.

Bake for about 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cool completely on a cooling rack.

When the bread has finished cooling, slice it with a serrated knife.

We love to eat this bread with Irish butter.  If you've never tried it, you must - it's out of this world!

This bread is also excellent toasted and served with jam.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite measuring cups https://amzn.to/2uyd0CR

• my favorite measuring spoons https://amzn.to/2JS1DQo

• stainless whisks https://amzn.to/2V5XKbZ

• stainless sieves https://amzn.to/2FGUz3L

• professional baking set https://amzn.to/2FCbSmz

• my favorite bread knife https://amzn.to/3IDXOba

• Irish butter https://amzn.to/2WBQ3dF

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Irish Soda Bread

makes 1 loaf

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 1 egg

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and grease a sheet pan.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Using a spoon or your fingers, add the softened butter and mix until combined.

4. Add the egg and buttermilk; combine until a shaggy dough forms.

5. Dust a work surface with flour and knead the shaggy dough for a minute or two until you can form a ball; place on greased sheet pan.

6. Gently brush 2 tablespoons of buttermilk on top and cut an “X” design with a serrated knife.

7. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

adapted from allrecipes