Cream Cake with Poppy Seed

I always like poppy seed, a little blue seed that can change plain cake in to something lovely. May be because of the little dot that scatters around and a flavor that not too heavy (think about a dot of chocolate that will affect the flavor of vanilla pound cake, it’s different). After I tested Neil’s whipped cream pound cake, I find it’s too sweet for me, so I want to play around with this recipe by adding poppy seed and reduce the sugar. This is my version of cream pound cake (you can increase the sugar if you like, you can use up to 130g.). The texture is airy, so be careful when you take it out of the pan.

Chilled heavy cream 125 ml

Large eggs 2

Sifted all-purpose flour 90 g

Sugar 110 g

Pure vanilla extracts 1 tsp

Baking powder ½ tsp

Poppy seed 1 tbsp

A pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 8½” X 4½” loaf pan with baking paper (the cake is quite sticky). Set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl whisk in the poppy seed

3. Whip the cream on medium- low speed until firm peaks form. Take care not to over whip the cream. Set aside.

4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed, add sugar 1 tbsp at a time until the eggs are pale and light then blend in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, in 3 additions mixing just until blended.

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream, one-third at a time. Be sure the cream is thoroughly folded through the batter.

6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. The cake is done when the top is golden brown and firm to the touch, and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Take the cake out of the pan onto the rack, peel of the paper (beware the cake is fragile). Let the cake cool completely.