When life gives you lemons, ditch the lemonade- make a lemon poppy seed cake instead
Summer.
The word itself comes as sigh of relief, an exhale that heals the mind, the body and most definitely the spirit.
And while I love those long, lazy days spent watching TV, reading a book or admiring the bright petal hues that group together in clusters of flowers, I will miss this past year.
School may not necessarily be the most positive experience for a lot of people. But for me, especially towards the end, it was. I am lucky to have had such awesome classmates, caring teachers and patient parents. I am lucky to have lived in Poland and completed my schooling here. Next year will be a blank slate. I will have to start anew in a foreign place that I already fear for its unfamiliarity. But there’s plenty of time before things change. Right now, I’m going to enjoy this long pause, this break from reality, and I’m going to share a recipe for a poppy seed lemon cake, my favorite summer dessert.
The poppy seed lemon cake recipe is fairly simple to put together. It’s got that fruity tang from the lemons- though you may replace the lemon zest with orange or grapefruit zest should you wish. The poppy-speckled batter is rustic, gorgeous to look at- the flavor of poppy is barely noticeable taste wise, but when is, the addition is well worth it.
To me, what makes this poppy seed lemon cake special is its lemon syrup soak, which adds a more prominent lemon flavor and doesn’t hurt the ‘juiciness’ of the cake either. The pairing of a lemony sweet cake works well with a tangy cream cheese frosting, though a slice of this cake is majestic on its own as well. When the cake is light and warm (or at room temperature), it is at its best. I wouldn’t serve it cold as that compromises its fluffiness and lends a dense, crumbly consistency. So store it in the fridge, but allow the cake to sit at room temperature for an hour or so before serving.
Notes for making this poppy seed lemon cake:
Looking for lemon recipes?
URLs in this post:
[1] Print Recipe: https://hotchocolatehits.com/wprm_print/23316
[2] Pin Recipe: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/bookmarklet/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhotchocolatehits.com%2F2016%2F06%2Fpoppy-seed-lemon-cake.html%2F&media=https%3A%2F%2Fhotchocolatehits.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F06%2FScreenshot-2023-08-24-at-11.44.47.png&description=Poppy+Seed+Lemon+Cake+with+Cream+Cheese+Frosting&is_video=false
[3] Rate Recipe: #commentform
[4] Vanilla pound cake with lemon glaze: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2021/10/vanilla-pound-cake-with-lemon-glaze-an-exciting-announcement.html/
[5] Lemon bars: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2014/07/lemon-bars.html/
[6] Lemon cake: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2013/03/lemon-cake.html/