Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

The tearoom happened at a time when everyone was going through a lemon poppy seed craze. You could get lemon poppy seed anything wherever you went. We followed suit with a cake that was only made for our special Tea Luncheons. They were bite-size, drizzled with lemon glaze, and topped with cream cheese frosting with lemon juice added. Perhaps we should have called them little lemon pucker cakes.

• 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 cup butter
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk

1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds, and baking powder in a small dish and set aside.
2. Prepare muffin tins, mini cake tins, or cake pans of your choice with cooking spray. If you are using regular sized cake pans they must also be dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
3. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth looking.
4. Add sugar and lemon juice beating until well combined.
5. Add eggs one at a time and beat until creamy looking.
6. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to egg mixture until all ingredients are combined.
7. Pour batter evenly into pans.
8. Bake in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes in mini tins or 35 minutes in regular cake pans or a bunt pan. Springform pans will take 40 to 45 minutes.
9. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Wait 10 to 15 minutes and then remove cakes from pans. This will allow you to handle the cakes without getting burned and also stop them from sweating and going mucky in the tins.
11. Cool cakes completely on wire racks before decorating.
12. Top with cream cheese frosting.

Makes enough batter to fill 3, 9 x 1-1/2 inch round cake pans or one bunt cake or 18 muffin cups.