This lemon and poppy seed loaf is laced with fresh lemon zest, filled to the brim with nutty, crackly poppy seeds, soaked with a light lemon syrup and drizzled with a delicious lemon glaze. An absolute must for your next tea party!
Ingredients
4 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
½ Cup Warm Milk
1 Cup Castor Sugar
150g Butter
3 Eggs
2Tsp Vanilla Extract
11/2 Cups (180g Self-Raising Flour)
1Tsp Baking Powder
2 Large Lemons (juice and zest)
For The Lemon Syrup:
¼ Cup Castor Sugar
¼ Cup of the Lemon Juice
Lemon Glaze
2 Cups Icing Sugar mixed together with the juice of 1 Lemon
To Decorate:
Lemon Glaze
Strips of Lemon Zest
Edible Flowers
Instructions
Heat the oven to 180C.
Combine the poppy seeds and milk in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes.
In an electric mixer combine the castor sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for a few more minutes.
Fold in the flour and baking powder gradually, alternating with the poppy seed and milk mix.
Finally, stir in only the lemon rind.
Pour into the baking tin and bake for 40-45 mins.
For The Lemon Syrup:
Dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice over a gentle heat.
Make small holes in the cake with a skewer and brush over half the syrup.
Leave the cake in the tin for 10 mins then remove and then brush the loaf cake all over with the syrup, including the base and sides.
Allow to cool then wrap in foil and leave for 24 hours to allow the syrup to infuse.
Decorate with the lemon icing, lemon zest and some edible flowers.
Recipe by SAPeople South African Recipes at https://tastyrecipes.staging.sapeople.com/lemon-and-poppyseed-loaf/