Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake

This great recipe came from the December edition of Food & Wine magazine. It was in a section detailing one woman's month of cooking.

This cake is delicious. It's very dense, unlike other lemon poppy seed cakes that I have had that were light and airy. The icing gives it that extra special something that takes it up a level.

I made this yesterday to have with coffee that we were having with our neighbor last night. She really enjoyed it as well and I packed up some for her to take to her husband. This would be a great brunch cake as well.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake

2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (I used non-stick cooking spray and a 9.5 inch glass pie plate) and dust with the bread crumbs; tap out any excess crumbs. In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour and cake flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the granulated sugar at medium-high speed until it is pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between additions. At low speed, in 2 alternating batches, beat in the dry ingredients and the milk. With a rubber spatula, fold in the lemon zest, lemon extract and poppy seeds.

Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Transfer the cake to a serving plate.

In a medium bowl, stir the confectioners' sugar with the lemon juice to make a runny glaze. Using a spatula, spread the glaze over the cake, letting it run down the sides. Cut into wedges and serve.