lemon poppy seed pound cake
Pound cake:
240g all-purpose flour
240g butter (room temperature)
240g sugar
4 whole eggs (room temperature)
1 egg yolk (room temperature)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp poppy seeds
2 lemons, zested
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cream of tartar
Blueberry Compote:
2 cups blueberries
½ lemon
1 tbsp sugar
1 pinch of salt
Lemon Cream:
½ cup of heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1 lemon wedge
Substitutions:
Baking is a science. My biggest piece of advice for any aspiring baker is to purchase a kitchen scale (you can get one on Amazon for around $10). It will make your life so much easier in the kitchen. However, if you’re not ready to make that sort of commitment, below is a rough estimate for the ingredients:
1 ½ cups, plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup, plus 4 tsp sugar
2 sticks, plus 1 tbsp butter
Preparation:
Firstly, you want to make sure that your cold items have reached room temperature. If you’re impatient, there are ways around this. The butter can be heated in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds and the eggs can be placed into a bowl of warm water for about 30-60 seconds (not boiling water, warm water from the faucet). I recommend allowing these items to sit out of the refrigerator and come to temperature naturally. However, doing the shortcuts, will still end with the same results.
Prepare the dry ingredients. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Once sifted, add the baking powder and salt. Lightly whisk to combine the ingredients.
In a stand mixer (or large bowl, if using a hand mixer), cream the butter until light and fluffy.
Scrap down the sides of the bowl, then add the sugar. Mix at a moderate speed for 3-4 minutes.
Scrap the down bowl again, then add the vanilla extract, mix for another 30-60 seconds to incorporate.
Next separate the yolk from an egg, reserving the egg white, then add the yolk to the butter mixture. Mix at a moderate speed for about 60 seconds. You will repeat this process, adding the yolks one at a time, until you’ve incorporated all 5 egg yolks into the mixture. Note: you will only reserve the egg whites from 4 out of the 5 eggs.
Scrap the sides of the bowl, then add ½ of the dry ingredients into the mixture, mixing at a moderate speed for about 45-60 seconds.
Once incorporated, add the other ½ of the dry ingredients, mixing for another 45-60 seconds at a moderate speed.
Add the poppy seeds, mix until evenly incorporated (30-60 seconds).
Scrap batter from mixing bowl, set aside.
Now whip the egg whites using an electric mixer. Place 4 egg whites into a bowl, add ¼ tsp cream of tartar, whip until egg whites form stiff peaks.
Fold the egg whites into the batter, folding until completely incorporated.
Grease a loaf pan (I used a 1-pound pan) with butter. Add sugar to the pan, rotating until all surface areas are covered, then turn the pan upside down in order to dump out any excess sugar.
Place the pound cake into a preheated oven at 325°, bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick/cake tester comes away clean.
Prepare the compote by adding blueberries, the juice of ½ lemon, sugar, and pinch of salt to a pot. Cook on medium, allowing mixture to simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Stir, then set aside and allow to cool.
For the whipped cream, add the cream, sugar, and juice of a lemon wedge into a bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on high until light and fluffy.
Pan fry the pound cake in a skillet on medium low. Add a slice of butter and pinch of sugar into the pan. Cut a piece of pound cake from the loaf, placing it atop the butter/sugar in the pan, while quickly rotating in a circular motion to coat the underside. Cook for about 1-3 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Repeat process for uncooked side. Note: be mindful the pan is hot, use caution when rotating the pound cake. In other words, it’s probably better to use a pair of tongs versus your bare hands. Learn from my mistake.
To serve, spoon out some of the blueberry compote onto a plate, place the pan-fried pound cake atop. Garnish with whipped cream, lemon zest, and fresh blueberries.
Enjoy.
