Lemon Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 Avalon Eggs Large, at room temperature
- 1 Avalon Egg yolk Large, at room temperature
- 3/4 cups Avalon sour cream
- 1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (or bleached all purpose flour)
- 1 1/4 cups white granulated sugar ** superfine/caster/berry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 teaspoons lemon zest loosely packed, finely grated
- 1/3 cup poppy seeds
- 1 3/4 sticks Avalon butter unsalted, softened (14 tablespoons or 200 grams)
For the lemon syrup:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar white
- 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar white
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed, from 1 to 2 lemons
Special equipment:
- Metal fluted tube pan buttered then dusted with flour
- Stand or handheld mixer
Instructions
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For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350F (325F if using a dark pan) with the rack on the lower third of the oven.
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Whisk together whole eggs, egg yolk, 1/4 cup sour cream, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until homogenous.
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Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and poppy seeds in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer), and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
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Add unsalted butter and remaining sour cream, then resume mixing on low speed until just blended. Increase to medium speed and beat for another 1 1/2 minutes.
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Scrape down the sides of the bowl and re-start the mixer on low speed. Add half of the egg mixture from Step 2 and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Pour the remaining egg mixture and mix for another half a minute. Transfer the batter into the prepared tube pan and level the surface with a spatula.
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Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the deepest part of the tube comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed with lightly with a finger. Start checking for doneness at 45 minutes.
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For the Lemon Syrup: While the cake is baking, combine sugar and lemon juice in a small microwavable bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
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Once the cake is done, place the pan on a wire rack. Poke the cake all over using a thin skewer and brush the cake with one third of the syrup. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Brush the entire surface of the cake with the remaining syrup.
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Cool completely before serving.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Keep airtight with plastic wrap at room temperature. Best if consumed within two days.
** Superfine sugar: If you don’t have superfine sugar, you can pulse regular white granulated sugar in a food processor.
This recipe was adapted from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum.