Lemon cake with poppy seeds and frosting – this cake is perfect to serve for an afternoon cup of tea or coffee or as part of a larger cake buffet. The cake can easily be frozen without the frosting.
Ingredients
Lemon cake
275 g butter, softened
300 g sugar or cane sugar
2 tsp. vanilla sugar
300 g all-purpose flour
6 eggs
2 tbsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. crème fraiche, preferably 38%, men 18% can also be used
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. poppy seeds
Sugar syrup
50 g lemon zest
50 g sugar
Cream cheese frosting
200 g butter, softened
200 g confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla paste
Zest of 1 lemon + little extra for decoration
400 g cream cheese, refrigerator cold
150 ml cream, for whipping
Approach
Lemon cake
Heat the oven to 180 C convection.
Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat the batter for 1-2 minutes until smooth and even. If the batter separates, don’t worry. It’ll still be fine. Line a 25 × 30 cm form with baking paper. Pour the batter into the mold and bake the cake for 25-30 minutes. Insert a skewer into the cake to see if is cooked. Let the cake cool a bit while you make the syrup.
Sugar syrup
Boil the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool.
Punch holes in the cake with a fork and pour the syrup over the cake.
Cream cheese frosting
Whisk the butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Add the confectioner’s sugar a little at a time as you continue to whisk. Whisk in the cream cheese a little at a time and whisk well until there are no more lumps and the frosting is fluffy and even. Whisk the cream to a light foam and fold it gently into the frosting. Refrigerate until needed.
Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle a little extra lemon zest on top. Enjoy the cake immediately or refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!
