Gâteau au citron et graines de pavot – lemon poppy seed cake Recipe
This moist lemon cake with crunchy poppy seeds is a bit like a French-style pound cake, but it’s baked in a rectangular tin and sliced. In France, cakes like this often appear at afternoon tea with tea or coffee. The lemon icing adds freshness and a light sheen.
To domowa wersja francuskich ciast cytrynowych serwowanych w pâtisseriach, łącząca wilgotną babkę typu loaf cake z charakterystycznym, grubym lukrem cytrynowym.
A simple French-inspired lemon cake with a moist crumb, crunchy poppy seeds and a bright lemon icing – perfect for everyday baking and easy to slice and share.
Chef's tips
Do not overmix the batter after adding the flour, so the cake stays light and tender. If your oven tends to brown strongly, cover the cake loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
How to serve
Serve in slices with hot tea or coffee. For a more festive version, add a few thin lemon slices or extra grated zest on top of the still-soft icing.
Na co uważać
- Nie miksuj długo po dodaniu mąki – wystarczy do połączenia; zbyt długie wyrabianie uaktywnia gluten i miąższ będzie zbity.
- Lukier nakładaj wyłącznie na całkowicie wystudzone ciasto; nawet lekko ciepły wierzch sprawi, że lukier spłynie i wsiąknie zamiast utworzyć szklistą warstwę.
Ingredients
- wheat flour type 450–500 - 220 g
- sugar - 160 g
- butter soft, at room temperature - 120 g
- egg at room temperature - 3 pieces
- baking powder - 2 teaspoons
- milk - 80 ml
- lemon unwaxed, you need the zest and juice - 2 pieces
- poppy seeds dry, not ground - 2 tablespoons
- icing sugar for the icing - 120 g
- salt - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Line a rectangular tin (about 25×10 cm or a loaf tin) with baking paper.
- Scrub the lemons thoroughly in warm water and dry them. Finely grate the zest from both lemons, taking care not to grate the white bitter pith. Squeeze the juice – you need about 4 tablespoons for the batter and 2–3 tablespoons for the icing.
- In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy – mix for 3–5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the poppy seeds and mix.
- Add the lemon zest and 4 tablespoons of juice to the butter mixture and briefly mix. Then add the dry ingredients and the milk alternately, mixing just until combined – do not overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.
- Bake for about 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out dry or with a few crumbs, but no raw batter.
- Remove the baked cake from the oven and leave it in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the cake is cold, make the icing: put the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon juice a tablespoon at a time, stirring until you get a thick but pourable icing. If it’s too thick, add a little more juice or water.
- Pour the icing over the top of the cake, spreading it with a knife or spoon. Leave for 20–30 minutes until the icing sets, then slice the cake.
Storage
Store the cooled cake wrapped in foil or in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze individual slices and thaw them at room temperature.
This cake is a nod to classic French loaf cakes, but with the familiar combination of lemon and poppy seeds that always disappears quickly from the table.
