Poppy Seed Tea Cake

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Loaf Pan

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your 8 1/2-inch loaf pan by buttering and flouring it. Set the pan on two baking sheets stacked together or an insulated sheet.

2. Whisk Dry Ingredients

In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt.

3. Mix Sugar and Zest

In a larger bowl, rub the granulated sugar and lemon zest between your fingers to infuse the sugar with the citrus essence.

4. Add Eggs

Introduce the eggs to the zesty sugar one by one, whisking each until just incorporated.

5. Incorporate Wet Ingredients

Blend in the lemon juice, pure vanilla extract, and room temperature heavy cream into the mixture.

6. Fold in Flour Mixture

Fold the flour mixture into the batter in three parts, being gentle to keep the air in the batter.

7. Add Melted Butter and Poppy Seeds

Pour the melted butter into the batter in two stages, stirring until fully integrated. Stir in the poppy seeds evenly.

8. Bake the Cake

Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-70 minutes, covering with foil if necessary.

9. Cool and Unmold

Once baked, let the cake cool in its pan for 5 minutes before unmolding it to cool completely on a rack.

10. Glaze and Serve

Optionally, mix confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice to create a glaze and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Sprinkle a half teaspoon of poppy seeds for texture.