Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Toasted Poppy Seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the poppy seeds and prepare the pan

   Preheat the oven to 175 °C, or 160 °C for a fan oven. Line a 22 cm round cake pan with baking paper. Toast the poppy seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly. Once fragrant, transfer them to a plate and leave to cool.

   
2. 2

   Beat the butter mixture

   Beat the softened butter with 180 g of sugar for 3–4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each addition. Mix in the yogurt, lemon zest, and 40 ml of lemon juice.

   
3. 3

   Finish the batter

   In a second bowl, combine the plain flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture just until no dry patches remain. Finally, fold in the cooled toasted poppy seeds evenly.

   
4. 4

   Bake the cake

   Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and level the surface. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out without wet batter. Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes.

   
5. 5

   Simmer the lemon syrup

   In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 50 ml of lemon juice, 50 g of sugar, and 40 ml of water. Bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer over low heat for 2 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has come together slightly.

   
6. 6

   Pour over the syrup and serve

   While the cake is still in the pan, prick it in several places with a skewer. Slowly distribute the warm syrup over the surface and leave it to soak in for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and serve warm or completely cooled.