The recipe is from pastry chef Megan Romano's new cookbook "It's a Sweet Life".
http://www.rgj.com/article/20101201/FOOD01/12010383/1090/FOOD/It-s-a--Sweet-Life--for-Charlie-Palmer-pastry-chef-Megan-Romano
LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE WITH LEMON BUTTERCREAM
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup polenta
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound (4 sticks) butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
8 eggs
3/4 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Lemon buttercream (optional); recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 320 F.
Spray 2 (6-inch-by-4-inch) cake pans or 4 (2-inch-by-4-inch) small rectangular loaf pans with nonstick spray and dust with sugar.
Sift together into a bowl the flour, polenta, baking powder and salt. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter in mixing bowl until soft. Gradually add sugar to butter, followed by lemon zest.
Add 4 eggs, 1 by 1. Add 1 cup of sifted ingredients. Add remaining 4 eggs, 1 by 1. Add remaining sifted ingredients, followed by crème fraîche and poppy seeds.
Increase mixer speed to medium for 1 minute in order to incorporate fully all ingredients.
Stir batter with rubber spatula, being careful to scrape entire bowl from bottom. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Drag a knife through the batter to release air pockets.
Bake 18 minutes for cake pans or 10 minutes for loaf pans. Rotate pans in oven, then continue baking 18 minutes more for cake pans or 10 minutes more for loaf pans. When cake is done, toothpick inserted in center will come out clean.
Cook cakes on a metal cake rack until just a bit warm. Place serving platter on top of cake pans and flip so cakes are released from the pans. To preserve moistness, cover with plastic wrap when cake is still a touch warm. Unwrap when ready to serve.
If desired, spread a layer of lemon buttercream between the 6-inch-by-4-inch cakes or between slices of the 2-inch-by-4-inch loaves.
LEMON BUTTERCREAM
1 1/2 cups egg whites
3 cups sugar
2 1/4 pounds (9 sticks) butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
In a stainless steel bowl, whisk together egg whites and sugar. Warm mixture over a double boiler until sugar is dissolved. Test by rubbing liquid between fingers "” the egg white mixture should no longer feel grainy.
In a mixing bowl using whisk attachment, whisk on high speed until mixture is doubled in volume and holds stiff peaks when whisk is removed from mixing bowl. Continue mixing on medium speed, adding softened butter in several spoonfuls until finished.
Whisk until all butter is incorporated and smooth. Add vanilla extract. At this point, buttercream should be smooth and silky.
If buttercream is too cold, warm 5 seconds over a double boiler. If too warm, place in refrigerator for 5 minutes, then rewhisk for a smooth consistency. Buttercream can be used immediately. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
If using buttercream that has been chilled, place it in a mixing bowl, set the bowl over a double boiler, and melt only 1/3 of the total amount. Whisk the buttercream to reemulsify the egg whites, sugar and butter. Yields 5 cups.
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