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Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Strawberries




Source of Recipe


Woman's Day magazine, June 2, 2009


Recipe Introduction


I was sure that this was going to be a disaster. It wasn�t. As a matter of fact, it was one of the best cakes I�ve ever made. The problem is the icing. Basically, it�s whipped cream with white chocolate. It has a tendency to slump and start a slow ride down the sides of the cake. A couple of things will help with this. Make sure that the white chocolate and hot cream mixture is really chilled. Chill the mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer. Chill the cake layers and the strawberries. Just make sure that everything is COLD! If at any time the whipped cream starts to �slump�, throw everything back in the fridge for an hour or so. I might also try using a packet of whipped cream stabilizer. You really want to make this cake a day ahead of time to give you time to chill and frost and chill and frost. And don�t count on being able to take this any further away than a few miles, unless you have a really good cooler! I make half again as much frosting and that was the perfect amount.

All that being said, this is a delicious cake. Light, refreshing and delicate. Absolutely worth any trouble with the icing.



List of Ingredients




WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
2 1⁄2 cups cold heavy cream
6 oz white chocolate, chopped

CAKE
2 1⁄4 cups cake flour
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
� 11⁄4 sticks (1⁄2 cup plus 2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
� 11⁄2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
� 2 Tbsp lemon juice
� Whites from 3 large eggs plus 1 whole egg
� 1 cup whole milk
� 9 Tbsp strawberry jam
� 1 lb strawberries (reserve 4 small whole berries for garnish), hulled and sliced


Recipe



FROSTING:
Heat 1 c. of the cream to a simmer and add the white chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth and refrigerate until completely cold.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt in a bowl. In a mixer, at medium speed, beat together the sugar, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs until smooth. On low, alternately beat in flour mixture and milk until incorporated. Beat at medium for 3 minutes. Pour batter into pans.

Bake for 35 � 40 minutes until the cakes pass the toothpick test. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack. Cool completely.

FINISHING THE FROSTING:
Beat the chilled white chocolate-whipping cream mixture with the remaining cream until stiff peaks form.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:
Halve the cake layers horizontally. Put one layer on a plate, cut side up and spread with 3 T. of jam. Spread 2/3 c. frosting over jam and arrange an even layer of the sliced strawberries over the frosting (make sure that this layer is about 1-inch from the edge of the cake � any closer and the strawberries may slide out and poke through the frosting on the sides). Top with the next layers and repeat, leaving the top layer plain. Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with the frosting. Decorate with reserved berries. Refrigerate the cake.

Serves 10 - 12