Citrus Poppyseed Cake

This is one of my all time favourite recipes! The light and fluffy cake combined with the tangy citrus flavours and the nutty texture created by the addition of the poppy seeds. For a twist the cake uses lime as well as lemon to create the citrus flavours.

The recipe for this cake uses the basic sponge cake recipe with a few alterations. For one there is one less egg, but to help make the mixture wet enough yogurt is used. The exclusion of another egg makes the cake more light and fluffy. Also extra flour is used (to bind the cake together better) and there is the addition of the poppy seeds, lemon rind and lime rind.

Citrus Poppy Seed Cake
Makes 1 20cm cake or 16 small cakes.

Mini Citrus Poppy
Seed Cakes

Ingredients:

175g butter, softened

175g castor sugar

3 eggs

250g self-raising flour

50g poppy seeds

grated rind of 2 lemons

grated rind of 2 limes

4 rounded tablespoon natural yogurt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

100g unsalted butter
100g cream cheese
300g icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to C150. Butter and line a 20cm tin.
2. Place all ingredients into a bowl of an electric mixer and mix until smooth.
3. Poor the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 - 45 minutes for a large cake or 20 minutes for small cakes.
4. Take cakes out of the oven when they are cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
5. To make the icing; put all the ingredients into a food mixer and whisk until smooth and creamy.
6. Spread the icing over the cooled cake and decorate with the rinds of a lemon and lime.