Lemon Cake with Poppy Seeds

After the heavy/chocolate Easter week-end, I felt the need for a light & fresh lemon cake. I actually adapted my Orange Fondant recipe, swapped the oranges with organic lemons, adding some poppy seeds too 🙂 I made lemon syrup to pour on the cake, and added home-made candied lemon on top: MEGA citrus cake ! Moist in the inside, and with the crunch of the candied lemon and the fun of the poppy seeds ! This is definitely a winner and goes on my Top 10 list ! 🙂 

Ingredients: you will need in total 7 organic lemons

For the cake:
– 5 organic lemons (use the zest of 4 lemons and the juice of 1, rest of the juice will be used for the syrup)
– 140g (2/3 cup) of butter softened
– 175 g (3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) of granulated sugar
– 1 tbsp of vanilla extract
– 3 eggs
– 175 g (1 cup 1/2) of all purpose flour
– 2 tsp of baking powder (1/2 paquet de levure)
– 2 tbsp of poppy seeds (=pavot)

For the lemon syrup: 
– 125 g (1 cup 1/4) of confectioner’s sugar
– Juice of the 4 lemon (from the cake)

For the candied lemon (citron confit) : 
– 2 organic lemons
– 220g (1 cup) of granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (320 degrees F). Oil & flour a cake pan.
2. Take the zest of 4 organic lemons. Set aside.
3. Squeeze the 5 lemons and reserve the juice in 2 bowls (1 bowl with the juice of 1 lemon and the rest in another bowl)
4. In a large bowl, cut the butter softened  in small cubes and mix together with the  granulated sugar until smooth & creamy.
5. Gradually add the eggs and the vanilla extract. Whisk all together.
6. In another bowl, mix together the flour and the baking powder.
7. Gradually, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
8. Add the lemon zest, the juice of 1 lemon and the poppy seeds. Mix well.
9. Pour the batter in your cake pan and place in the oven for 40min, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
10. While your cake is cooking, prepare the lemon syrup: in a pan, pour the juice of the 4 lemons and the confectioner’s sugar and place under medium heat for about 20min.
11. In the meantime, prepare the candied lemons. Cut the 2 organic lemons in very thin slices. Set aside. In a pan, boil 12cl (1/2 cup) of water with the granulated sugar. Once it boiled, lower the heat to medium and add your lemon slices. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes (half covered). Then, remove the lemon slices from the pan and let them cool flat on a cooking paper (one next to another, not piled up)
12. Once the cake is cooked, turn over in your serving plate and pour the lemon syrup while the cake is still hot. Usually, I poke the cake before pouring the syrup in order for the cake to absorb it better, and it will be more moist inside. If you have some syrup left, you can leave it on the table and people can add it on their cake slice.
13. Finally, add the candied lemon slices on top of your cake.
14. This cake can easily be done the day before and served the following day without any problem.