Poppy Seed Layer Cake With Strawberries And White Chocolate Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper; butter paper.
• Combine first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and lemon peel in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, beating just until blended. Stir in poppy seeds.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden and tester comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pan to rack. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides; cool cake. (Can be make 1 day ahead. Cover and keep at room temperature.)
• Make white chocolate cream:
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, eggs and lemon juice in top of double broiler set over simmering water. Whisk until very thick and candy thermometer registers 160°F, about 3 minutes. Remove from over water. Add chopped white chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
• Beat cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl to firm peaks. Fold in white chocolate mixture.
• Turn cake out onto work surface. Peel off paper. Cut cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Using bottom of springform pan as aid, transfer 1 cake layer to platter, cut side up. Spread 1 cup chocolate cream over. Arrange half of sliced strawberries in single layer over chocolate cream. Repeat layering with 1 cake layer, 1 cup chocolate cream, remaining sliced berries and 1/2 cup chocolate cream. Top with third cake layer, cut side down. Spread 3 cups chocolate cream over top and sides of cake. Press white chocolate curls onto sides of cake. Spoon remaining chocolate cream into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe around top edge of cake. Garnish cake with whole berries. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Steps:

• Place butter into a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Place skillet into an oven and turn on to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to allow butter to melt, 2 to 4 minutes.
• While butter melts, mix together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl.
• When butter has fully melted, remove skillet from oven and gently swirl to coat bottom with butter. Pour melted butter over the dry ingredients, and set skillet aside. Stir melted butter into dry ingredients a few times to allow it to cool slightly. Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts and mix just until batter has no dry clumps of flour in it.
• Pour batter into the skillet and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle halved strawberries evenly over the top and place skillet into the oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, 55 to 60 minutes. If cake begins to over-brown at any point during baking process, turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and continue to bake until done (baking time will vary with a lower oven temperature). Allow cake to cool before slicing.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the poppy seeds and milk. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and allow to rest until cool, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a large loaf or tube pan by greasing it with margarine and lightly flouring the inside of the pan.
• In bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter or margarine and sugar. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and poppy seed-milk mixture, and beat until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well; remove bowl from mixer and set aside.
• Place a clean bowl in mixer, with a whisk attachment, and whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into batter. Scrape into pan, and bake until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes. When cool, dust cake with confectioners' sugar.