In the Oven: Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Posting date for this next cake is June 8!

Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
Yield: One 10- or 12-cup Bundt cake

For the Poppy Seed Filling
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1⁄3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄2 cup poppy seeds
1⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 whole graham crackers)

For the Poppy Seed Pound Cake
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest (about 2 oranges)

For the Brown Butter Glaze
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 ounces (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
11⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest (about 1⁄2 orange)
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon orange juice

Make the Poppy Seed Filling
In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the sugar and the milk. Bring just to a boil and remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter.

In a spice grinder, pulse the poppy seeds until they are almost powdery. Stir the poppy seeds into the milk mixture. Once the milk mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Let cool completely.

Make the poppy seed Pound Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat the inside of a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it well, dust it with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl again, add the vanilla and
orange zest, and beat until just incorporated.

Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture in two parts, beating after each addition until just combined, about 10 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again and beat for 5 seconds.

Pour half of the cake batter into the Bundt pan. Use an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon to even out the batter. Spoon the poppy seed filling over the cake batter (it does not have to be a perfect, even layer, but you can use the back of the spoon to smooth it out gently), then cover with the remaining cake batter (gently smooth out the batter into an even-ish layer). Bake for about 1 hour, or until a small sharp knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.

Make the brown butter glaze
Place a dry medium skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Pour the poppy seeds into the skillet and toast for 1 minute; use a wooden spoon to stir the seeds continuously during toasting. Pour the poppy seeds into a small bowl and set aside.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter. Melt the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until the foam subsides and the butter turns a medium nut brown, about 8 minutes. Pour the browned butter into a large bowl (don’t worry if a few of the butter solids—the sediment—end up in the bowl, though you don’t want to add all of it).

Add the confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, milk, and orange juice to the browned butter. Stir until the glaze comes together and is smooth. Stir in the toasted poppy seeds. Immediately drizzle the glaze along the crown of the Bundt cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set before serving, about 5 minutes.

The cake can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.