GISELLE’S
Lemon and Poppyseed Cotton Cake
Inspired by a Japanese vanilla cake, Giselle adapted this recipe so that the clean and light flavour of lemon complements its delicacy. ‘Heavenly’ is the only word to describe it. Whether a simple indulgence or to mark a moment of celebration, this cake aims to please – pair it with a cup of Earl Grey.
SERVES 8–10
unsalted butter, for greasing
4 medium eggs
80g white granulated sugar
1½ tsp lemon extract
finely grated zest of 1 large lemon (or 2 small) and a squeeze of the juice
65ml vegetable oil
70ml whole milk (or a dairy-free milk, such as oat or almond)
120g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g poppyseeds
icing sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin (not a loose-bottomed one) with baking paper, ensuring the strip around the side reaches at least 5cm above the top of the tin. Wrap the outside of the tin with foil.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites, placing the yolks in a medium mixing bowl and the egg whites in a large grease-free mixing bowl.
Whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar until pale and light. Add the lemon extract, lemon zest, oil and milk and gently stir to combine. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture and mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
Whisk the egg whites with the squeeze of lemon juice and the remaining sugar until it forms stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted sharply out of the bowl. This should take around 5 minutes with an electric whisk.
Gently fold half of the egg whites and all of the poppyseeds into the batter, then pour the batter into the remaining egg whites, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Gently fold and mix until there are no lumps of egg whites left, being careful not to knock out too much air.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and gently spread flat. Place the tin into a water bath (fill a roasting tray with enough boiling water to reach three-quarters of the way up the sides of the tin). Bake for 25 minutes, then turn the oven up to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4 and bake for a final 10 minutes.
Once baked, carefully remove the tin from its water bath and bang the tin sharply on the work surface a couple of times (this will help prevent the cake shrinking). Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.
Lightly dust the top with icing sugar to serve.
