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Chamomile lemon poppyseed loaf cake

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makes one small 8×4 loaf (I used this tin) or about 12 muffins.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup (4 tbsp, 2 oz, or 57 g) Greek yogurt (or other yogurts; see Notes)
  • 1 tbsp milk, any kind (I love this 365 Everyday Value Soy Milk; you can also sneak in more chamomile tea here)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2–3 lemons; Meyer lemons would be wonderful if you can find them, but any kind will work)
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 oz, or 67 g) 365 Everyday Value Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • for the chamomile syrup:
  • 1/4 cup strong chamomile tea (see Notes)
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×4-inch loaf tin or a 12-well muffin tin with parchment paper. If you haven’t already, brew a half-cup of very strong chamomile tea (see Notes below for the proportions I used) and set aside.
  2. Whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a Pyrex measuring cup or a small bowl, combine yogurt and milk and whisk until smooth. For a stronger chamomile flavor, use a tablespoon of the tea instead of milk.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant, about a minute or so. (This helps release the flavor more fully.) Add the softened butter and oil, and beat with an electric beater or plenty of arm strength until the mixture is pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until incorporated. Finally, add the lemon juice, and whisk again until combined.
  4. Add a third of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and fold until just combined. Next, add half of the yogurt mixture and gently fold again. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining yogurt mixture, folding gently until just combined after each addition. Finally, add the remaining third of the dry ingredients and — you guessed it — fold gently until just combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the loaf tin or muffin tin, filling about 3/4 full. For the loaf tin, bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cake is golden-brown, bounces back when touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For the muffins, bake 15-18 minutes, or until domed, bounces back when touched, and a toothpick comes out clean. The muffins should be paler when fully-baked, just gently golden on the edges.
  6. Meanwhile, bring the chamomile tea and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Let simmer for about a minute, until the liquid thickens just slightly, then remove from heat and let cool.
  7. When the cake is done, let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan. Brush the chamomile syrup over the loaf (you can poke holes in the top to let the syrup soak in more fully, if you like). And enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature; the cake will be just as good the next day and will keep for several.

Notes

For a “strong chamomile tea,” I found 1 tablespoon loose leaf chamomile or 1 tea bag for 4 oz boiling water made for a brew that was strong enough to infuse the cake with a good, subtle flavor, but you could go with more or less tea leaves depending on your preference, and you can even chill the tea overnight (unstrained) for a stronger flavor. You can also substitute the milk for an extra tablespoon of tea, if you like — I have made it both ways, and both work wonderfully.

Feel free to substitute other yogurts of your choice — if your yogurt is a bit runnier than classic Greek yogurt, you may want to omit the tablespoon of milk and use 5 tablespoons of yogurt, instead.

Find it online: https://tworedbowls.com/2016/01/13/lemon-poppy-seed-loaf/