A couple of months ago, Sarah Jampel predicted that of all of the eye-catching desserts in Sweet: Desserts from London's Ottolenghi, the one that everyone would return to time and time again would be the humble Lemon and Poppyseed Cake.
This month, our Baking Club is focused on Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh's cookbook, and it turns out Jampel was right—the group's Facebook page has nearly been flooded with photos of the simple loaf. Eliza Triggs was one of the first to post about it and she has a theory as to why:
I’m betting the Lemon Poppyseed Cake is going to be one of the most popular recipes this month for the same reasons BraveTart’s Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies were so popular last month... it’s simple, classic, and delicious! I’m not the first to post and I’m sure I won’t be the last!
That's not the only cake Club members have fallen for, though: We've been seeing quite a few Apple and OIive Oil Cake with Maple Icing. If you haven't tried it yet, Lynn Cross Krizic makes a pretty strong case for doing so:
My trepidation over making a cake with olive oil was replaced with a new sense of fearlessness as well as an appreciation for the complexity and richness it adds to a cake, particularly this cake. I would consider this apple cake to be incredibly versatile: Perfect for breakfast, at tea, or as a fancy dinner party dessert. It would even be the most lovely cake to wake up to on Christmas morning. With apples available year round, it is thankfully one of those four-season cakes. I would be considered a fussy-tarian when it comes to apple cakes, but it only took one bite for me to fall in love with this one.
And last, but certainly not least, members have been loving the Lemon and Blackcurrant Stripe Cake, probably because, as Lynn Swiniarski notes: "This cake [is] amazing in both flavor and beauty."
Ready to see what all of the fuss is about? Here are Ottolenghi and Goh's recipes for the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake and the Apple and Olive Oil Cake with Maple Icing. The Lemon and Blackcurrent Striped Cake mentioned above is a roulade—if you've never made one before, see the step-by-step process for tackling it below:
Want to be in our Club? Join in on the Baking Club fun here!
Written by: Lindsay-Jean Hard
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