Lemony Poppy Seed Tea Loaves

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon poppy seed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon peel, finely shredded
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Recipe

• 1 buttercup cake batter: in a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• 2 in a very large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds; add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined; add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.
• 3 alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.
• 4 use batter for lemony poppy seed tea loaves.
• 5 makes 6 1/2 cups batter.
• 6 lemony poppy seed tea loaves: preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour 2 loaf pans.
• 7 in large bowl, gently stir together the butter cake batter, lemon peel, and poppy seeds. divide mixture evenly among the prepared pans.
• 8 bake 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• 9 cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pans. place loaves on a wire rack set over wax paper.
• 10 meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice; heat and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• 11 brush sugar mixture over warm loaves until all is absorbed; cool completely.
• 12 drizzle with lemon icing and if desired, sprinkle with crushed lemon drop candies.
• 13 lemon icing: in a small bowl, stir together sifted powdered sugar, shredded lemon peel and lemon juice.
• 14 stir in enough water to make an icing that is easy to drizzle.