Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Glaze

There's magic in every single slice of this lemon poppy seed cake. The magic of tangy lemon zest, a handful of poppy seeds, a cake that's equal parts moist and fluffy, and a refreshing lemon icing that ties it all together. Even better, it couldn't be easier to make. Some dessert are here to make you smile. And if there's one dessert that tastes like sunshine and happiness - it's this simple lemon poppy seed cake.

Cake:
1⅔ cups plain gluten-free flour blend (200 g)
¾ cup almond flour (65 g)
½ tsp. xanthan gum, omit if your GF flour blend already contains xanthan
3 tsp. baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
1 pinch sea salt
3 lemons, freshly zested
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (226 g)
4 medium eggs, room temperature
½ cup milk, room temperature (120 mL)
1 tsp. vanilla paste or 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
6 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Lemon Icing:
1 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered), sifted (120 g)
6 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Garnish:
poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and line an 8x8" (20x20 cm) square baking tin with baking/greaseproof paper.

For the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake:
In a large bowl, sift together the gluten free flour blend, almond flour, xanthan gum and baking powder. Add the sugar, salt, lemon zest and poppy seeds, and mix until combined.

Add the softened butter and, using either a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer with the double beater attachments, work the butter into the dry ingredients until you get a mixture resembling coarse breadcrumbs (or coarse sand) in texture.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients to the dry+butter mixture and whisk/mix well until no flour clumps remain and everything is evenly distributed.

Transfer the cake batter into the lined baking tin, smooth out the top and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 50 minutes or until risen, golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

If the cake starts browning too quickly or too much, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking until done.

Allow to cool in the baking tin for about 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the Lemon Icing:
Stir the powdered sugar and 6 tsp. of lemon juice together until you get a thick even mixture. (You can add more lemon juice to make it runnier, or more powdered sugar to make it thicker, as required.)

Drizzle the lemon icing over the cooled cake, spreading it evenly across the top with the back of a spoon and letting it drip down the sides.
When the icing is half-dry, sprinkle the cake with poppy seeds.

Makes 9 servings.

Storage: The lemon poppy seed cake keeps well in a closed container in a cool dry place for 3-4 days.