Poppy Seed Tante Cake

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: POPPY SEED TANTE CAKE
Categories: Cakes
Yield: 1 Servings

1 Vanilla bean
1/2 ts Salt
2/3 c Milk
1 1/2 Butter; softened
2/3 c Poppy seeds
1 1/4 c Sugar; superfine
1 2/3 c Cake flour
4 Egg whites; room temp
2 ts Baking powder
Cream cheese icing; * see no

Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and cut off the tips. In a small saucepan,
scald milk w/ vanilla bean. In a small bowl, combine scalded milk, vanilla
bean and poppy seeds. Let cool to room temp. Scrape the inside of the
vanilla bean into the milk mixture and discard pod. Preheat oven to 325
degrees. Butter a 9x2 inch round cake pan.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. In large mixer
bowl, beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy (2 min).
Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar and continue to beat until very light and
creamy (about 5 min) Sift in 1/3 flour mixture; stir to combine. Beat in
half of milk/poppy seed mixture. Repeat 2 more times with the remaining dry
ingredients and milk.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add
a pinch of salt and continue beating until soft peaks form (2 min). Beat in
the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp at a time, increasing the speed to high
before adding the last 2 tsps. Beat until the meringue is stiff and shiny,
about 1 minute. Fold 1/4 of meringue into cake batter. Fold in the
remaining meringue.
Scrape the batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or
until wood pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10
minutes in pan. Remove from pan and let cool on a rack. * Use your favorite
Cream Cheese frosting. This cake is WONDERFUL and almost pure white. The
black poppy seeds add interest to the white cake. From The Best of Food and
Wine.

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