Mrs Beetons Victorian Seed Cake A Very Good Seed Cake Food

VICTORIAN SEED CAKE

Steps:

• Soak poppy seeds in milk for 4 hours (or over-night) then rinse under cold running water; drain well.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan.
• Cream the butter and gradually add 1 1/4 cups of the sugar.
• Beat in the zests and the poppy seeds.
• Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Continue beating for about 5 minutes, until the mixture if very light and creamy.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until peaks are stiff, but not dry.
• Sift the flour and salt over the egg yolk mixture, one third at a time, folding in after each addition.
• Gently fold in about 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in remaining whites, blending gently but thoroughly.
• Pour batter carefully into the prepared pan.
• Bake one hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested in the center.
• Make syrup while cake bakes: Combine juices with sugar and heat until sugar is completely dissolved; cool slightly.
• Immediately after removing cake from the oven, pierce the top all over with a thin skewer.
• Pour the citrus syrup all over the top to cover completely.
• Cool cake in the pan to allow syrup to be absorbed completely.
• Remove cake from pan and serve.