Poppy Seed Pound Cake

I've been on this sweet kick lately and this recipe seemed like a nice mix between sweet for dessert and sweet for breakfast. Who doesn't love a piece of cake with your coffee in the morning? These were such a fluffy treat to start the day off right. I'd recommend you make a raspberry sauce or jam for them as they tasted 10x better with a dollop of jam on top. Enjoy!!

Poppy Seed Pound Cake
from Gourmet Magazine
2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 cup poppy seeds
3/4 tsp bakign powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 vanilla bean
1 3/4 sticks undalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, warmed in very warm water 10 minutes
1/2 cup half-and-half at room temperature 30 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 350* with rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt.

3. Scrap seeds from vanilla bean with tip of a pairing knife into a bowl, then add butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer at med-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just incorporated.

5. Spoon batter into loaf pan, smoothing top.

6. Bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into cetner comes out with crumbs adhering. 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing.