5.06.2009

Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes

Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes

Did You Know? For hundreds of years, Greeks have prized strained yogurt for its richness and creaminess, and because it makes a great cooking ingredient that’s less likely to curdle when heated. Today, we know that straining also makes Greek yogurt richer in protein than regular yogurt, and lower in lactose.

Sorry I've been missing the past few days, but with school winding down, I've been slammed with presentation after presentation. I'm almost through the worst week, and I could not be more ready for Summer. My Dad emailed me a possible vacation house for the Vineyard this August, I've been working out the basics for our annual Saco River trip, and we're even discussing a San Francisco excursion towards the end of the Summer. So as you can imagine, the thought of doing one more paper in the midst of all these Summer getaways could make anyone go crazy. That being said I needed a little break from my computer. I spent this past weekend baking and churning, and could not have been more relaxed, even with the dreadful week that awaited me.



Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes

Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes

Being a marketing major, it's pretty tough to pass up some free product when it could help out a company I love. Today's teacakes are made possible by Stonyfield Farm and their new Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. I'd never had Greek yogurt before, so I was excited to try it out. I'd heard wonderful things about this style of yogurt all over the blogging world, so I was pretty sure I too would fall victim to the creaminess of this tangy treat. I started the recipe testing with a basic vanilla frozen yogurt (coming soon) to get the full effect of this prized yogurt. I will never go back to the freezer case.

Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes

Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes

Anyways, back to the cakes at hand - lemon poppy seed teacakes. I knew I wanted some sort of lemon poppy seed concoction, and I'm a sucker for cupcakes, but I also didn't want a sugar overload. These teacakes are just that, a perfect cake to dip into an afternoon cup of tea. Not overly sweet, studded with that unbeatable lemon poppy seed combo, and super-moist from the ultra-thick Greek yogurt. I glazed them with a variation of the lemon juice and sugar mixture that Ina uses on her lemon yogurt cake, and it gave them a wonderful sheen and a tart topping. If you're interested in something on the sweeter side, just add another 1/4 cup of the granulated stuff. But be sure to use Greek-style yogurt, if not for the health benefits alone. Oikos has 0% fat, and twice the protein of regular yogurt. Pretty awesome for something so rich looking.

Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup Greek yogurt
3/4-1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
3 large eggs
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (may substitute vegetable oil)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with paper cups, and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium-sized bowl.

In another, larger bowl, mix the lemon zest, yogurt, sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until just combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, measure the batter into your prepared cupcake tin. I filled my cups pretty much to the top so I didn't have to pull out another pan, but if you follow the 3/4 rule, you might have to use two cupcake tins.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes.

Heat the remaining one tablespoon of sugar and the 1/4 cup lemon juice in a microwave safe dish until the sugar dissolves. When the cupcakes come out of the oven, brush the tops with this lemon juice mixture. I pricked the tops with a toothpick a few times as well. These taste best the day they're the made.

Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes

26 comments:

  1. Lemon poppyseed muffins/cakes are one of my faves. I'll try some with some my my mom's homemade Greek yogurt next time...great idea!

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  2. The lemon poppyseeds muffins that I usually make are from C.I. This recipe looks really good.

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  3. Your muffins sounds wonderful. I love the pics.
    Greek yogurt is definitely a treat. I love TJ's yogurt.

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  4. i love baking with yogurt! these look very fresh and delicious :)

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  5. I love lemon and poppyseeds together! YUM!

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  6. um yeah i had two exams and a bloody lit paper due today. ahhhhhhhhhh!! and one more tomorrow morning at 8! but then im done FOREVER!

    hey i made incredibly strange muffins today with yogurt too. its called: we're moving out and everything must go! hehe.

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  7. These are beautiful! I love a lemon flavor in muffins or cakes. I also like using yogurt for baking, I think it improves the texture.

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  8. How perfect for spring, and especially mother's day! A great idea, perhaps I'll do something similar as a brunch treat...

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  9. Oh, these look so delicious, one of my favorite pairings, lemon and poppyseed.

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  10. Well, it sounds like you're working really hard in school, but ust think of all those amazing plans you have for vacations! Everything sounds like so much fun and it's so lovely to hear you do all these things with yuor family. I'm very close with my family and I love vacationing with them :)
    These teacakes looks great. I love cooking with yogurt as well and, until I moved, I loved making my own yogurt, because then you can control the richness and thickness of it and make it amazingly nutritious! The Greek knew what they were doing ;)

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  11. I was just talking about wanting to cook with Greek yogurt - these look delicious!

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  12. These teacakes look fantastic. I actually don't eat regular yogurt. I only eat Greek yogurt. My favorite way - drizzled with honey over granola. YUM

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  13. Oh how I love these the next day. somehow the flavors always taste better the next day as I'm sure the sitting flavors enhance.
    I used to spend many of my summers (still do) on the vineyard (west chop to be exact--a place where the tourists do not go)

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  14. Your teacakes look great! Lemon poppy seed cake is so good, and the glaze sounds fantastic.

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  15. Can't go wrong with lemon and poppyseed, to say nothing of Greek yogurt. Plus, I love that topping Ina uses!

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  16. oh my gosh, your teacakes look just perfect!

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  17. I like Lemon Poppy anything, so I will be making these for sure!

    Thanks for the recipe, good luck with the end of your school year!

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  18. What is it about lemon and poppyseed? They taste so good together in baked things.

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  19. these look so good! i also like lemon poppyseed anything, so i'll have to try these soon.

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  20. I love greek yogurt. I hope your week goes well.
    Lemon poppyseed teacakes sound wonderful.

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  21. Great minds think alike--I just made lemon poppyseed muffins!
    When I was a student, baking was always my favourite way to relax, too.
    Sounds like you're going to have a pretty cool summer!

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  22. These are beautiful! Lemon poppyseed is certainly a favorite combination in my house!

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  23. Really nice blog, and the muffins looks sooo yummy :))

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  24. Yum, yum! I have several containers of their yogurt in my fridge. Babygirl and I have been eating them with some berries thrown in. I need to hide one so I can try it in some yummy like these muffins.
    ~ingrid

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  25. Love this! I've been looking for a lemon poppyseed recipe to make! May I borrow this? I'll link to you of course!

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