Spiced Poppyseed Cake with Almond Buttercream Frosting

• Vegetarian

• Refrigerated

  • 6 Eggs, large

• Condiments

  • 1/2 cup Honey

• Baking & Spices

  • 3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Almond extract
  • 1 tbsp Baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp Cardamom
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup Cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup Poppy seeds
  • 1 Poppy seeds
  • 7 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Vinegar

• Dairy

  • 5 sticks Butter, salted
  • 6 tbsp Half and half
  • 2 cups Milk

Found on thefoodcharlatan.com

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 2 cups milk, at room temperature (or warm it in the microwave until its tepid)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 sticks (1 & 1/2 cups) salted butter, at room temperature
• 7 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 6 tablespoons half-and-half, plus more if needed
• poppy seeds for sprinkling

Directions

• Prepare 3 9-inch cake pans by spraying them thoroughly with nonstick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl: flour, baking powder, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer, cream the 2 sticks of butter, 2 cups of sugar, and half cup honey until light and fluffy, at least 2 minutes, scraping the sides as you go.
• Separate the 6 eggs: the whites need to go in a separate large bowl. (If you have 2 bowls for your stand mixer, use the other one). Set that aside.
• Add the yolks to the butter mixture, one at a time, stirring in between each addition. Make sure you scrape the sides well. Beat until it is smooth and creamy.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, and almond extract. Its okay if it curdles.
• Add the milk mixture and the flour mixture alternately to the butter mixture, stirring after each addition until just combined.
• Gently fold in the poppyseeds. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Add the 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar to the eggs whites. Using an electric mixer, beat the whites until soft peaks form; it will take several minutes.
• Add the beaten egg whites to the cake batter in 3 additions, mixing until just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the 3 prepared cake pans. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check each cake, some may cook slower than others.
• Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. When you can handle the pans without burning yourself, remove the cakes to a wire rack. Peel off the parchment paper.
• At this point, you can either freeze the cakes to frost later, or do it immediately. To freeze: While the cakes are still hot, wrap each cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze for several hours, or up to 3 days. The night before you want to frost, place them in the fridge to defrost.
• To frost immediately: let the cakes cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least an hour. Its easier to frost a cold cake.
• To make the frosting: beat together the butter and sugar until a thick paste forms. Then add the extracts and half & half, adding more if it seems too thick. Beat until fluffy.
• Spread about 1/2 cup frosting over each layer. Frost the top of the cake, then spread the excess down the sides. I found this tutorial helpful.
• Sprinkle the top with more poppyseeds, and pipe on the stars using a large star tip.