Sweet yeast cake with lemon and poppy seeds — coconut (Print version)

Sweet yeast cake with lemon and poppy seeds — coconut. Prepare the ingredients before mixing, then use the method below to keep the texture tender and the flavors evenly distributed. The cut face shows the texture to look for when the cake has cooled.

# Ingredients:

Cake batter

01 - 400 g all-purpose wheat flour
02 - 7 g instant dry yeast
03 - 80 g granulated sugar
04 - 3 g fine salt
05 - 180 ml whole milk
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 70 g unsalted butter, softened

Flavor ingredients

08 - 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, yellow part only
09 - 20 g poppy seeds
10 - 25 g unsweetened desiccated coconut

# Instructions:

01 - Warm the milk only to 30–35°C. Mix flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the milk and eggs, mix to a soft dough, then knead in softened butter gradually. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic; it should remain slightly tacky, not dry.
02 - Cover the bowl and leave in a draft-free place for 60–90 minutes, until the dough is roughly doubled. Judge its volume rather than relying only on the clock. Meanwhile prepare the flavor ingredients as below.
03 - Measure the flavor ingredients separately. Chop nuts and dried fruit into small pieces. Dice apple or pear to 5 mm. Wash citrus before grating only the colored zest. Dissolve any instant coffee in 10 ml hot water and let it cool.
04 - Gently deflate the dough and knead in all prepared flavor ingredients just until distributed. Shape into a round and press into the lined 24 cm tin. Cover and let rise for another 30–45 minutes until visibly puffy. During the final 15 minutes, heat the oven to 180°C.
05 - Bake at 180°C for 28–38 minutes until golden, with no raw dough in the center; a thermometer in the center should read approximately 93°C (200°F). Cover loosely if it browns too quickly. Cool 15 minutes in the tin, then at least 45 minutes on a rack before slicing.

# Good to know:

01 - The displayed preparation and cooking times exclude rising, cooling and refrigeration. Allow the full waiting times in the instructions before serving.
02 - Once cool, store covered in the refrigerator at 4°C or below and use within 3 days. Refrigerate cream, cheesecake and fruit cakes promptly; do not leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Do not cover hot cake, which traps condensation. Cream cakes should remain chilled until serving.