Poppy Seed Cake With Vanilla Buttercream Icing | Constant Cookbook

Ingredients

• 150g/5½oz butter
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• 100g/3½oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 75g/2½oz poppy seeds
• 75g/2½oz butter
• 125g/4½oz icing sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Grease the sides of a 20cm/8in cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
• Cream the butter in a large bowl or an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well between each addition.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder, add the poppy seeds and stir until well combined.
• Remove from the oven and allow the cake to stand for five minutes before carefully removing it from the tin and transferring it to a wire rack to cool.
• For the buttercream icing, using an electric whisk, beat the butter until pale and soft. Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla extract.
• Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides with a palette knife.