Anti-Wrinkle Lemon Poppy Seed Cake & My Kellogg’s Fairy Godmother
Because I’ve been too carried away bitching about sludge, addicted to drama episodes and struggling to fight the urge to purchase the pink SS09 Vivienne Westwood brooch, I’ve kinda not been able to begin my dissertation. I have thus started today (so far, 164 words into it) and replied to Mum’s email that basically transmitted this pregnant message to me:
“Have you completed your thesis?
God be with you,
love Mum”
So. You can imagine how the hairs on my neck just shot straight up and I got all stressed out and worried and frazzled! Some manage with a can of Diet Coke (that usually does for me but I’m beginning to find the carbonated bloaty feeling very unattractive), others with a bag of Haribo, a few eccentric others with a game of hide and seek in a 5-storeyed campus library. For me, these de-stressing methods aren’t really working for me, and neither do they help me focus my energies on the task at hand. This added dilemma was definitely taking its toll on me as I felt the skin between my brows start to tense up into a frown. EEEK! We don’t want that happening now do we? Instead, into the kitchen we go to whip up something sweet, delicious, zesty, refreshing and de-stressing. What better than a yellow lemon to wake one up from a dribbly stupor, writers’ block, literary cul de sac?
Hence, I give you my Anti-Wrinkle, all-time favourite Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. I posted the recipe for this years back but I’ll post it here again since that’s so far into the archives, it’s not fair to leave it to age in that dusty ol’ world wide web cabinet. This is a most-trusted recipe for lemon poppy seed bread actually. It’s a über moist yet firm cake that’s perfectly balanced between sweetness and lemon zestiness and has my elder sister Abby’s vote every time. In fact, she once got quite upset with me for not sticking to my promise of baking it over the weekend. A lot of recipes I have found tend to use quite a lot of butter and full-fat milk. This one, using very little butter and skimmed milk, I believe delivers without cutting back on the taste or visual appeal. It was wonderful to see my housemates light up at the sound of lemon poppy seed cake, their hands itching to get a slice of it (Ms. Smith you know I’m referring to you!) and the worries of the day forgotten momentarily as we gushed about cake. University worries, credit crunch problems, skin aging and wrinkle anxieties – you lot can all f*** right off! Lemon poppy seed cake is here to save the day. You can find the recipe for that at the end of this post.
Kellogg’s – the Pleasure Bringer
Another exciting thing to happen today, other than my discovery of the anti-wrinkling effects of a lemon poppy seed cake, was the massive parcel that came knocking at my door. It’s not my birthday, it’s not Christmas but it certainly felt like it when I found 4 boxes of Kellogg’s Nature’s Pleasure muesli, an adorable little wooden bowl and a fancy spoon all nicely packed into a huge wooden box. I do not go a day without muesli, nuts and rolled oats. Some people have bread or rice for staple foods, I, on the contrary, have panic attacks if I run out of muesli so this was a real treat and I could not wait to try all 4 flavours – Apple & Blackcurrant, Apple, Pecan & Cashew, Raspberry & Cherry and Almond, Pecan & Raisin.
Nature’s Pleasure is a baked muesli. You could probably call it a deviant muesli because it’s been coated with honey and raw cane sugar, then baked to get that lovely golden brown toasted look. It also says on the box that it’s crunchy and Kellogg’s isn’t lying. This is the crunchiest, party-in-your-mouth muesli I’ve ever had! It is a whole lotta fun to eat although I have to be careful not to hurt my jaw from all that crunching (I have a weak jaw that sometimes gets stuck). Because I love berries and a little sour to most things, the Raspberry & Cherry is by far my favourite and you certainly get a generous portion of fruit in the muesli. Apple, Pecan & Raisin is my next favourite and a great energy boost if you’re looking for a power breakfast.
I am really impressed with this muesli. Before Nature’s Pleasure, it was quite a chore finding the right muesli at the supermarket because the flavours were always so generic, the packaging lack-lustre and none had the crunch I was looking for. To get the best stuff, you had a to pay a little more and feel the pain of parting with that extra cash. Nature’s Pleasure is affordable and quite addictive. I find myself mixing this in with my Kellogg’s Just Right or Fruit n Fibre in the morning; snacking on a handful mid-afternoon; mixing heaped tablespoonful of it into my evening pot of Activia yoghurt. I can’t get enough! Another plus point is that this muesli does not go soggy! Brilliant isn’t it? Crunch all the way to heaven. Except if you have a weak one like mine, take extra care when chomping away.
If you’re curious about this new product, go check it out on the Kellogg’s website: www.naturespleasure.co.uk or go grab yourself a couple of these fancy smanshy boxes. Come April, Nature’s Pleasure will be available in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, retailing at an affordable £2.49! I recommend stocking up on a few at a go cause these will go in a blink of an eye.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup flour
5 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1-2 lemons, depending on desired strength
3 tbs poppy seeds
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
- For the lemon glaze:
juice of 1 lemon
icing sugar
a bit of semi-skimmed milk (optional)
Preheat oven to 170d Celsius.
Sift the flour and combine with the lemon zest, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine the poppy seeds with the milk and let macerate for about an hour before use.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Then add the flour mixture to this wet mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the poppy seed-milk mixture so that you end with the flour mixture addition last. Beat until just incorporated.
Grease and flour a cake pan or loaf tin. Pour the batter in, smooth the top down with the back of a spoon or spatula. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.
For the lemon glaze, simply mix together the lemon juice and desired amount of icing sugar (and a little milk if you want to whiten it but not use a ridiculous amount of icing sugar). Once the cake is cooled completely, drizzle over the top and let the cake soak it all up. Serve.
February 10th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Hmm… Destressing, procrastinating, potato, potahto, hee hee
Good luck with your dissertation– you can do it! Send the rest of the cake here! 
February 11th, 2009 at 2:31 am
Nice looking poppy seed cake! Free samples are always nice!
February 11th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Alright lady, while you buy the pink gloss, I’m just gonna make this anti-wrinkle wonder. Sounds GREAT to me…but you don’t need it; not yet! Don’t send Manggy all of the cake…LOL!! Lucky you…love the free samples & the box it came in, & the bowl, & the spoon. YUM!
February 11th, 2009 at 9:58 am
i know right??? inari sushi <3
i love lemon poppyseed muffins.. cake sounds good. im bookmarking this recipe
February 11th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Manggy: Thank you I will do my best. Hilarious manggy, I think you just started a snatch-war for cake!!
Kevin: indeed…i love free samples, especially if they’re food. yum yum
deeba: yes pink gloss! as pink as your pretty creations
I won’t…you’ll always have a slice, as much as you have a spot in my heart. 
I know, I got totally excited over the bowl and spoon…they’re so cute.
bonnevivante: yea i like them in snack-sized portions as muffins but cake’s amazing too. I love it when you get a slice and it seems so posh, delicate and just a lot more proper..if that makes any sense at all!
xx
February 11th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Your cake looks delicious.
I’ve also recieved my Kellogs tasters. I was so excited when I opened the box. I’m such a sucker for nicely presented things!
February 12th, 2009 at 1:09 am
So have you finished that dissertation yet, young lady?
God be with you,
Love Dee
p/s
Am going to nick the recipe the minute I’m done with that dratted wedding cake. Where are the little green men when you need them?
February 12th, 2009 at 1:48 am
anti wrinkle eh?
i’ve recently fallen in love with lemon in cakes (i used to h-h-hateeee it). i gotta buy some poppy seeds to try this
now if you’d excuse me, i must iron my wrinkles smooth
February 12th, 2009 at 6:30 am
I love lemon poppyseed cake and this one looks like a winner!
February 12th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Jules: joy for getting your kellogg’s stuff
let’s all get muesli-ed up!
Dee: actually, it’s due in april..so i’m just getting started writing it out…after months of getting research done, i’m nervously beginning my introduction chapter. good luck on the wedding cake! can’t wait to see you blog about it.
mochachocolatarita: thanks for visiting!
u hated lemon in cakes??? gosh it’s so good and i’m very pleased you changed your mind about it.
Emily: yay! we should form a lemon poppy seed cake fan club..LOL
xx
February 12th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
That’s the best anti-wrinkle treatment I ever heard of! And I also got one of the super duper Kellogg’s parcels in the post. I’d totally forgotten about it and was truly mystified as to what it was – really cool though!
February 12th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Sweets do de-stress don’t they? No wonder my blog is all about sweets. It must be my form of venting! Anyway, I wanted to share this wonderful new candle with you that I got today from Seda France as part of their Valentines collection, but its no longer on their site! I’m so sad it’s not available! It was packaged so cute! The flavor was Rhubarb. It was packaged like this “http://www.hamsandjams.com/product/195/valentines_day” except it didn’t say “LOVELESS” on it.. It said Sweetheart in candy latters. It smells soooooo good!
February 12th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Jeanne: haha! I know, and cheaper than something you get off Estee Lauder
Cakewardrobe: Oh gosh yes i saw the Rhubarb edition on the internet sadly it’s not available in England. Also, going at £26 a pagoda is pretty steep since I’m veering towards a new Vivienne Westwood purchase. BUT. my new Parks of London candle arrived today so right now I’ve the scent of frangipani, roses, freesia and lily in my bedroom. All’s good!!
Thanks for sharing…i do hope to get my hands on rhubarb candle some day….who can resist rhubarb??
xx
February 12th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Thanks so much for your sweet comment on my blog!!! You are too nice! Your cake looks quite delicious too!
February 13th, 2009 at 6:36 am
literary cul de sac— “giggles” that was funny! I have a weakness for lemon poppy anything, and I have been bent on finding it, I’ll have to order the seeds but your recipe looks fabulous… And the Au Natural looks like a healthy alternative to AM food… I hope they put it on the shelves here..
What is your dissertation on?
February 13th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Davina…was this the cake that was cooking when we were talking?? looks damn good…why do I have to be in France? Why? Why??
February 13th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
My Sweet and Saucy: thank you
it’s a trusted recipe and one of my favourite cakes to eat all year round.
Girl Japan: lemon poppy is awesome isn’t it? i wanna have lemon poppy biscuits, financiers, cakes, slices, ice cream – have it all!! i hope they do. Honestly speaking, it’s not the best muesli out there. I’m still sticking to my M&S luxury muesli mix and Dorsets but this is good nonetheless…
Dissertation? Long story…I might hafta create a separate post for that
!!
Han: yes indeed hansi pansy! I might’ve made this for you before I reckon, or maybe you had the lemon cake I put aside in the freezer last easter.. Not sure! yea…why do you hafta be all the way in stinkin’ France????
xx
February 13th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I LOVED that cake!! You used it as an anti-wrinkle device…& I just ate lots & added to my hips…hmmm! It was well worth it though
xxx
February 13th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Anti-wrinkle AND it looks like it tastes divine. I didn’t know you also loved jewelry, you naughty kitten! I am so obsessed right now w/ czech glass Deco pieces…it’s a sickness.
February 13th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Steph: haha steph awwww.
womanly hips ARE sexy..that’s what i keep telling myself.
Ann:I LOVE JEWELRY oh my goodness you don’t understand how bad it is with me. Jewelry, cosmetics and shoes..not to forget clothes…that’s the end of me!
xx
February 14th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Anti wrinkle cake!!! I will take the whole thing please!!!
February 14th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
leslie: you fine woman, you – SOLD!
xx
May 8th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.
May 19th, 2009 at 9:14 am
MMMMM…That poppy seeds cake looks superb! I bet it tasted delicious!! Yummie!
August 21st, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Wonderful posting. I really enjoyed it.