LinkThe cake:
From The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
The recipe I used was from the book. Interestingly enough, Melissa demonstrates the cake on via video podcast but gives a slightly different recipe at the end. From other comments I have read on this cake, I’d go with the podcast recipe.
Joy the Baker also presents very clear instructions with a slightly altered recipe.
The frosting:
From a lot of recipe reading and playing around
Whip 1 lb. softened Mascarpone cheese with 1/2 cup cold heavy cream for 30 seconds. Sift in a few tbsp. of powdered sugar and continue to whip another minute or so until it’s luscious and creamy and spreadable. Taste often throughout and adjust the sugar to your liking.
The slight tang of the frosting (reminding me of one of life’s great tastes: clotted cream) was so wonderful and complimented the cake very well if I do say so myself. Speaking of, I love bitter so the cake worked for me—and a few others—but it’s definitely not for everyone.
The flavor components came through orange tang then sweet then a bitter bite, and the poppy seeds were a nice compliment to the texture and look.
But the frosting…oh my. I could (and did) eat it up with a spoon. I’ve already thought of many other cakes it would work beautifully with. I imagine it will soon join the bundt cake and Dorrie Greenspan on the list of my tried-and-true standbys. You’ve been warned.