Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Plum Pluot Compote
A delicate pound cake studded with poppy seeds and flavored with vanilla bean, served with a sweet-tart compote made from plums and pluots. The cake is rich and moist, while the fruit compote adds a bright, seasonal complement.
Ingredients
- •2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
- •¼ cup poppy seeds
- •¾ teaspoon baking powder
- •½ teaspoon salt
- •½ whole vanilla bean
- •1¾ sticks unsalted butter
- •1½ cups sugar
- •3 large eggs
- •½ cup half-and-half
- •2 pounds firm-ripe plums and pluots
- •¾ cup sugar
- •1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- •1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- •½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- •1 serving whipped cream
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan.
5 min
- 2.
Whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt.
5 min
- 3.
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of a paring knife into a bowl, then add butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just incorporated.
10 min
- 4.
Spoon batter into loaf pan, smoothing top.
3 min
- 5.
Bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out with crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan 30 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert cake onto a rack. Cool completely, right side up.
105 min
- 6.
Stir together fruit, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon zest, and lemon juice in a heavy medium saucepan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until fruit begins to fall apart and liquid is slightly syrupy, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon zest, nutmeg, and more sugar if desired. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
35 min