I’m not sure about you, but who doesn’t love a good lemon poppyseed anything, whether it be a muffin, cake, scone, or even ice cream?
What if I told you the bliss of adding succulent strawberries to this classic treat takes it to a whole new level?
That’s exactly what we’re doing here—and we’re not stopping there. To give it a nice floral twist, we’re using our very own Deluxe Rose Lemonade to mix up a lovely batch of icing in this strawberry poppy seed tea cake recipe.
Dreamy tea cake may be more like it!
Where Do Poppy Seeds Come From?
Believe it (or not), poppy seeds come from the flowering plant of the Papaver somniferum which is also known as the poppy plant. That makes sense, right? The seed pod that the plant produces is where you will find the poppy seeds.
Don’t worry, the opioid effects that the poppy plant is also utilized for aren’t found directly within the seeds, it’s actually the milky residue that surrounds the seeds within the pod.
When you use washed poppyseeds, you aren’t consuming huge amounts of these extracts, and they are safe for consumption in all of your favorite cooking and baking endeavors.
The poppy plant is grown and harvested all over the world, but the top three countries that produce poppy seeds are Turkey, Spain, and Czechia. Did you know that the seeds that are collected are also pressed to make oils and ground to make powders? Not all are kept whole in seed form.
These little seeds pack a punch of nutritional benefits as well. Poppy seeds are rich in magnesium, phosphorus, folate, zinc, thiamin, essential omega-6 fatty acids, calcium, and fiber.
All this poppy talk has you craving this tea cake, don’t they? Almost there…
A Poppy Seed Tea Cake Recipe with a Floral Twist
Wondering why we chose to throw in a floral twist with this recipe?
Why not?
Rose is a great accompaniment to flavors that balance rose’s natural floral, fruity, and perfume-like characteristics. The perfect "match" was made when Plum Deluxe introduced rose and lemon to create this Deluxe Rose Lemonade.
We leveled up when I thought to complement the rose with a similar flavor, like strawberry, and with our lemon poppy seed tea cake base, we’re already on the right track. It couldn’t be more perfect! The result of this dessert is divine!
Rose really can be a great, and fun, flavor to keep in your cupboard. Whether it be tea, rose water, dried rose petals, or rose hips, there are so many ways to utilize these in baked goods and drinkable delights.
Truth be told, it’s one of my all-time favorite flavors, and definitely my number one floral flavor.
Tea Pairings
Vanilla Rose dark tea hearts are a perfect pairing with their rich rose flavor. Dark tea is a Chinese tea similar to pu’erh. This aged and fermented, dark tea has a wonderfully rich and complex flavor and can be steeped multiple times creating beautiful layers of flavors that appear from each level. It’s fun, tasty, and new every time! A combination of dark tea, rose petals and vanilla leaves you with an experience like you’ve never had before.
A caffeine-free alternative that’s just as delightful is ourEvening in the Garden herbal tea. It's complete awesomeness with fresh elderflowers, lemon peel, rose petals, honeybush tea, and vanilla essence! It also pairs beautifully with a little rock tea sugar or honey. Enjoy it iced or in a mixed drink favorite like an Arnold Palmer or sangria. So many choices!
A new favorite of mine is our Strawberry Honeysuckle black tea for a mirage of reasons, but one being its succulent simplicity. Sweet strawberry paired with an uplifting floral aroma creates such a romantic relationship in your cuppa. Add a touch of honey to sweeten your drink and really bring these flavors to life!
Any which one, or two, you choose will surely be an ideal pairing with this poppy seed tea cake!
Strawberry Poppy Seed Tea Cake Recipe
- 3 cups gluten-free flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 large eggs (or Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled (use plant-based if dairy-free/soy-free)
- 1 pound strawberries, (fresh or frozen, thawed)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Deluxe Rose Lemonade
- 3-4 tablespoons water
In a saucepan, combine strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar. Simmer over low to medium heat, stirring regularly until the sauce thickens a bit. This process takes about 10 minutes.
If you’re starting with whole strawberries, gently mash your strawberries during the cooking process so they end up smooth with little chunks of strawberries.
Directions for Cake:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 9x9" baking pan.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add all dry ingredients and whisk together; flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, add coconut milk, lemon juice, and eggs. Use a whisk to gently mix ingredients, just until combined.
Using your whisk attachment, slowly add in coconut milk wet mixture into the dry ingredient blend, just until blended.
Slowly pour in the melted butter and mix only until fully combined.
Pour into greased 9x9" baking pan. Gently pour strawberry compote over the top of the cake batter.
Take a butter knife and gently swirl throughout the cake to create a subtle marble effect with the strawberry compote and lemon poppy seed cake.
Bake for 23-25 minutes, until the inside, is done and the top springs back, being mindful that the top will remain a bit moist due to the strawberry compote.
Remove from the oven and set aside on a cooling rack to cool.
Directions for Glaze:
While the cake is cooling, you’ll make your glaze.
Combine the powdered sugar, Deluxe Rose Lemonade, and water in a small bowl until it reaches the desired consistency.
Once the poppy seed tea cake has cooled, drizzle with the glaze and serve.
*Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Recipe adapted from A Kitchen Addiction.
