Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Cake:

Icing:

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 20 x 30 cm baking tin with baking paper.

Cake:
Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils.

Beat the butter and cream together with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Drizzle in the oil while mixing. Add the sour cream and beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice and milk.

In another separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.

Add the dry ingredients and the milk mixture alternately to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the poppy seeds. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack.

Icing:
Beat the butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add the vanilla essence and salt and stir until well combined. 

With the mixer on low, gradually add icing sugar until completely combined. 

Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the icing over the top of the cake. Add dollops of lemon curd and use a palette knife or the back of a spoon to create swirls of the lemon curd throughout the icing.

Slice into squares and enjoy!