French Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Inspiration from 'Flour', a fun read for lovers of home baking, by Joanne Chang, the owner and pastry chef at Flour Bakery & Cafe in Boston.  It's been a few years since I made a lemon poppy seed cake and my stash of Meyer lemons was calling out to me, "Use me in something good".  I could bake my way through 'Flour', the recipes all sound simple and good, just the way I like them.   The french lemon poppy seed pound cake was inspired by her stint as a pastry chef at Payard in New York, hence the french inspiration.  I'm also becoming homesick for France which is ridiculous because France is not my home.  I think that  I'm feeling ' la nostalgie'.  Whatever it is now I'm stuck on Paris in the Spring or I love Paris in the springtime.  This all started last week when I started on the French Fridays with Dorie or maybe it was my birthday and becoming one year older?  I need to work through this 'homesickness' one delicious recipe at a time, I think it's the only cure for what ails me.
 
Ingredients and Directions for French Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Adapted from Flour by Joanne Chang 

 Preheat oven to 350
Butter and Flour a 9x5" loaf pan

For the cake
2 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to slightly warm
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice,  I used a combination of Meyer and Eureka lemons
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
4 eggs
1&1/4 cups sugar

For the Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1/2 lemon, I used a Meyer Lemon

In a medium bowl  mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a  large bowl  mix together the butter, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and poppy seeds.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment beat together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for 5 minutes or until thick and light colored.

Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.  Fold in 1/4 of the butter cream mixture to lighten it then fold in the rest.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for one hour to one hour and ten minutes or until the cake is golden brown, pulls away from the side of the pan and springs back when you press it in the middle.  Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Lemon Glaze

While the cake is cooling whisk together the confectioners sugar and lemon juice until it is a spreadable glaze.

When the cake has cooled down slide it out of the pan, place it on the rack and spoon the glaze over the top.

This cake can be wrapped and stored for 3 days at room temperature.