When entertaining goes to seed

We're celebrating Middle Earth week and if anyone knows how to entertain hospitably, it's a hobbit!  A favorite offering at tea time for these diminutive foodies is seed cake.  Made with lemon, poppy seeds and sour cream, this recipe makes for one of the loveliest and homiest of sweet treats one can serve.  Add a cuppa Lavender Earl Grey tea and you have yourselves a cream tea party at a calorie count far lower than a cold frapped beverage at your local barista bar.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients

• 3 c. flour 
• 1/4 t baking soda 
• 1/8 t salt 
• 1 c. butter (softened) 
• 3 c. sugar 
• 2 t.vanilla 
• 6 eggs 
• 1 c. sour cream 
• 3 T lemon zest 
• 1 T lemon juice 
• 1/8 c. poppy seeds 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. 
3.  Set aside. 
4. In another bowl cream sugar, butter and vanilla. 
5. Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each. 
6. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients. 
7. Add sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and poppy seeds and mix well. 
8. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan, then tap the pan to break any air bubbles. 
9. Bake for one hour and 15 minutes minutes, possibly longer (until the crust is deep golden brown and the cake pulls away from the pan).

[source: TheLongThread.com]