Mom’s Poppyseed Bread, possibly via The Denver Post
My mom makes poppyseed bread every year around the holidays, although I have a feeling she makes it other times as well; in either case, I missed having some this past year and recently had an inexplicable yearning for a few pieces. It was also nearing my friend Kate’s birthday, and as I made up her traditional small birthday package I decided to tuck in a jar of the cherry preserves I’d made last spring which meant of course I also needed to add some sort of sweet treat. Poppyseed bread fit the bill on all accounts. I found a recipe online that closely resembled – if is not the exact same – the version my mom makes, and so I share it here. And may I second that cream cheese is indeed a fine thing to spread across a slice? Yes, it is.
PS: My article on naturally flourless Passover desserts came out this weekend in the Chronicle – so fun to see it in print!
Makes 1 9×5-in loaf, or three mini loaves
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup poppy seeds
Heat oven to to 375 F and grease your loaf pan or mini loaf pans lightly with vegetable oil.
Combine sugar, eggs, evaporated milk and cooking oil in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture. Mix a few minutes on low speed. Add vanilla and poppy seeds. Mix until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan/s. Place in oven and bake for about one hour or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve plain or spread with butter or softened cream cheese.