Rudi's Poppy Seed Cake

[Mary Ann]

*danger danger!* This one is so good it will hurt you! Dense, moist, addictive.

1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening (I use all butter. Shortening. Feh.)
1 1/2 c sugar
5 egg yolks
1 t vanilla
2 c cake flour (I use white whole wheat and it's fine)
1/4 t salt
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 c sour cream
1/2 c poppy seeds (get them at herbalcom.com for a great price break over those teensy grocery store bottles!)
5 egg whites

1. Cream butter and shortening with sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.

2. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Stir in poppy seeds.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter on half at a time. pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch tube pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve plain or with cream cheese icing.

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Poppy Seed Cake Fudge Sundae

1 piece poppy seed cake
1 large scoop vanilla ice cream
plenty of hot fudge sauce
a few slices of banana for garnish

[KarenN]

OOO - I needed this past Thursday when i was trying to find something absolutely fabulous for the chili and dessert cookoff here at work. I ended up doing a lemon-raspberry pound cake with raspberry cream sauce. But I think this one is a definte keeper for next year! Of course I'll have to try it for myself first - like next week! LOL

[Trailpal]

O.M.G.!!! no wonder I was so enthralled with that cake!

I will have to invent some occasion to make it (after I visit herbalcom, it's incredible what is not available in bulk around here.)

thanks MaryAnn!

ETA:
when I worked at the deli, the cakes would arrive all nekkid and we'd use a strainer to sprinkle powdered sugar onto the cakes. No icing or frosting or drizzle. Maybe that came in the more decadent 80s? I was there in the late 70s.

[Mary Ann]

I remember eating it in the mid-70s when we ate at the Tao, and I seem to remember nekkid too. But this book is copyrighted 1982. Ain'tchoo smort!

Did you ever get a poppyseed cake sundae at the Tao? It was a two person dessert, if you'd already had lunch-- but omigosh, be still my heart! And wouldn't you know I make my own ice cream and my own hot fudge sauce?

[Trailpal]

I'm not sure if I ever ate at the Tao...

[Mary Ann]

It was a little bitty place, right next to Rudi's bakery, sort of around the corner. In fact it was there long before the bakery was. I remember being so enthralled when I took my little girl there and ordered fruit for her, and they brought her a bowl of fresh. fruit. In those days, every other restaurant in the world would give you canned. They had awesome vegetarian fare.

[sue]

Thanks so much for this recipe!!~ We had it as our wedding cake in 1983-and now our kids want it for their birthday cake! Our daughter is turning 24 tomorrow and here in Chicago its a polar vortex and all of her plans have cancelled. But I think this cake will redeem the day!