Lemon Poppy Mini Loaves

These little gluten- and dairy-free cakes are the perfect sunny afternoon treat. The glaze is totally optional and you can switch in/out any citrus or oil you may have on hand.

Makes 18 mini loaves

(I use this pan).

Ingredients

For the cakes:

8 eggs, separated

340ml canola oil

300g sugar

4 lemons, zested (keep the zested the lemons!)

Pinch of salt

200g cornmeal

280g ground almonds

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the syrup:

2 lemons, juiced

30g sugar

For the glaze:

390g powdered sugar

2 lemons, juiced

Poppy seeds, to decorate

Steps

For the cakes:

Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease and line the base and sides of a mini loaf pan.

Whisk together (by hand or in a stand mixer) the egg yolks, canola oil, sugar and lemon zest until combined. Make sure the oil is incorporated.

In a stand mixer (if you used it for the yolks mix, be sure to clean and dry it well), whip the egg whites and salt to stiff peaks.

While the egg whites whip, whisk together the cornmeal, ground almonds, baking powder and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Fold in the yolk and oil mixture.

When the whites are ready, add them in three batches to the batter. It will be hard to incorporate at first as the batter will be thick, but the whites will gradually loosen it. Be patient, don't mix too hard, but also don't be scared about knocking some air out of them. It's okay to have streaks of egg whites still visible between adding batches, but before you stop mixing entirely, make sure it is well combined.

Fill the molds to three-quarters full in the prepared pan. Quickly get them in the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, rotate, and bake for 8 more. When they're done they should be lightly golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. A cake tester should come out clean. Set aside to cool.

When cool, remove from the pan. Place them upside down on a lined tray. Using a cocktail stick (or whatever sharp, small tool you have), prod 3-4 holes in each cake.

For the syrup:

Mix the lemon juice and sugar together in a pan. Place over a medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Use a pastry brush to soak the syrup into the cakes. I like to do two rounds of a light soak. (If there is extra syrup left, you can add some seltzer for a homemade lemonade.)

For the glaze:

Sift the powdered sugar over a large bowl. Whisk the sugar as you gradually add the lemon juice until it becomes a think, smooth glaze. If it's too runny, add more sugar, and if it's too dry, add more lemon juice or water.

Using a piping bag or a tablespoon, glaze the lemon cakes, and top with poppy seeds. These will last for 4-5 days in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before eating.