Column from September 23, 2010

My granddaughter watches as her mommy and her new step-daddy cut the poppy seed cake at their wedding reception Sept. 17.

An untraditional treat

At the end of last week, we headed to Eugene, Ore., for my daughter’s wedding. They were married Friday, Sept. 17, which was the second anniversary of their first date.

The plan was to have the ceremony in the Rose Gardens there in Eugene, under a 188-year-old cherry tree. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs, so it had to be moved inside to where the reception was to take place.

It still turned out to be a beautiful wedding and my daughter was gorgeous. My 7-year-old granddaughter was adorable, too, as she sprinkled rose pedals down the aisle.

My daughter has never been one for sweets and she tries to limit them when it comes to her little girl. So rather than the traditional white or chocolate cake, she arranged for the chef to prepare a poppy seed cake.

The cake was four layers, with raspberry filling and a creamy icing. It had to be refrigerated to keep it from melting in the damp heat.

Poppy seeds can be found in many recipes around the world, from the Middle East to Central and Eastern Europe. They are widely used in Austria, Germany, Romania and Hungary. The Jewish people use poppy seeds for some of their traditional pastries.

Allergies to poppy seeds are very rare and they are highly nutritious, so they are a good alternative to other seeds and nuts.

When using whole seeds, they need to be ground with a mortar and pestle. When preparing uncooked food, such as salads, lightly roast them first. For use in pastries, they should be covered with boiling water and allowed to stand for an hour or two before grinding.

The seeds purchased in the spice section at the local grocery can be used as is, but many recipes give special instructions for preparing them for the recipe, such as this one for poppy seed cake, which calls for them to be soaked in milk.

Poppy seed cake

1/3 cup poppy seeds

1 cup milk

4 egg whites

3/4 cup shortening

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream cheese frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, soak poppy seeds in milk for 30 minutes. Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In another large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with poppy seed mixture.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.

Pour into a greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on  a wire rack.

For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Spread over cake.

Store in refrigerator. Makes 12 to 15 servings.