Food memories from happy travels are some of the things I carry most fondly in my archives, and San Francisco is certainly a mecca for such food memories. One place that I MUST visit on every trip to that pastel hued hilly city is the Tartine Bakery. Nestled in the heart of the Mission district, its unpretentious decor, efficient “out the door” line up, and freshly baking perfume wafting down the block, make it irresistible. Simple, yet high quality offerings, such as rustic crusty breads, warm bread pudding, perfect scones, cakes, and cookies, make it a San Francisco jewel. On my first visit to Tartine I sampled their Almond Lemon Poppy Tea Cake, and it was love at first bite. All the things I love in one slice of heavenly carbohydrate came together…the richness of delicate almond paste, the zing of citrus, the moist syrup of a cake drenched in sugary juices while hot from the oven. A tea cake of dreams. Thank goodness they have a cookbook. It’s an essential addition to any baker’s collection with precise tips on successful execution of even the most complex baking endeavors, beautiful pictures, and perfect sweet and savory offerings.

With Easter Monday tea planned for some of my favorite ladies, it was an easy decision. Upon tracking down the best and freshest French almond paste I’ve found to date in Edmonton in the baking section at the Italian Centre Shoppe, this Almond Lemon Poppy Tea Cake was my finest specimen yet. Oddly the recipe in the Tartine Cookbook pictures the cake with poppy seeds just as I found it in the San Francisco bakery, yet the poppy seeds have been omitted from the recipe. I have made the simple addition and love the delicate crunch of those little ebony seeds, but you can easily make this without if you prefer. A word of caution: you may be tempted to not share a single bite.

Almond Lemon Poppy Tea Cake
Serves 8 to 10

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus some for preparing the pan)
3/4 cup pastry or cake flour, sifted (plus some for preparing the pan)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond paste, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons orange juice
3/4 cup sugar

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, knocking out the excess flour.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt twice. In a small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla and whisk together just to combine.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste on low speed until it breaks up. This can take up to a minute, depending on how soft and warm it is. Slowly add the sugar in a steady stream, beating until incorporated. If you add the sugar too quickly, the paste won’t break up as well.

4. Cut the butter into 1-tablespoon pieces. Continue on low speed while adding the butter, a tablespoon at a time, for about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Then turn on the mixer to medium speed and beat until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer still on medium speed, add the eggs in a very slow, steady stream and mix until incorporated. Stop the mixer and again scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn on the mixer again to medium speed and mix for 30 seconds more.

5. Add the citrus zests and poppy seeds and mix in with a wooden spoon. Add the flour mixture in two batches, stirring after each addition until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time, then spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula.

6. Bake until the top springs back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 7 minutes while you make the glaze.

7. To make the glaze, stir together the lemon and orange juices and the sugar in a small bowl. Place the wire rack holding the cake over a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil to catch any drips of glaze, and gently invert the cake onto the rack. If the cake does not want to release, run the tip of a small knife around the edge to loosen it. Brush the entire warm cake with the glaze, then let the cake cool completely on the rack. The cake breaks apart easily when warm, so don’t attempt to move it.

8. When the cake is cool, transfer it to a serving plate, using two crisscrossed icing spatulas or the base of a two-part tart pan to lift it. Serve at room temperature. The cake will keep, well-wrapped, for 1 week in the refrigerator.