Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake

When you are finished making Hamantashen for your family and friends there’s a good chance that you have leftover filling.  There’s even a better chance that you have more than one filling left over!  I created this cake using canned almond and canned poppy seed filling but you could use apricot/almond or apricot/poppyseed or even prune/poppyseed combinations.  All are delicious although the last choice will create a cake that looks more chocolate than vanilla.

Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake

1 cup unsalted butter

1 ¼  cup sugar

½ cup canned poppy seed dessert filling

½ cup canned almond dessert filling

4 eggs

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup low-fat, thick Greek yogurt

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat often to 350F

2. Lightly spray 4 mini loaf pans or 1 large bundt pan with cooking spray or lightly grease with vegetable oil. Set aside.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy and well combined.

4. Add poppy seed filling, apricot filling, almond extract and vanilla extract to butter mixture and mix at medium high speed until all ingredients are well combined.

5. Add eggs and beat at high speed until mixture is lighter in color and aerated.

6. Add the yogurt and mix on high speed until well incorporated.

7. In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking soda and salt together.  On low speed add this mixture to the mixing bowl and mix just until the batter is well combined.

8. Pour the batter evenly into 4 prepared mini loaves or one large bundt pan placed on a low-rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 4o to 60 minutes in the oven (depending on size of pan) until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

9. Let cakes cool for 5 minutes and then remove from pans and place on a cooling rack or on their sides (if mini loaves) or upright (if bundt cake).  Cool thoroughly before covering or freezing for later use.

Yield: 20 servings