One of the great benefits of speaking several foreign languages -- and dating someone who speaks at least one of those foreign languages -- is the ability to ask him/ her if your teeth are clean at a party. ("Sind meine Zahne sauber?" is how you ask in German, for example.) Clean teeth will probably not be your number one priority while you are enjoying this positively scrumptious cake, but after? Sure! Guten Appetit ;) 

RECIPE

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup poppy seeds
• ½ cup milk (full fat recommended)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup (½ stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3/8 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs separated (room temperature)
• 1 ½ tbsp lemon zest
• 1 ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup sour cream (full fat recommended)
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Buttercream Frosting:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• (Up to) 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Prepare 2-3 4-inch cake pans by spraying with canola oil.  
• In a small saucepan, combine poppy seeds, milk and honey. Stir until combined, next, while stirring consistently, bring to boil over medium heat.
• Allow mixture to boil for about a minute, then promptly remove from heat. Let cool until room temperature. 
• Combine poppy seed mixture with butter, oil, and sugar in large mixing bowl. Beat on high until well combined. 
• Add egg yolks to the mixture and beat again on high.
• Add lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and sour cream and beat until blended. 
• Add flour, baking soda and salt to mixture and gently mix until well combined. 
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. 
• Gradually fold egg whites into batter. 
• Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden.
• While the cake is in the oven, whisk together ingredients for buttercream until fluffy. 
• Remove cakes from the oven, allow cake to cool for 15 minutes and then remove from pan.
• Cut off any bumps on the cakes to create flat cake layers. 
• Once the cakes have cooled, spread buttercream in between each cake layer.
• Apply #ChefanieSheet & enjoy!

40 minutes active time, 70 minutes total time. Serves 6.