Instructions
Time to get moving...
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Liberally coat a bundt cake pan with spray oil. Set aside.
Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
It's a relief to be productive!
In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the oil and sugar together for one minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating at high speed for each, until the mixture is very light.
The busywork of each step is slowly settling my mind and stomach.
Fold half of the dry ingredients into the oil mixture. Then stir in the buttermilk and vanilla.
Fold in the remaining of the dry ingredients, the zest and the poppy seeds.
Pour the batter into the bundt pan.
It's getting easier to forget/ignore the nerves.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Let the cake rest in the bundt pan for 10 minutes. Then slowly, holding the edges of the bundt pan, shake it just a little so as to loosen the cake from the pan. Set aside.
After an additional 10 minutes, turn the cake out of the pan to cool on a wire rack.
Within each bite is a sweet fluffiness, a tart crunchiness - a gentle relief that counters all else.
