Poppy Seed Pound Cake
1 cup cutter, softened
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup golden raisins, plumped in sweet wine
2/3 cups poppy seeds
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cups ground nuts + more for coating pan
Cream butter, cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until creamy. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and add to cream mixture. Fold in raisins and chopped walnuts.
Mix together poppy seeds, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon 1/3 of cream cheese mixture into a buttered 9 1/2- inch fluted tube pan, which has been coated with ground walnuts and 3 Tablespoons of poppy seed mixture. Top cream cheese mixture with half of remaining poppy seed mixture. Spread another third of the cream cheese mixture on seeds and sprinkle the rest of the poppy seeds. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture.
Bake at 325 degress for 1 1/2 hurs or until cake is dry when tested in the center. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and turn out on a rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Keeps for at least 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature or warn, sliced thin.