Holiday Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

¾ cup unsweetened, unflavored applesauce (organic preferred)

3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Grated zest from 3 lemons

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¾ cup low-fat (1-percent) buttermilk

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 egg yolk (from a large egg), at room temperature

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4½ tablespoons poppy seeds

Glaze

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk

2 cups (8 ounces) powdered sugar

Place a wire mesh strainer over a bowl sufficiently deep to keep the strainer’s bottom from touching the bowl’s bottom. Add applesauce; set aside.

Place the oven rack in the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 12-cup nonstick bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. Set aside.

Mince lemon zest to a fine paste and then combine with lemon juice, vanilla and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined.

In a small bowl whisk eggs and yolk until combined.

Measure ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of drained applesauce and add it, the butter and sugar to the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the flat beater; cream at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl’s sides. Add half the eggs and mix at medium speed until combined, about 15 seconds. Add remaining eggs and mix 15 seconds; stop mixer and scrape down the bowl’s sides.

Add one-third of the flour mixture and half the buttermilk mixture to the bowl and mix at lowest speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add half the remaining flour mixture and all the buttermilk mixture and mix until combined, about 10 seconds. Stop mixer, scrape bowl and add the remaining flour mixture and mix at medium-high speed until well combined, about 15-20 seconds. Add poppy seeds to the batter and using a rubber spatula, gently fold seeds into batter until evenly distributed, about 15 seconds.

Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth the surface and bake 45-50 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For the glaze: While the cake bakes, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, buttermilk and confectioners’ sugar to a medium bowl and whisk together until smooth; gradually adding lemon juice until glaze is thick, but pourable.

Cool cake in pan on a wire rack set over a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Invert cake directly onto rack and pour half the glaze over the warm cake. Cool for 1 hour; pour remaining glaze evenly over cake’s top and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cut into slices and serve.

Serves 16.

Nutrition values per serving: 342 calories (24.5 percent from fat), 9.3 g fat (4.6 g saturated fat), 62.3 g carbohydrates, 1.3 g fiber, 4.8 g protein, 71 mg cholesterol, 221 mg sodium.