Poppy Seed Cake and Personal Cheerleaders

Probably everyone’s favorite cake my mom makes is a poppyseed bundt. Without fail, it always unmolded perfectly for her. I was always grateful because then the glaze sunk in just right, but also kind of ticket off. Who has bundt cakes that unmold perfectly every time?
This cake is SUPER moist, pretty dense, and has the absolute most insane crust you’ve ever had. Even my friends look forward to it. The glaze isn’t heated before you put it on, so it’s full of granulated sugar, orange juice, and flavorings that totally sink it, but also stay super crunchy. She always stored it in the fridge or freezer, because the crust tasted so awesome cold. She had the right idea.
I made the recipe this week in a mini-bundt pan (I love this one, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s nonstick!), which means that there’s a higher crust-to-cake ratio. And I literally dunked each cake in the glaze and let them sit there.
This cake is perfect for brunch, breakfast, afternoon tea, dessert, late-night snacks, roadtrips – it’s just a great cake.
I came home one night this week to a black and gold polka-dotted journal. My dear friend Amber dropped it off while I was out. Our friendship has been a crazy journey, and one that I’d do a million times over. She is everyone’s biggest cheerleader, loves to help you with any project you have up your sleeve, and LOVES to come up with epic projects of her own (you should see her garden, landscaping, interior design, chickens, homemade chicken coop, beehive, and her pickled veg). She’s an inspiration. To support me and encourage me to continue writing and jotting down every single little idea, she found the perfect notebook. It’s gold, you guys! She is, simply put, a real angel.
So, here’s to Amber and the most wonderful poppy seed cake.
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