A loud ruckus could be heard  in Maria’s dining room. This was the first time the gals on the hospitality team that I am part of had met together outside of our regular Thursday mornings. Friendship was evident through the teasing and laughter that was happening around the table. We have gotten to know each other through working together every week. A friendship has grown while serving brunch and cleaning up after in the church kitchen.

Today, however, was our turn to relax. Maria prepared a wonderful meal and the beautiful table settings made everyone feel special. Each of us took a turn to share a little bit of our stories with the others. This proved to create an even stronger bond between us. Our lives became richer through hearing personal challenges each could connect with. I came away from the morning thinking how lucky I was to know and serve with these women.  This group is a special blend of backgrounds, experiences and seasons that makes my life much more delicious.

---

One thing that Maria served our group was a luscious Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. It was a grain free recipe and was oh, so yummy.  This is one that I found online and I’m hoping it will have the same wonderful result.

• Original recipe comes from the Against all Grain cookbook!  I love that all you do is throw everything in the food processor.

Glazed Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake

prep: 20 minutes     Cooking: 40 minutes    Makes: 8 servings

ingredients:

CAKE

1/3 cup grass-fed butter (Kerrygold), plus more for greasing pan*

3 tablesppons coconut flour, plus 1 teaspoon for dusting pan

1/2 cup raw honey**

2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups blanched almond flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

5 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

GLAZE

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons finely ground raw cashews

2 teaspoons lemon juuice

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

2 teaspoons honey, melted

1 tablespoon coconut milk

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.

2. Make the cake. Grease a Bundt pan very well with butter, then dust with 1 teaspoon coconut flour, carefully checking that every crack and surface is covered.  This makes sure your cake will easily come out of the Bundt pan after baking.

3. Place the first 9 ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender and process for 15 seconds, until smooth.

4. Add 1 egg at a time, blending in-between, until all the eggs have been incorporated.

5. Gently stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest by hand.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place in oven, and bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack, then invert it onto the rack to cool completely.  If necessary, use a rubber spatula to gently release the cake from the pan.  A small chunk broke off on mine as I flipped it over, but it didn’t mess up the taste at all!

8. Make the glaze.  Grind the cashews in a food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined and smooth.  Drizzle over cooled cake before serving.

Enjoy!

•  If you like this post, perhaps you would reading another blog I write.  Girl on Adventure is a collection of lessons God is teaching me as I travel along life’s road.