Ingredients

• 150g/5½oz butter
• at room temperature
• plus extra for greasing
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• beaten
• 100g/3½oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 75g/2½oz poppy seeds
• 75g/2½oz butter
• softened
• 125g/4½oz icing sugar
• sifted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Grease the sides of a 20cm/8in cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
• Cream the butter in a large bowl or an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs
• beating well between each addition.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder
• add the poppy seeds and stir until well combined.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes
• or until it is cooked in the centre and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow the cake to stand for five minutes before carefully removing it from the tin and transferring it to a wire rack to cool.
• For the buttercream icing
• using an electric whisk
• beat the butter until pale and soft. Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla extract.
• When the cake is cool
• cut it in half using a long
• serrated knife. Place one layer of the cake on a serving plate and spread over two generous tablespoons of the vanilla buttercream
• then place the other half of the cake on top.
• Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides with a palette knife.