The Kind Diet, Recipe 15- Lemon-Poppy Seed Poundcake

After a very rough weekend (I've been down with a stomach bug since Saturday night), I am finally getting back to the land of living again and ready to tell you about this recipe.  I actually made this on Friday, but couldn't even look at or talk about food for 3 days, so I finally feel well enough to write about it.  I have to start out by saying that I would not call this recipe "poundcake"- it definitely does NOT have the texture of poundcake.  These are actually fluffier and lighter, not dense and rich.  I think this is more of a cross between a muffin and an angel food cake.  (As far as the texture goes, anyway.)  Needless to say, whatever you want to call it- it's very yummy!  You can either bake these up in 3 mini loaf pans, a muffin tin, or 4 mini bundt pans- I used the muffin tin.  The recipe is easy to tackle- once again it's dry in one bowl (whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, maple sugar, egg replacer, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).  Then, in another bowl you mix together some plain, unsweetened rice, soy, or nut milk with some lemon juice.  Once this mixture curdles you add in some safflower oil, maple syrup, and lemon extract.  Mix the wet with the dry and fold in some poppy seeds and you are ready to bake.  Once they are baked you let them fully cool on rack.  Once cool you top them with a terrifically sweet and tart glaze.  You simply cook some maple syrup and lemon juice together on the stove top over medium heat.  Then you mix in some diluted kuzu (this can be found in health food stores or grocery stores with health food sections) and let it come to a boil.  The kuzu acts like cornstarch and thickens up the sauce so that it forms a thick, syrupy glaze.  This glaze is SO good- I LOVE the tartness of it- it is wonderful.  Pour it over the muffins and you have a delicious treat.  She gives an optional glaze that is made with berries as well- that would be really nice to try out in the summer, I'll try that one next time.  I know I'll make these again- the cake is moist and tender and the glaze is spectacular- it's really delicious.  My kids and husband liked them too, so that is a HUGE bonus! 

My rating- 9

Note- Alicia lists this recipe in the dessert part of her book, but I really liked these as a breakfast treat with some fruit in the morning.  I prefer sweet to savory in the morning, so if you are like me, you will LOVE these as a special treat on a weekend morning- SO yummy!  Another thought- these would be wonderful to make for a brunch or a tea party- they'd be the perfect addition, especially in the spring and summer, the lemon is so light and fresh!