Weekend Cooking: Lemon Poppy Seed Cake & The Lost Family by Jenna Blum

Today I'm doing something a little bit different because I'm participating in BookClubCookbook.com's Lost Family Virtual Supper Club. I received a copy of Jenna Blum's The Lost Family to read and use as inspiration for creating or sharing a recipe.

Blum's novel features a New York City restaurant that serves "sumptuously decadent continental and Jewish dishes" and is set in the 1960s to 1980s. So, even before I started reading, I already knew what recipe I was going to share. Lemon poppy seed coffee cake reminds me of both my grandmothers, and the Bundt pan it's baked in is historically accurate for the novel.

Before we get to the recipe, let's talk about Jenna Blum's The Lost Family (Harper, June 5).

Let me start by saying that although the Holocaust provides a foundation for the novel The Lost Family is not a World War II novel. The story, told in three parts, is really about about family: present and past.

The first part of the novel focuses on Peter, a Holocaust survivor who named his Manhattan restaurant in memory of his first wife, who (along with their daughters) died in a concentration camp. The restaurant gains a reputation, and it is there, in the 1960s, that Peter notices June, a pretty young woman, whom he soon marries, hoping new love will finally slay his ghosts.

The second part of The Lost Family is set in the 70s. June, who is beautiful enough to be a model, cares for Peter, but after a decade of marriage she realizes she cannot heal his wounds and wishes for a deeper love. She struggles with her self-identity and independence at a time of political upheaval and a rapidly changing America.

The third part takes us to 1985. Peter and June's daughter, Elsbeth, has grown up in the shadow of her parents' pain, coming of age as New York's rock scene morphs into punk. The sixteen-year-old starts to feel the effects of her family's dysfunction, most notably suffering from an eating disorder and making questionable relationship choices.

As I mentioned, World War II provides the underlayer of The Lost Family, but Blum focuses more on family dynamics, the consequences of our decisions, unresolved PTSD, regret, guilt, and the hope for a better future. Throughout, Blum gets the period details just right, from the clothing and food to the politics and social norms. The Lost Family deals with tough issues in a realistic way, and you'll likely think of Peter, June, and Elsbeth long after you close the book.

Food plays a huge role in The Lost Family, not only in the restaurant but also at family gatherings and other social events. I'm not sure that a coffee cake is mentioned in the novel, but there's no way Peter, June, and Elsbeth made it through the 1970s without eating a Bundt cake!

I always associate home-baked goodies with my grandmothers, and lemon poppy seed cake takes me back to my childhood. The recipe I'm sharing today comes from Zingerman's, the now-famous Ann Arbor, Michigan, deli and bakery. This is my all-time favorite lemon poppy seed coffee cake, and I know my grandmothers would have loved it.

Zingerman's Sour Cream Lemon Poppy Seed Coffee Cake
[Adapted from Zingerman's Bakehouse (review coming soon)]
One 9-inch Bundt cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon oil
• ⅔ cup poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 325F. Spray a 9-in Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, coat with flour, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar and butter. Cream using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on medium speed. Mix until the color lightens. Add the eggs, one at a time, creaming thoroughly after each addition until well blended. Add the sour cream and vanilla. Mix briefly until light and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and add gradually to the sour cream mixture, until smooth and well blended. Add the lemon oil and poppy seeds and blend just until mixed through.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the top smooth. Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pan. Then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool to room temperature before serving.

NOTE: Lemon oil is the key to this cake. The brand I use is Boyajian (also recommended by Zingerman's); it's available from Amazon, King Arthur Flour, and other places.

Click through to read more Lost Family Virtual Supper Club posts. Follow author Jenna Bloom on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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