MEYER LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE

Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf cake Lemony, orangey, buttery and just sweet enough, this cake is moist and delicious all day (and all week if you don’t finish it first). If you can’t find Meyer lemons, keep searching, because regular lemons will not yield the same delightful, well-rounded flavor. Also do your best to seek out demerara sugar, a type of raw sugar, which adds a thick crunchy topping and melts into the sides of the cake as it bakes.

• 10 ounces Meyer lemons (about 3 to 4 whole small Meyer lemons)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• Butter, for coating the pan

• Demerara sugar, for coating the pan and topping the cake

• 13⁄4 cups (228 grams) all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds

• 21⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3⁄4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 11⁄4 (251 grams) cups granulated sugar

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 2 large eggs

• 1⁄3 cup whole Greek yogurt

Slice 1 lemon in half lengthwise and then slice each half into thin, 1⁄4-inch half moons. Discard seeds and set aside.

Slice the remaining lemons into thin discs and discard seeds. Finely chop lemon slices with a knife, or pulse in a blender or food processor until you get tiny pebbly pieces (if it gets a little mushy, that’s OK). Transfer to a bowl. Mix in the baking soda (it will bubble, that’s also OK).

Make sure a rack is positioned in the middle of the oven and then heat to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and then fully coat in demerara sugar. Shake off excess and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and melted butter together until combined. Add the eggs and whisk vigorously until light and thick, about 30 seconds. Fold in yogurt until smooth.

Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and, with a spatula, fold in until evenly mixed. Finally, fold in the chopped Meyer lemon.

Fill the prepared loaf pan with the batter. Smooth out the top and arrange as many Meyer lemon slices on top as you can comfortably fit. Generously sprinkle demerara sugar over top.

Place the pan on the oven. Bake until the cake has risen and the top is fully golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes. Lower the heat to 325 degrees and keep baking until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and, once cool enough to touch, run a knife along the sides, unmold, and transfer to a plate or cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.