Cardamom Poppy Seed Cake

Originally got this off the internet while I was looking for a seed cake recipe - it's totally delicious, and has been shared with friends who love and bake it themselves!

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.
   
   Prepare a fluted or bundt cake pan by thoroughly buttering and flouring the inside. Knock any excess flour out.
   
   In your mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla essence and mix well.
   
   Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Now alternately add the flour and the yoghurt to the butter mixture and mix it until well combined. Add the poppy seeds and mix a little more until well distributed in your batter.
   
   Add your five egg whites to a clean mixer bowl and using the whisk attachment beat the whites until they form soft peaks. Add these whites to the cake batter slowly, working in small amounts of whites, but not overworking.
   
   Put the batter into the cake pan and even out the top.
   
   Bake for 30-40 minutes - best to start checking at 30 minutes and once the top no longer wobbles test it with a skewer.
   
   Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out, and leave to cool completely.
   
   Can be served as is, or dusted with icing sugar. Great with coffee! This makes quite a large cake, but it freezes well, so you can split in to two smaller cakes and keep one for later!