Strawberry Poppy Seed Tea Cake Recipe

I’m not sure about you, but who doesn’t love a good lemon poppyseed anything, whether it be a muffin, cake, scone, or even ice cream?

What if I told you the bliss of adding succulent strawberries to this classic treat takes it to a whole new level?

That’s exactly what we’re doing here—and we’re not stopping there. To give it a nice floral twist, we’re using our very own Deluxe Rose Lemonade to mix up a lovely batch of icing in this strawberry poppy seed tea cake recipe.

Dreamy tea cake may be more like it!

Where Do Poppy Seeds Come From?

Believe it (or not), poppy seeds come from the flowering plant of the Papaver somniferum which is also known as the poppy plant. That makes sense, right? The seed pod that the plant produces is where you will find the poppy seeds.

Don’t worry, the opioid effects that the poppy plant is also utilized for aren’t found directly within the seeds, it’s actually the milky residue that surrounds the seeds within the pod.

When you use washed poppyseeds, you aren’t consuming huge amounts of these extracts, and they are safe for consumption in all of your favorite cooking and baking endeavors.

The poppy plant is grown and harvested all over the world, but the top three countries that produce poppy seeds are Turkey, Spain, and Czechia. Did you know that the seeds that are collected are also pressed to make oils and ground to make powders? Not all are kept whole in seed form.

These little seeds pack a punch of nutritional benefits as well. Poppy seeds are rich in magnesium, phosphorus, folate, zinc, thiamin, essential omega-6 fatty acids, calcium, and fiber.

All this poppy talk has you craving this tea cake, don’t they? Almost there…

A Poppy Seed Tea Cake Recipe with a Floral Twist

Wondering why we chose to throw in a floral twist with this recipe?

Why not?

Rose is a great accompaniment to flavors that balance rose’s natural floral, fruity, and perfume-like characteristics. The perfect "match" was made when Plum Deluxe introduced rose and lemon to create this Deluxe Rose Lemonade.

We leveled up when I thought to complement the rose with a similar flavor, like strawberry, and with our lemon poppy seed tea cake base, we’re already on the right track. It couldn’t be more perfect! The result of this dessert is divine!

Rose really can be a great, and fun, flavor to keep in your cupboard. Whether it be tea, rose water, dried rose petals, or rose hips, there are so many ways to utilize these in baked goods and drinkable delights.

Truth be told, it’s one of my all-time favorite flavors, and definitely my number one floral flavor.

Tea Pairings

Vanilla Rose dark tea hearts are a perfect pairing with their rich rose flavor. Dark tea is a Chinese tea similar to pu’erh. This aged and fermented, dark tea has a wonderfully rich and complex flavor and can be steeped multiple times creating beautiful layers of flavors that appear from each level. It’s fun, tasty, and new every time! A combination of dark tea, rose petals and vanilla leaves you with an experience like you’ve never had before.

A caffeine-free alternative that’s just as delightful is ourEvening in the Garden herbal tea. It's complete awesomeness with fresh elderflowers, lemon peel, rose petals, honeybush tea, and vanilla essence! It also pairs beautifully with a little rock tea sugar or honey. Enjoy it iced or in a mixed drink favorite like an Arnold Palmer or sangria. So many choices!

A new favorite of mine is our Strawberry Honeysuckle black tea for a mirage of reasons, but one being its succulent simplicity. Sweet strawberry paired with an uplifting floral aroma creates such a romantic relationship in your cuppa. Add a touch of honey to sweeten your drink and really bring these flavors to life!

Any which one, or two, you choose will surely be an ideal pairing with this poppy seed tea cake!