Hot Honey Poppyseed Pound Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan-forced. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or electric hand beaters, beat the butter and sugar together until light and pale, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, hot honey, vanilla, and lemon zest until fully combined. Gradually add this mixture to the butter, beating well between each addition until smooth and emulsified.

4. Sift together the flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 2 additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold through the yoghurt, followed by the poppy seeds.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with moist crumbs.

6. At the 25-30 mark of baking, loosely tent the loaf with foil to prevent over-browning while the centre finishes baking.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. For the mascarpone cream, place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk with electric hand beaters until thick, and spoonable. Keep refrigerated until serving.

9. Slice the cake. Top each slice with a generous spoonful of mascarpone cream (or pipe it on using a piping bag if preferred), gently creating a small well in the centre. Finish with an extra drizzle of hot honey. Serve immediately.