This elegant, low-stress dessert makes a sunny addition to any winter holiday table.

Almost every American bakery has their version of a poppyseed cake, often in the form of a thickly glazed loaf or in muffins as rich and dense as cupcakes. But in this recipe adapted from her new book, The Cookie that Changed My Life, writer and restaurateur extraordinaire Nancy Silverton transforms the bakeshop classic into a gorgeous, subtly sweet cake suited to any brunch spread or dessert table you can imagine She lightens the cake’s crumb with beaten egg whites, giving the finished dish a lovely pale contrast with the poppy seeds, and bakes it in a tart pan for a low-profile but subtly crunchy and delicate dessert.

Cook: 45 mins.