Poppy-Seed Cake, Ukrainian Recipe

1 cup ground poppy seed
1 cup milk
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. double-action baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
powdered sugar

Put poppy seed in milk, bring to a boil, and set it aside for 1 hour.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in egg yolks. Add poppy seed-milk mixture. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into dough. Beat whites of eggs until stiff, and fold into dough with vanilla. Grease a large loaf pan with butter or margarine. Sprinkle flour over sides, fill pan, and bake approximately 1 hour. If it springs back when touched with a finger and if a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, the cake is ready. Invert it over a rack to cool. Just before serving, sprinkle powdered sugar on top.Note: To make cupcakes from this dough, bake in buttered and floured muffin tins for about 25 minutes.