Poppy Seed Cake

Written By N M
 

Prep: 20 Minutes | Cook: 40 Minutes | Resting Time: 1 Hour | Total: 2 Hours

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients

1 C All-Purpose Flour

1 C White Sugar

3 Eggs

1/4 C Milk

3/4 C Poppy Seeds

1/2 t Baking Powder

1 Stick Butter

Recipe Summary

  1. Separate egg yolks and egg whites

  2. Mix egg yolks with sugar, butter, flour, milk, and poppy seeds

  3. Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form

  4. Fold egg whites into the poppy seed mixture

  5. Bake until golden brown or until a toothpick / metal pin comes out clean when inserted in the cake

  6. Allow cake to rest

Recipe 

  1. Separate egg yolks and egg whites.

  2. In a bowl mix the egg yolks and sugar until they are fully uniform. Add softened butter, flour, milk, and poppy seeds. Mix until uniform.

  3. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the poppy seed cake batter making sure to uniformly incorporate the egg whites, but also making sure not to stir vigorously.

  4. Transfer poppy seed cake batter to a loaf pan and bake for ~40 minutes at 350 degrees.

  5. At the 40 minute mark, use a tooth pick or a metal pin to check for doneness. If inserted in the poppy seed cake, it should come out clean when the cake is done.

  6. Remove cake from the loaf pan and allow to rest for at least 1 hour after removing from the oven.

  7. Slice into 1/4” - 1/2” slices and serve

Why the Recipe Works

Poppy seed cake is one of the most traditional Polish desserts. Around major holidays like Christmas, poppy seeds represent wealth and the poppy seed cake (makowiec) is found at every Polish establishment.

There are several versions of poppy seed cake, there is a rolled version with thick layers of poppy seed in between, layered poppy seed cakes cut into squares with frosting between the layers, and my favorite the classic pound cake version. This take on the poppy seed cake is simple and has great texture in each slice. When cooked properly the cake will have a crust around the outside (unlike a traditional pound cake), which gives a nice textural balance between the soft interior and the thin crust exterior.

Poppy seeds are traditionally paired with other flavors such as lemon, however in the poppy seed cake, the subtle flavor of the poppy seed can take front stage. When complimenting other flavors it’s hard to taste the nuance in poppy seeds, but when they are the main flavor, you can taste the slight sweetness and slight nuttiness they provide.

If it’s hard to find poppy seeds or they are too expensive (which they are since you have to buy such large quantities) you can use a poppy seed pie mix as a replacement. If using a premade pie mix, the flavor and texture of the cake will remain the same if you remove 1/2 C of the sugar the recipe calls for. Without removing the sugar the cake becomes inedible due to the extreme amounts of sugar.

N M
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