Polish Poppy Seed Cake
This Polish cake recipe, abundant in poppy seeds, is typically reserved for special occasions like Christmas and Easter, although it's delightful any time of the year. The dessert features a short crust base topped with a poppy seed mixture, finished with a glaze. It's a distinctive, delicious treat that's surprisingly easy to prepare!
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Filling
- 3 ½ cups poppy seeds
- boiling water to cover
- 5 eggs, separated
- 9 tablespoons margarine
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 apple – peeled, cored, and grated
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup raisins
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Dough
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup margarine
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Icing
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- ⅓ cup boiling water
Instructions
- Place poppy seeds in a small pot, cover with boiling water, and set aside for 24 hours.
- Line a colander with a cheesecloth and spoon in the poppy seeds. Allow draining for several hours. Once drained, transfer to a food processor and process until fine.
- Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup margarine, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, and baking powder in a large bowl and knead into a smooth dough.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a deep 9×13-inch deep pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough on a slightly floured surface and place in the prepared sheet pan.
- Combine egg yolks, 9 tablespoons margarine, and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in drained poppy seeds gradually. Add apples, walnuts, raisins, honey, breadcrumbs, and almond extract; mix well.
- Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: egg whites will form sharp peaks. Fold egg whites into poppy seed mixture; spread over dough in the sheet pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour until cake is set; transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Mix enough boiling water with confectioners' sugar to form a smooth icing. Spread generously over cooled cake.
Nutrition
Calories: 581kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 10gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 256mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 5gSugar: 48gVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 501mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!