Ukranian Poppy Seed Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over the poppy seeds in a bowl and drain well over a fine sieve. If necessary, repeat this washing. Spread the poppy seeds on a tea towel or brown paper and let dry overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and 1 1/2 cups sugar until thick and lemon colored. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Sift the flour mixture, and gently fold it into the egg mixture, along with the poppy seeds. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• To make the Lemon Filling: In a saucepan, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and pinch of salt. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, water, orange juice and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup of hot mixture into egg yolks. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture back to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until thickened.

Steps:

• 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 to drain 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 oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a deep quarter sheet pan (9x13-inches) and line 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, honey, breadcrumbs, walnuts, and raisins and mix well.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites will form sharp peaks. Fold egg whites into poppy seed mixture; spread over base in 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 confectioner's sugar to form a smooth icing. Spread generously over cooled cake.

Steps:

• Heat poppyseeds and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat just before milk begins to boil. Let stand until milk reaches room temperature.
• Preheat over to 350 degrees.
• Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt).
• AIn thirds, alternately beat into the butter and sugar the dry ingredients and milk. Add the vanilla and lemon zest at the end.
• Lightly butter 2 loaf pans and split batter between pans. Bake 40-50 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 10 inch tube or bundt pan.
• CAKE: Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
• Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter/egg mixture alternately with the poppy seeds and milk; beginning and ending with the dry mixture.
• Stir batter just enough to blend thoroughly, adding the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon rind at the end.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a pretty cake platter. Allow to cool completely before adding the orange glaze and/or slicing.
• ORANGE GLAZE: Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 3 minutes.
• Pour the hot glaze onto the cooled cake. Let stand at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• THE DAY BEFORE: Scald with boiling water 2 1/3 cups poppies and drain off the water. I do this about 3 times. I put poppy seeds in a bowl, scald with hot water and wait until the poppies have settled and then pour off the water.
• Let stand for 1 hour in hot water. Drain poppies through a cheesecloth covered net sieve. Let them dry preferably overnight. This way they smell fresh and not dusty.
• Grind in a coffee grinder, or through finest blade of food chopper or if you are lucky to have a poppy seed grinder. I use a large stone Mortar and Pestle.
• FOR THE DOUGH: DISSOLVE: 1/2 cup of warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 package yeast (1 Tablespoon).
• Sift the flour in a large bowl, Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the dissolved yeast. Add around the yeast, the sugar, butter, egg, lemon peel and milk.
• MIX and KNEAD for about 10 minutes and little more flour if necessary. This is a soft dough. Let rise in a greased bowl, covered, for about 45 minutes, till doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and divide into TWO parts. Roll each into rectangle. Spread with Poppy Seed Filling. Roll up each rectangle like a jelly roll. Pinch seams to make edges secure. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover, let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes, brush with egg wash or cream. (I use evaporated milk to brush tops) I like to slash tops lightly about 1/4 inch deep and 2 inches apart all the way up the roll.
• BAKE: preheated oven 350 degree F. for about 45 to 50 minutes or until done. They should be a nice dark brown colour.
• FOR THE POPPY SEEDS: Stir HOT milk into GROUND poppy seeds, add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed. Stir until cool. Sometimes I like it sweeter so then I add liquid honey to taste. I also might add some ground prunes to the mixture. You may cook it for a 5 minutes on top of the stove if you wish but it is not necessary.
• Sometimes I buy ground poppies (NOT in a can) from the German deli. I still give them a good scalding several times to remove the bitterness and dust from the poppies. This is a delightful sweet dough. So good with only one egg. Do try this filling it is one of the best.
• Olga's recipe.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Grease a 10-inch tube-type pan and dust the pan with flour.
• In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds and milk.
• cover and refrigerate overnight.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter, lemon zest, and sugar until creamy.
• Add the egg whites and beat at high speed with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Place the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a sieve and set it over the bowl.
• With a spoon, stir the mixture until it is sifted into the creamed mixture.
• Add the poppy seed-milk mixture and with an electric mixer at MEDIUM speed beat until the batter is light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
• TO MAKE THE GLAZE: In a small bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, butter, and lemon juice.
• Drizzle the icing over the cake.
• Makes about 10 servings.

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Pour boiling water over seeds, let stand for 5 minutes, pour off water and repeat.
• Drain well.
• Grind with steel blade in processor until seeds release milk and turn white.
• Butter a 9 inch springform pan and dust it with ground almonds. (This may be done in advance.) Best to butter parchment paper to cover bottom of pan and sprinkle with ground almonds.
• Place poppy seeds and honey in a large bowl.
• Separate eggs.
• Add room-temperature yolks, one by one, to the mix, beating until thick.
• Stir in grated almonds and lemon zest.
• Beat egg whites until satiny but no dry.
• Fold a little into the mixture, then fold in the rest, until no white shows.
• Pour mixture into pan, rapping it gently to release air pockets, and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
• Do not open oven door or disturb the cake while baking.
• Cool slowly, not in a draft.
• Run a sharp knife around the sides, then slowly release the spring.
• Run a knife under the bottom and cool on rack.
• TO FILL CAKE: Cover work surface with double sheets of wax paper.
• With a sharp knife, make a small incision around the torte to mark where it should be cut in half.
• Make horizontal cuts at four equidistant points, then gently pull a long thread through the cake to cut it into two layers.
• Sprinkle bottom layer with 2 or 3 tablespoons of rum, and evenly spread rum butter filling about 3/4 inch thick.
• Cover with top layer and press gently.
• Cover the sides with the rest of the filling.
• Refrigerate overnight wrapped in foil.
• TO ICE CAKE, cover work surface or a lazy susan with wide double-strength foil.
• Apply a third of the icing to sides with a spatula, pulling from the bottom up.
• Wipe spatula occasionally to avoid pulling crumbs, and dip in hot water to smooth out ridges.
• With the rest of the icing, smoothly cover the top.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 days.
• Run a sharp knife around bottom to release icing from paper.
• Slide the torte onto one hand, pull off the remaining paper and gently place torte on serving platter, taking care not to crack the icing.
• Yields about 20 slices.
• Keeps well in refrigerator.
• Serve at room temperature.
• RUM BUTTER FILLING: (Rumova masa) This is an excellent cream, the base of which may be used with different flavors.
• Here, rum is used.
• It is used as a filling for the poppy seed torte.
• This filling can also be used as icing.
• Cream butter until light, add sugar a little at a time, rum, and cream.
• Beat until very fluffy.
• WHITE ICING: Bila Shklytsia.
• This hard icing dries quickly and forms a lovely cover for a torte.
• It cures hard, not fluffy.
• Place 2 cups sugar in a bowl and add cream and vanilla.
• Mix well, gradually adding the rest of the sugar.
• Add a little more cream if too stiff.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust oven rack to middle position.
• 2. Heat the poppy seeds and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat just before the milk begins to boil. Set aside.
• 3. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• 5. In thirds, alternately beat into the butter and sugar the dry ingredients and milk. Add the lemon extract and zest at the end.
• 6. Lightly spray two loaf pans and divide the batter between the two pans. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.