Polish Poppy Seed Cake Recipes

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:

• For the dough: Mix together yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
• Pour in milk, stir until dissolved.
• Whisk in 1 cup of flour, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
• Knead remaining 2 cups flour and butter into yeast mixture, adding each alternately a little at a time.
• Kneed until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
• Place dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• For the filling: Simmer poppy seeds in a medium pot full of water until soft, about 40 minutes.
• Drain and puree in a food processor, about 4 minutes.
• Return poppy seed puree to same saucepan.
• Add sugar, butter, raisins, almonds, vanilla extract, and honey.
• Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• To Cook: Preheat oven to 350*F.
• Roll out dough to a 16" x 12" rectangle.
• Whisk egg white in a bowl into stiff peaks, fold into the poppy seed filling.
• Spread over dough, leaving a 1" border all around.
• Fold dough lengthwise in thirds to form a long log.
• Pinch ends to seal.
• Place cake on nonstick baking sheet, brush with beaten egg white, and bake until it sounds hollow when tapped, about 50 minutes.
• Cool before serving.

Steps:

• Pour the buttermilk into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, stir in the poppy seeds, and set aside at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly spray the inside of a Bundt pan with the baking spray and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 cups of the granulated sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, the vanilla, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the lemon juice to the buttermilk mixture. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in thirds, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure the batter is well mixed. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup of lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a baking rack set over a large plate. Spoon the warm lemon syrup slowly over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed into the cake. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to cool.
• For the glaze, whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl, adding a little more sugar or lemon juice to make a smooth, thick, but pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Transfer to a flat cake plate and serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• In small sauce pan cook poppy seed with honey and 1/4 cup water for 5-7 minutes.
• Cool.
• Cream butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add cooled poppy seed mixture to creamed mixture, and egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Blend in sour cream and vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Gradually add poppy seed mixture to dry mixture, beating well.
• Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.
• Pour batter into a lightly greased and floured 9-inch tube (or bundt) pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Cool in pan for 5 minutes.
• Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.