POLISH POPPY SEED CAKE

Polish Poppy Seed Cake image

This traditional Polish cake is rich with poppy seeds and usually served for special occasions like Christmas and Easter, but it's wonderful any time. A short crust base is topped with a poppy seed mixture, then glazed. Unique, delicious, and quite easy to do!

Provided by Olenka

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Eastern European Polish

Time P1DT5h25m

Yield 15

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

3 ½ cups poppy seeds
boiling water to cover
5 eggs, divided
9 tablespoons margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup margarine
⅓ cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 apple - peeled, cored, and grated
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
⅓ cup boiling water

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 581.2 calories, Carbohydrate 63.7 g, Cholesterol 67 mg, Fat 34 g, Fiber 4.5 g, Protein 10.4 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 256.2 mg, Sugar 47.6 g