Poppy seed lady cake

Today I'd like to share a recipe for a slightly nostalgic, festive cake; its name brings to mind a once-popular TV program for kids - 'Poppy lady'.

Poppy seed sponge is light and fluffy, with delicate, coconut-almond undertones. Filling is velvety and vanilla, while cherries and dark chocolate add a bit of an edge to our dessert. A beautiful, delicious cake!

You'll find the list of ingredients, method and approximate nutritional value below.

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List of ingredients

Filling

• 750 ml milk
• 1/2 cup (~100 g) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 3 egg yolks
• 60 g cornstarch (~2.5 tbsp) 
• 60 g wheat flour (~2.5 tbsp)
• 150 g unsalted butter

Poppy seed sponge

• 2/3 cup (~100 g) poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup (~ 50 g) desiccated coconut + 1 tbsp for decoration
• 1/2 tbsp (~50 g) ground almonds
• 1/3 cup (~50 g) wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 5 egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 3/8 cup (~75 g) sugar
• 2 egg yolks

Cake soak

• 50 ml Amaretto
• 50 ml water
• 200 g cherry confiture

Glaze

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 100 ml whipping cream

Method

1. Pour 400 ml milk into a medium sized pot; add 100 g sugar and 1 tsp vanilla paste. Stir through the contents of the pot until sugar dissolves and bring milk to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, add 3 egg yolks, 60 g wheat flour and 60 g cornflour to remaining 350 ml milk. Stir them together until all lumps disappear and a smooth liquid forms. Once milk in the pot starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and pour custard base into hot milk, stirring constantly. Turn heat up a notch and cook the contents of the pot for a few minutes, continuing to stir, until thick custard forms. Transfer custard into a separate bowl and cover its surface with plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside for the custard to cool completely.
3. Put 50 g wheat flour, 50 g ground almonds, 100 g poppy seeds, 50 g desiccated coconut and 1 tsp baking powder into a medium bowl. Stir through the dry ingredients until well distributed.
4. Put 5 large egg whites and a pinch of salt into a separate large bowl. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until thick and fluffy but not stiff. Once beaters start leaving a visible trace in the egg whites, start adding 75 g white caster sugar. Do it slowly, one spoonful at a time, combining sugar and egg whites each time before the next batch. Once all the sugar is in egg whites should be thick and shiny.
5. Add 2 egg yolks, one at a time, mixing them in at low speed. Fold in dry ingredients in three batches with a silicone spatula. Be careful and try not to remove too much air from batter.
6. Transfer the batter into a rectangular tin, 18 x 28 cm. The bottom of the tin should be greased and lined with baking paper; the sides should be clean. Spread the batter and even out its top. Put the cake into a conventional oven preheated to 170 deg C for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Once the sponge is ready, take it out of the oven and drop it into a work surface from a height of 50 cm. Set the cake aside in the baking tin to cool completely.
7. Pour 50 ml Amaretto and 50 ml water into a small jug. Mix them together until fully combined.
8. Once the custard reaches room temperature, prepare the filling. Put 150 g butter softened at room temperature into a large bowl and cream it with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add custard to the butter, one heaped spoonful at a time, mixing it in each time until fully incorporated.
9. Cut the sides of the sponge from the baking tin. Take the cake out of the tin and remove baking paper. Cut the cake into two layers with a long serrated knife or a string knife.
10. Return one layer to the baking tin lined with baking paper. Soak the sponge with Amaretto cake soak using a spoon, a brush or a soaking bottle. Put 200 g tart confiture onto the cake and spread it evenly across the surface. Transfer vanilla filling onto the cake and spread it in a thick layer across the whole surface. Cover the filling with the second sponge layer. Press it down lightly and soak it generously.
11. Put 100 g dark chocolate and 100 ml whipping cream into a heatproof bowl. Melt them together in a microwave oven, stirring every 15 seconds, until a smooth glaze forms. Pour the glaze on top of the cake and spread it. Scatter some desiccated coconut on top. Put the cake into a fridge for the filling to set, ideally overnight.
12. Enjoy!

Approximate nutritional vale

100 g

• 285 kcal
• Carbs: 26 g 
• Fat: 18 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Fibre: 2 g

1 slice (recipe makes 20 slices)

• 276 kcal
• Carbs: 25 g 
• Fat: 17 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Fibre: 2 g