I don’t eat a ton of cake. It isn’t one of my default dessert choices. So, when I choose a cake for dessert, it’s because it’s a really freaking good cake. This German Poppy Seed Cake is exactly that. It’s light and fluffy with the perfect amount of sweetness. It’s not your typical cake that you’d find in any bakery, and I love that. That’s what makes it special.
While I was in college back in Michigan, I worked at a family owned Italian restaurant. It was the type of place that had regulars that requested their favorite servers. Everyone there, including the guests felt like family. I loved working there. I’ll never forget, one Monday night a group of 16 business men came in for dinner and I left with $250, including $50 they gave me for letting them cut my tie. (That’s a story for another day).
One day, another large party came in for dinner to celebrate a birthday. They had brought a cake with them and asked that I store it in the fridge for them until after dinner. Of course I had to check it out – my sweet tooth is always curious! I peeked in – looked like a cake to me, nothing special.
Once they sang and cut the cake, they offered me a slice. Not wanting to be rude, I accepted and figured I’d eat a bite or two and call it a day. Boy, ws I wrong! Once I took the first bite, I was in love. I couldn’t believe how good that cake was. I went to thank them, and also to find where they had gotten this concoction from, because I definitely needed it in my life.
The cake was from a small bakery about 40 minutes from where I lived. (Damn!) Back in 2005, an 8″ cake sold for $45. Thinking back, it was lucky for me it wasn’t closer. I’m sure I would have spent a lot more money on cakes if it was. Well, since I loved this cake so much, I requested it for my birthday for the next three years. My sweet mother would grudgingly drive an hour and a half round trip to pick up the cake for me. Moms, am I right?
The first she called to order the cake, she was shocked by the price, to say the least. She told me, “This better be a damn good cake!” Once she took that first bite, she understood, and she never mentioned anything about the price of the cake after that.
Years later, after I had moved to Florida, I had a craving for the cake. I knew I had to recreate the recipe and make it for myself. So that’s exactly what I did! I even made it for myself for my birthday this year. That first bite brought me right back to that day in the restaurant where I had first tried it. It’s perfectly light and fluffy, with a creamy custard filling, fresh strawberries, a whip cream topping, and a slight crunch from the poppy seeds. It’s a cake lover’s (and non-cake-lovers) dream!
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 1/3 cup poppy seeds
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter (room temp)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 egg whites (in separate bowl)
Custard:
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Topping:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 Tbs confectioners sugar
- Fresh strawberries (sliced)
Directions:
**Soak poppy seeds in milk for 2 hours**
- Preheat oven to 350
- Sift together flour and baking soda.
- Beat egg whites to stiff peaks, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add in half of the flour mixture, then the milk and poppy seeds, then the rest of the flour mixture, making sure to combine well. Add in vanilla.
- Fold egg whites into batter.
- Pour mixture into (2) 9″ cake pans and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- In a saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and milk. Bring to slight boil, reduce and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow to cool.
- Slice strawberries vertically.
- In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream and confectioners sugar together until stiff peaks form.
- Level cakes if necessary by cutting off any rounded tops.
- To assemble, place one cake on a plate or cake stand. Spread half of the custard mixture on top of the cake, and top with a layer of strawberries. Place the second cake on top, and top with the rest of the custard and more strawberries. Cover entire cake with whip cream mixture.
