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Spiced Poppy Seed Roll with an Orange Note - photo 1
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Spiced Poppy Seed Roll with an Orange Note

Cakes and Bakes Desserts Christmas Eve Dinner 180 min Medium 4 wyświetleń ~46.87 PLN - (0)
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Description

Here is a masterpiece of holiday baking in a modern twist – Spiced Swirled Poppy Seed Cake with an Orange Note. This is not an ordinary poppy seed cake. It is a sensory journey that begins with the aroma of buttery, yeast dough and ends with the deep, rich flavor of moist poppy seed filling. We enriched the traditional recipe with warming spices – cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, which wrap you in warmth and evoke the most beautiful Christmas memories. The sweetness of honey perfectly balances the crunch of walnuts and the intense aroma of candied orange peel. The whole is enveloped in fluffy, delicate dough, and topped with a citrus glaze that adds freshness and elegance. This poppy seed cake is the perfect bake for the Christmas Eve table, delighting both traditionalists and seekers of new flavors. Its preparation is a true ritual, and the final effect is worth every minute.

Składniki (18)

Servings:
12
  • Wheat flour type 500 500 g
  • Fresh yeast 25 g
  • Milk 3.2% 450 ml
  • sugar 80 g
  • Masło 82% 150 g
  • Egg 2 szt.
  • Blue poppy seeds, ground 300 g
  • wildflower honey 150 g
  • Walnuts 100 g
  • Candied orange peel 50 g
  • Ground ginger 1 g
  • Powdered sugar 150 g
  • Orange juice 30 ml
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.0 szczypt
  • Ground cinnamon 2 g
  • Ground cloves 1 g
  • Almond extract 1 łyżeczka
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Almond flakes 30 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~46.87 PLN (3.91 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Yeast dough

1

Start by preparing the yeast starter. In a small saucepan, heat 250 ml of milk to a temperature of about 37°C – it should feel pleasantly warm to the touch, like bath water for a baby, but not hot. In a large bowl, crumble fresh yeast, add a tablespoon of sugar, and pour in the warm milk. Gently mix with a fork, just until the yeast dissolves. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and set it in a warm, draft-free place for 10-15 minutes. After this time, a thick, bubbly foam should appear on the surface, which is a sign that the yeast is active.

Ingredients: Fresh yeast, Milk 3.2%, sugar
This is a crucial moment! If the foam doesn't appear, the yeast is inactive and the dough won't rise. You need to start over with fresh yeast. Milk that is too hot will kill the yeast, and milk that is too cold won't activate it.
2

In a large bowl where you will knead the dough (or the bowl of a stand mixer), sift the all-purpose flour. Add the remaining sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix the dry ingredients with a spoon or a whisk to distribute them evenly.

Ingredients: Wheat flour type 500, sugar, Salt
Sifting the flour is not mandatory, but highly recommended. It aerates it, making the dough lighter and fluffier. Use a large, stable bowl that gives you freedom while kneading.
3

When the starter is ready, pour it into the bowl with the flour. Separate the yolk from the white of one egg (keep the white for the poppy seed filling). Add the yolk to the bowl. Start kneading the dough – initially, you can use a wooden spoon, and when the ingredients come together, switch to kneading by hand or use a mixer with a dough hook.

Ingredients: Egg
The dough will be very sticky and gooey at first – this is normal. Don't add more flour right away! Knead the dough patiently, and its texture will start to change.
4

When the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, begin adding the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to knead. Make sure each portion of butter is fully absorbed by the dough before adding the next. Knead the dough vigorously for about 10-15 minutes by hand or 8-10 minutes with a mixer on medium speed. The finished dough should be smooth, elastic, shiny, and should not stick to your hands or the bowl.

Ingredients: Masło 82%
To check if the dough is well-kneaded, stretch a small piece with your fingers. It should form a thin, transparent membrane that doesn't tear immediately (the so-called gluten window test).
5

Form a smooth ball from the dough, place it back in a bowl lightly dusted with flour. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and set it in a warm place for about 60-90 minutes. The dough should double in volume during this time.

The ideal place for rising is a slightly warmed oven (turned off, with the light on) or a spot near a radiator. Avoid drafts. Plastic wrap is better than a cloth at preventing the surface of the dough from drying out.

Poppy seed filling

6

While the dough is rising, prepare the poppy seed filling. In a medium pot, add ground poppy seeds and pour in 200 ml of milk. Place over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 15-20 minutes, until the poppy seeds absorb all the milk and a very thick mixture forms. Be careful not to burn the poppy seeds – stir often, especially towards the end of cooking.

Ingredients: Blue poppy seeds, ground, Milk 3.2%
Use a heavy-bottomed pot that evenly distributes heat and minimizes the risk of burning. The mixture must be thick so that it doesn't spill out of the cake during baking.
7

Remove the pot from the heat. To the hot poppy seed mixture, add honey, 50g of butter, chopped walnuts, orange zest, and all the spices: cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Also add almond extract. Mix everything thoroughly until the butter and honey are completely dissolved and combined with the mixture. Set aside to cool completely.

Ingredients: wildflower honey, Masło 82%, Walnuts, Candied orange peel, Ground cinnamon, Ground cloves, Ground ginger, Almond extract
The mixture must be completely cold before adding the whipped egg whites and spreading it on the cake. A warm mixture would melt the cake and cause the egg white foam to deflate.
8

When the poppy seed mixture is cold, prepare the egg white foam. In a clean, dry bowl, place two egg whites (one set aside from the cake preparation and the other from a new egg – you can use the yolk for scrambled eggs). Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. The foam is ready when it doesn't fall out of the bowl when turned upside down.

Ingredients: Egg
Make sure that the bowl and the mixer attachments are perfectly clean and dry – even a little bit of fat or yolk will prevent the egg whites from whipping stiff. Start beating on low speed, and when the egg whites start to foam, increase the speed to maximum.
9

Add the whipped egg whites to the cooled poppy seed mixture. Do this in batches, in 2-3 rounds. Very gently fold the egg whites into the mixture using a spatula, making movements from the bottom to the top. The goal is to aerate the mixture, not to 'kill' the air bubbles in the egg whites. Mix only until the ingredients are combined.

The technique of 'folding' is key here. Do not mix in circular motions as you would when creaming dough. This way, the poppy seed mixture will be lighter and fluffier after baking.

Shaping and Baking

10

Remove the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface or board. Punch it down to release the gas. Then briefly knead it and divide it into two equal parts. Shape each part into a ball.

Degassing the dough allows for the removal of large bubbles of carbon dioxide and prepares the dough for a second, more even rise after shaping the poppy seed roll.
11

Take one ball of dough and roll it out into a rectangle measuring about 30x40 cm and 3-4 mm thick. Try to keep the edges even. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle the countertop and rolling pin with a little flour.

Use a rolling pin. To achieve an even rectangle, roll from the center outwards, turning the dough occasionally. Do not roll the dough too thin, as it may crack under the weight of the filling.
12

On the rolled-out dough, evenly spread half of the poppy seed filling using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Remember to leave a free margin of about 2 cm along one of the longer sides – this will help seal the roll at the end.

Do not spread too thick a layer of the filling, as the poppy seed cake may have trouble baking through in the center or crack during baking. An even layer is the key to success.
13

Start rolling the dough into a tight log, beginning from the longer side where you spread the filling up to the edge. Try to roll the dough evenly and fairly tightly so that there are no empty spaces inside. Finally, seal the edge of the dough (the one without filling) to the rest of the log. Tuck the ends of the log underneath as well.

Tight rolling prevents the poppy seed roll from separating after baking. You can lightly brush the free edge of the dough with water to help it stick better.
14

Prepare a large baking tray and line it with parchment paper. Carefully transfer the roll to the tray, placing it seam side down. Repeat the same process with the second portion of dough and filling. Cover both rolls with a cloth and set aside for the second rise for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat).

To make it easier to transfer the roll, you can roll it directly on a piece of parchment paper, and then move it to the baking sheet along with the paper. This minimizes the risk of it deforming.
15

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg yolk with a tablespoon of milk. Before placing in the oven, brush the top and sides of the poppy seed rolls with the prepared mixture using a kitchen brush. Then, using a long toothpick or skewer, poke the poppy seed rolls in several places all the way through. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until they are beautifully golden brown.

Ingredients: Egg, Milk 3.2%
Brushing with egg gives the poppy seed rolls a beautiful, shiny color. Poking is very important – it allows steam from the filling to escape, which prevents the dough from cracking during baking.

Icing and decoration

16

After baking, remove the poppy seed cakes from the oven and carefully transfer them to a metal cooling rack. Leave them there to cool completely. This may take 2-3 hours.

This is absolutely crucial! Never glaze a hot or even warm cake. The glaze will run off and soak into the cake instead of creating an appetizing crust. Patience is a virtue here.
17

Once the poppy seed cakes are completely cool, prepare the icing. In a bowl, sift in the powdered sugar. Gradually, adding one teaspoon at a time, pour in the freshly squeezed orange juice, while continuously stirring vigorously with a spoon or whisk. Beat the icing until it is smooth, white, and thick. Its consistency should be thick enough to flow from the spoon in a thick stream.

Ingredients: Powdered sugar, Orange juice
Add the juice very carefully. If the icing turns out too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick – a little more juice. Sifting the powdered sugar will prevent lumps from forming.
18

Pour the cooled poppy seed cakes with the prepared icing, allowing it to freely drip down the sides. Before the icing sets, sprinkle the top with almond flakes. If you wish, you can lightly toast them in a dry pan until they turn golden and start to smell – this will enhance their flavor. Set the poppy seed cakes aside for at least 30 minutes to let the icing firm up.

Ingredients: Almond flakes
It's a good idea to place parchment paper under the poppy seed cakes on the rack to catch any excess dripping icing, which will make cleaning easier.

Fun Fact

💡

In Polish folk tradition, poppy symbolized fertility and prosperity. It was believed that eating dishes with poppy seeds on Christmas Eve would ensure happiness and abundance for the household in the coming year. That is why poppy seed cake is an essential part of the holiday table.

Best for

Wigilia Boże Narodzenie Spotkania rodzinne w okresie zimowym

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve at room temperature, sliced into 1.5-2 cm thick pieces. It pairs perfectly with a cup of hot tea with orange or a delicate coffee. It can also be served with a dollop of sour cream to balance the sweetness. It looks beautiful on a festive platter decorated with sprigs of rosemary and slices of dried orange.

🥡 Storage

Store in a cool place, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in a cake container for up to 4-5 days. Poppy seed cake freezes well (preferably without icing). After thawing at room temperature, it can be refreshed for a few minutes in an oven preheated to 150°C, and then iced.

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