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Moist Poppy Seed Cake with a Hint of Orange and Cointreau Glaze - photo 1
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Moist Poppy Seed Cake with a Hint of Orange and Cointreau Glaze

Cakes and Bakes Desserts Christmas Eve Dinner 120 min Medium 4 wyświetleń ~39.56 PLN - (0)
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Description

This babka is the essence of homemade baking, combining the traditional flavor of poppy seeds with a modern citrus accent. It is incredibly moist and heavy with poppy seeds, thanks to the unique method of steeping them in hot milk and honey. Each bite is a wealth of flavor – the nutty depth of the poppy seeds perfectly complements the aromatic orange zest, while the subtle sweetness of honey balances the whole. The texture of the cake is dense yet delicate, melting in your mouth. The finishing touch is a velvety glaze with a splash of Cointreau orange liqueur, adding elegance and a touch of luxury. The babka looks stunning – dark, speckled with thousands of poppy seeds, drizzled with a shiny white glaze and decorated with candied orange peel. It pairs perfectly with afternoon coffee but will also be the star of the holiday table, especially during Christmas Eve or Easter.

Składniki (13)

Servings:
12
  • Blue poppy seeds, ground 250 g
  • Mąka pszenna tortowa (typ 450) 250 g
  • Butter (82% fat) 200 g
  • Eggs (size L) 4 szt.
  • Drobny cukier do wypieków 200 g
  • Milk (3.2% fat) 250 ml
  • wildflower honey 45 g
  • Orange 1.3 szt.
  • Baking powder 10 g
  • Powdered sugar 150 g
  • Cointreau liqueur 2 łyżki
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.0 szczypt
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Candied orange peel 30 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~39.56 PLN (3.30 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparation of Poppy Seed Filling

1

Start by preparing the poppy seed base, which is key to the moisture of the cake. In a small heavy-bottomed pot, place the ground poppy seeds. Pour in the milk and add the honey. Heat over low flame, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a boil. Once it boils, cook for another 2-3 minutes, continuing to stir, so that the poppy seeds absorb the liquid and the mixture thickens. Remove the pot from the heat and set the poppy seed mixture aside to cool completely. This is a very important step – a hot mixture would cook the eggs and melt the butter in the cake.

Ingredients: Blue poppy seeds, ground, Milk (3.2% fat), wildflower honey
Use a non-stick pot to prevent the poppy seed filling from burning. Stir vigorously, especially at the bottom. You can speed up the cooling process by transferring the filling to a cold bowl.

Cake Preparation

2

Prepare a bundt pan with a capacity of about 2.5 liters. Thoroughly grease the interior with soft butter, paying special attention to all the nooks and patterns. Then dust the pan with breadcrumbs or flour, turning and shaking it to ensure the entire inner surface is coated with a thin layer. Discard the excess. Set the pan aside. Preheat the oven to 175°C with the top and bottom heating function.

The best option is a tube pan, either metal or silicone. Thoroughly greasing and dusting the pan is crucial for the cake to come out easily after baking. Don't skip this step!
3

In a separate medium bowl, prepare the dry ingredients. Place the all-purpose flour and baking powder in it. Using a whisk or a spoon, mix both ingredients thoroughly so that the baking powder is evenly distributed in the flour. For an even better effect, you can sift the flour with the baking powder through a sieve – this will aerate the dough and make it lighter.

Ingredients: Mąka pszenna tortowa (typ 450), Baking powder
Sifting dry ingredients is a simple trick that really makes a difference, especially in heavy batters. Use a fine-mesh sieve.
4

In a large mixing bowl, place the soft butter (it should be at room temperature). Add the fine sugar. Beat the mixture with a mixer on high speed for about 7-8 minutes. The mixture should become very light, almost white, and clearly increase in volume, resembling a fluffy cream. This process aerates the dough and is the foundation of its good structure.

Ingredients: Butter (82% fat), Drobny cukier do wypieków
Use a mixer with a whisk attachment (flat beater) or standard beaters. Occasionally stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula to ensure everything is mixed evenly.
5

Reduce the mixer speed to medium. Separate the yolks from the whites. Set the egg whites aside in a separate, clean, and dry bowl. Add the yolks one at a time to the creamed butter mixture, mixing for about 30 seconds after each addition, until the ingredients are combined. Then add the completely cooled poppy seed mixture and mix briefly, just until the ingredients are combined.

Ingredients: Eggs (size L)
Remember to add the ingredients gradually. Adding all the egg yolks at once too quickly may cause the mixture to curdle. Make sure the poppy seed mixture is cold!
6

Thoroughly wash the orange and blanch it in boiling water. Grate the zest from it using a fine grater, being careful not to grate the white, bitter part (albedo). Squeeze the juice from the orange (there should be about 100-120 ml). Add the grated orange zest to the poppy seed-butter mixture and mix. Then, reducing the mixer speed to the minimum, alternately add the dry ingredients (in 3 batches) and the orange juice (in 2 batches), starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix very briefly after each addition, just until the ingredients combine into a uniform mass.

Ingredients: Orange
Do not mix the batter too long after adding the flour, as this may activate the gluten and make the cake tough. Just mix until the ingredients are combined. Instead of a mixer, you can use a spatula.
7

In a clean and dry bowl where you have set aside the egg whites, add a pinch of salt. Start beating the egg whites with a mixer, first on medium speed and then on high speed. Beat until a thick, stiff, and glossy meringue forms. Properly whipped meringue should not fall out of the bowl when turned upside down. When you remove the mixer beaters, stiff, sharp peaks should remain on the meringue.

Ingredients: Eggs (size L), Salt
Make sure the bowl and mixer attachments are perfectly clean and dry – even a little bit of fat or water can prevent the egg whites from whipping to stiff peaks. Do not overbeat the foam – if it becomes dull and grainy, it means it has been overbeaten.
8

Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to the thick poppy seed mixture and mix quite vigorously with a spoon or spatula. This step aims to loosen the heavy mixture to make it easier to incorporate the rest of the meringue. Then add the remaining egg whites and very gently, but firmly, fold them into the batter using a silicone spatula. Use sweeping motions from the bottom of the bowl upwards while simultaneously rotating the bowl. Mix only until the meringue is combined with the mixture and no white streaks are visible. The goal is to lose as little air as possible from the whipped egg whites.

Use the 'folding' technique for the batter, not mixing. This is the key to preserving the lightness that whipped egg whites give to the batter. Do not use a mixer at this stage!

Baking

9

Carefully transfer the prepared batter to the previously prepared pan. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Place the pan in the preheated oven at 175°C and position it on the middle rack. Bake for about 50-60 minutes. After about 45 minutes, perform the toothpick test – insert a wooden skewer into the thickest part of the cake. If it comes out dry, without any crumbs sticking to it, the cake is ready. If not, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes.

Baking time may vary depending on the oven. If the top of the cake starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
10

Remove the baked cake from the oven and let it sit in the pan for about 15-20 minutes to cool slightly. After that time, carefully turn the pan upside down and remove the cake onto a wire rack. Leave it on the rack to cool completely. Glazing a hot or warm cake will cause the icing to run and soak into the cake.

If the cake doesn't want to come out of the mold, you can gently tap the bottom of the mold or wrap it for a moment with a damp, cold cloth. The temperature difference should help.

Preparation of Icing and Decoration

11

When the cake is completely cool, prepare the icing. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the Cointreau liqueur (or orange juice) and mix thoroughly with a spoon or a small whisk, breaking up any lumps. The icing should have a thick but pourable consistency, similar to thick cream. If it is too thick, add a little (half a teaspoon) of hot water. If it is too runny, add more sifted powdered sugar.

Ingredients: Powdered sugar, Cointreau liqueur
Add the liquid to the powdered sugar very slowly, literally drop by drop, while constantly mixing. It is very easy to make the icing too runny. The consistency is key for the icing to nicely coat the cake and set into appetizing icicles.
12

Place the cake on a plate or a piece of baking paper to make cleanup easier. Drizzle the prepared icing over the cake, allowing it to flow freely down the sides. Before the icing sets, sprinkle the top with candied orange peel, if using. Let the cake sit for at least 30 minutes for the icing to harden.

Ingredients: Candied orange peel
You can drizzle the glaze with a spoon, creating irregular patterns, or pour all the glaze in the center and let it spread on its own. Act quickly, as the glaze sets quite fast.

Fun Fact

💡

In Polish culinary tradition, poppy is a symbol of fertility, wealth, and happiness. Dishes with poppy seeds, such as kutia, poppy seed cake, or poppy seed babka, are an inseparable part of the Christmas Eve dinner. It was believed that eating poppy seeds on this special evening would ensure prosperity for the entire coming year.

Best for

Święta Bożego Narodzenia Wielkanoc Niedzielny deser Spotkanie przy kawie

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the cake at room temperature, sliced into thick pieces. Its flavor is perfectly complemented by a cup of black coffee or tea with a slice of orange. For added elegance, each piece can be decorated with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche.

🥡 Storage

Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. Thanks to the high content of poppy seeds and honey, it retains freshness and moisture for a long time. It can also be frozen (without icing) – tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

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