Poppy Seed Fudge Cake
Recipe for Poppy Seed Cake with Dulce de Leche Cream
Today I have for you a recipe for a cake perfect for Christmas (but not only). Poppy seed fudge cake is a fluffy poppy seed sponge cake spread with dulce de leche and layered with a light dulce de leche cream. The cake is not overly sweet despite the use of dulce de leche, and it tastes delicious :) Check out my recipe and see how to make a simple cake with poppy seeds and dulce de leche that will delight everyone!
Table of contents
Poppy seed fudge cake recipe step by step
If you like poppy seed cakes and especially cakes layered with delicious cream, then you must try this recipe.
Fudge Cake with Poppy Seeds Recipe
Wyposażenie
- Baking pan, 24/24 cm or 20/30 cm.
Składniki
ingredients for poppy seed sponge cake
- 6 egg whites (from size L eggs)
- 6 egg yolks
- 150 g sugar (- 3/4 cup)
- 100 g wheat flour – all-purpose (- 2/3 cup)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 200 g poppy seeds (whole)
- 50 g butter (melted)
- almond extract (- optional)
ingredients for the fudge/caramel cream for the cake
- 250 g mascarpone cheese (- chilled)
- approx. 200 g fudge/caramel spread (- chilled – you can add more)
- 500 ml heavy cream (- very well chilled – I used 30%)
- 2 teaspoons gelatin (+ a little water – optional)
ingredients for the cake soaking syrup
- 250 ml water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- approx. 20 ml amaretto (or rum. instead of alcohol, a few drops of almond extract can be used)
additionally
- approx. 200 g fudge/caramel spread
- almond flakes (- for sprinkling)
Instrukcja
How to make poppy seed sponge cake
- Beat the egg whites with sugar until a thick and fluffy mixture is formed.6 egg whites, 150 g sugar
- Meanwhile, sift the flour together with the baking powder through a sieve.100 g wheat flour – all-purpose, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Add the dry poppy seeds to the sifted flour and mix.200 g poppy seeds
- Add the egg yolks to the beaten egg whites and mix on low speed.6 egg yolks
- Add the flour and gently mix.
- Pour in the melted butter and a few drops of almond extract – if using – mix briefly.50 g butter, almond extract
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan (line the bottom with parchment paper, leave the sides unlined and ungreased).
- Bake in an oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius (fan-assisted) for approximately 30 minutes – until a dry skewer comes out clean.
- After baking, cool the sponge cake and slice it into two layers.
How to make fudge/caramel cream for the cake
- Beat the cold mascarpone cheese with the fudge/caramel spread (I used 200 g and the cream was not very sweet – if you like sweet cakes, you can use more fudge/caramel).250 g mascarpone cheese, approx. 200 g fudge/caramel spread
- Beat the heavy cream until thick.500 ml heavy cream
- Add the mascarpone and fudge/caramel mixture to it and beat briefly or mix with a spatula.
- If desired, you can add a little gelatin to the cream – cover it with cold water. Let it sit for a few minutes until it swells, then heat it briefly until it becomes liquid. Add a spoonful of cream to the gelatin and mix. Pour the gelatin into the rest of the cream and mix vigorously.2 teaspoons gelatin
Fudge Cake with Poppy Seeds – Assembly
- Place the bottom layer of the poppy seed sponge cake in the pan.
- Soak it with the soaking syrup and spread with fudge/caramel spread.250 ml water, 2 teaspoons sugar, approx. 20 ml amaretto, approx. 200 g fudge/caramel spread
- Spread approximately 2/3 of the cream over the sponge cake and cover with the second layer.
- Soak the top sponge cake layer, spread the remaining cream, and sprinkle the top of the cake with almond flakes.almond flakes
- Chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Wartości Odżywcze
Poppy seed sponge cake with dulce de leche cream – notes
I invite you to try a great holiday cake that is simple to make, yet looks like you put a lot of effort into it :)
Poppy seed fudge cake is a poppy seed sponge cake layered with dulce de leche cream, additionally spread with dulce de leche and sprinkled with almond flakes.
I really like the flavor combination of poppy seeds and almonds, hence these almond flakes on top.
But this is not the only almond accent in this cake :)
To the poppy seed sponge cake itself, I added a little almond extract, and to soak the cut layers, I added a little amaretto liqueur.
If you don’t have amaretto, and small children won’t be eating the cake, you can add rum to the punch. For an alcohol-free version, sweetened water alone is sufficient – you can also add a few drops of almond extract to it.
How to make poppy seed cake – tips
To make a poppy seed sponge cake, you need to add dry poppy seeds – in grains – to the sponge cake batter. Do not grind or cook them beforehand. Just mix them with flour and then add to the beaten eggs. Poppy seeds weigh down the sponge cake batter, which is why I exceptionally added a little baking powder here. To prevent the sponge cake from being too dry, I added a little melted and cooled butter at the end.
I baked the sponge cake prepared this way for about 30 minutes – until a skewer inserted into the center came out dry. I cooled the finished sponge cake and cut it into two layers.
You can bake the poppy seed sponge cake itself in advance – even 1-2 days. Then wrap it in cling film to prevent it from drying out.
How to make caramel cream from dulce de leche?
As usual, I focused on simplicity of preparation and lightness. That’s why I prepared a cream based on whipping cream. Remember that whipping cream must be very well chilled before whipping – otherwise it won’t whip up. To prevent the cream from curdling, the other ingredients should also be chilled. Therefore, also put mascarpone cheese and dulce de leche in the fridge beforehand so they are cold.
If you want the cream to be more stable, you can add a little gelatin to it.
I prefer less sweet cakes, so I only used about 200g of dulce de leche (less than half a can) for the cream, and the cream was only subtly sweet. Therefore, if you like sweet cakes with cream, you can easily add more dulce de leche. For this cake, you can easily use a whole can – about 500g of dulce de leche. Part of it will go to spread on the poppy seed sponge cake, and add the rest to the cream :)
How to prepare gelatin for cream?
I pour powdered gelatin into a small glass and cover it with cold water – just enough water to cover the gelatin. I stir it with a spoon and set it aside to swell for a few minutes. Then I heat it in the microwave – very briefly – for a maximum of 10 seconds – so that it becomes liquid. Gelatin cannot be heated for too long, because if it overheats, it may lose its gelling properties. If you don’t have a microwave, you can place the glass with gelatin in a larger bowl of hot water and wait for it to dissolve. To prevent the gelatin added to the cream from forming “lumps” in it, you need to temper it. So, we add a spoonful of cream to it and mix, only then do we pour the gelatin into the rest of the cream.
We put the finished poppy seed fudge cake in the fridge to chill and let the flavors meld.
It can safely stay in the fridge for several days.
I hope you like the poppy seed fudge cake recipe and that you will prepare this delicious cake with poppy seeds and dulce de leche cream for the upcoming holidays :)
And if you like such poppy seed cakes, I also highly recommend the poppy seed maiden cake with cherries – delicious!
P.S.
By the way, I recommend my book “Beata’s Best Bakes” where you will find delicious and simple recipes for homemade sweet baked goods – such as cookies, cupcakes, cakes, cheesecakes, and tortes :)
I recommend following my instagram for delicious and easy recipes!
Recommended poppy seed cake recipes
Be sure to check out my other recipes for delicious poppy seed baked cakes. Here are three recipes I recommend:
Popularne Przepisy
Polecane przepisy
Poppy Seed Toffee Cake Recipe (Makowa Krówka)
Welcome to this recipe for a delicious yet simple cream-layered cake that is absolutely perfect for Christmas or various family celebrations. This poppy seed toffee cake (ciasto krówka z makiem) is baked in a large baking pan, so you can cut it into plenty of pieces. There will definitely be enough cake for everyone! :)
How do you make a poppy seed toffee cake? We make a poppy seed sponge cake with a dulce de leche cream, and finally, sprinkle the cake with flaked almonds. Check out my recipe with photos posted above to see how to make the poppy seed sponge cake and how to prepare the dulce de leche cream for the cake.
Recipe for Poppy Seed Sponge Cake with Cream
The Makowa Krówka is a delicious layered cream cake additionally filled with a layer of dulce de leche (canned kajmak), which adds a lovely sweetness to the cake. However, despite using the sweet canned dulce de leche, this cake is not overly sweet, so it definitely won't overwhelm you. On top of that, the poppy seed sponge cake is soaked in an Amaretto punch, giving the cake a wonderful, subtle almond flavor.
So, if you want to bake a cake for the holidays that doesn't require much effort but looks great and tastes even better, this layered poppy seed cream cake is just the recipe for you! You absolutely have to try it!
By the way: I also highly recommend my other recipes for poppy seed cakes and encourage you to check out the Christmas recipes that have appeared on the blog so far.
