I remember poppy-seed cake. I remember my neighbor making it for my sister’s birthday. It was layered, had a delicious custard filling, and beautiful frosting that looked like basket weaving. In my memory it seemed this cake was made yearly for my sister, when in fact it was probably once. Perhaps the neighbor never made it! Whatever the source it definitely left an impression! I have tried and tried to find this recipe. Neither of my sisters had it so I began my own hunt-experimentation cycle until I came up with a cake that matches my memory! When talking with one of my sister’s she mentioned it was a favorite of my dad’s, which I didn’t know. This makes me think more and more how recipes are family artifacts. Hearing it was my dad’s favorite also means we must have had it several times. All of us girls were given some of our mother’s recipe cards but the one for poppy-seed cake is nowhere. Maybe our dad kept it for himself! This cake is a favorite as it is dense but not overwhelmingly rich. The concentration of poppy seeds provide a delicious and unique taste treat. My grand-daughter sits on my lap as I as write this, oooing and aaahing over the photos. I hope one day she will bake this cake. She will love it, and I think you may as well!
Cake Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup poppy seeds
1 cup scaled milk
3 eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
Scald 1 cup of milk. (Gently heat milk until bubbles form around edge of pan, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.) Soak 4 – 6 hours.
In mixer cream butter and sugar. Add eggs you have beaten together. Sift flour and baking powder together and slowly add to creamed mixture. Blend thoroughly. Add flour mixture and blend again. Add poppy-seed and scaled milk and gently mix.
Butter and flour three 8-inch cake pans. Cut circle of parchment paper to line bottom of each pan. Butter parchment paper as well. I use two 9 -inch pans and make two small cakes in 4 inch ramekins. Fill each pan just above half full. Be careful that each layer pan has the same amount of batter.
Bake at 350 for 20 – 25 minutes depending on oven. If baking smaller pans adjust baking time accordingly. Remove to cooling rack until well cooled. Carefully remove cakes and place each on sheet of parchment or wax paper.
Prepare Dad’s Creamy Custard to use as filling between layers.
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Frost with Butter Cream Frosting. Decorate as desired.
This cake needs to be refrigerated on covered plate due to cream filling
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