Ingredients
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250 g butter
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250 g powdered sugar
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250 g ground almonds
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250 g ground poppy seeds
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6 eggs (separated)
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100 g sugar
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8 medium apples
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40 ml rum
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zest of 1 lemon
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pinch of salt
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1 package of leaven (optional)
Directions
I suddenly came up with the idea of making this cake at work, at the moment when my Austrian co-worker was going past me holding a plate with a piece of poppy seed and apple cake in her hand. The cake looked unusual, and my co-worker was gazing at it longingly.
The poppy seed and nut cake with apples turned out to be quite popular in Austria and Germany. It has many variations: with more or less poppy seeds, with or without flour, with nuts, with apples inside or/and on the surface. No doubt, that all the variations are delicious. I chose the most extreme one, and I wasn’t wrong. I wanted the cake to be full of poppy seed, full of nuts, and full of apples.
The cake turned out very homy. It is sweet and rich in poppy seeds just like my granny’s rolls, it is fresh and moist as it has apples in it, and it is so gorgeous with those apple slices on its surface!
Having a cup of tea with this cake in evening it a pure delight!
Tips:
Don’t take very juicy apples as the cake will be too moist. The cake has quite dense texture, so if you want you your cake to be crumblier, add 1 package of leaven. I prefer not to add it.
You will end up with a high and quite big cake, which is perfect if you expect guests. But if I cook for the family I usually halve the recipe and use 20cm-diameter cake pan.
Don’t forget to add rum and lemon zest – they enhance the cake with a particular flavor and pleasant taste.
Today's visits: 1.
Steps
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1
Done
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Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. |
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2
Done
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Peel apples and cut them into small (0.5x0.5 cm) dices. Or you may dice one half the apples, and slice the other. Dices are for dough, semi-circles for garnish. You may garnish the cake either with slices or slices, to your liking. |
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3
Done
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Whisk batter with powdered sugar for a few minutes until white and airy like cream. |
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4
Done
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Add yolks, salt and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth. |
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5
Done
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Add rum and half the apples. Carefully mix with a spatula. |
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6
Done
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Mix together ground almonds and poppy seeds (you may also add leaven). |
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7
Done
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In a separate bowl, whip together egg whites and sugar until soft peaks form. |
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8
Done
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With a spatula, fold the poppy seed mixture and the whipped egg whites into the batter mixture alternating them with one another. |
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9
Done
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Cover the bottom of the cake pan with a baking sheet. Pour the mixture into the pan, decorate the surface with the remaining apples and press a bit. |
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10
Done
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Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for about 60 min. Check the readiness with a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake – it should come out dry. Let the cake set in the closed oven for about 15 min. Then slightly open the door and let the cake cool for some time. Take it out and let cool at room temperature completely before serving. How to serve: Serve cooled with warm unsweetened coffee, tea or milk. How to keep: Can be kept at room temperature for 1-2 days. |
