Poppy Seed Cake Recipe
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Put this poppy seed cake at the top of your to-do list. It’s a winner! The hint of rum, salted pistachios over chocolate ganache, the (not overly sweet) fluffy frosting and super soft and moist cake layers make this an amazing cake.
This was my sister Anna’s Birthday cake. I sneakily figured out that my poppy seed cake roll was her favorite. I then decided to turn that very popular recipe into a delicious beauty of a cake. Everyone at her party gave rave reviews.
The base of this cake is a European sponge cake called Biskvit, which is the best because it holds moisture really well and you can bake and freeze the cake layers months in advance. Biskvit can be used for just about any cake you can dream up. I tweaked my usual recipe a teensy bit and ended up with some seriously fluffy cake layers. As usual, I included step-by-step photos so you can easily master this recipe, like a BOSS.
Ingredients for Biskvit Poppy Seed Cake:
6 eggs + 2 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup cake flour (make cake flour with 2 ingredients!)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup dry poppy seeds
*Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly
For the Rum Cake Syrup:
1 cup very warm water
4 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup golden rum (I use Bacardi) or 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (if you must)
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened at room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
To Decorate the Poppy Seed Cake:
1/2 recipe chocolate ganache (click for recipe)
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
6 oz fresh blackberries
How to Make The Poppy Seed Sponge Cake:
Watch the video before you get started:
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F and line bottoms of two (9-inch) cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease pans).
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer (this is the one I have), beat 6 large eggs plus 2 whites with whisk attachment 1 min on high speed until foamy. With mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed 8-10 min until thick and fluffy.
2. Whisk baking powder into flour then sift flour in two additions into batter, folding gently with a spatula between each addition, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure you don’t have hidden pockets of flour. Fold in 1/4 cup poppy seeds until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you may deflate the batter.
3. Divide batter evenly between 2 prepared cake pans (perfectionists: feel free to weigh the cake pans). Bake at 350˚F for 23-28 min (mine took 25 min), or until top is golden and springs back when poked slightly. Once out of the oven, remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula around the edges then transfer to a wire rack, peel back parchment paper and cool to room temp. Slice cake layers in half (I use this bread knife).
How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. Beat cold heavy whipping cream on high speed with whisk attachment for 1.5 to 2 min until stiff and spreadable then transfer to a separate dish.
2. In the same mixing bowl (no need to wash it), beat together 2 pkgs cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl a couple times, then increase to high speed and beat 2 min until fluffy. Using a spatula, fold in whipped cream.
Make your ganache now since it needs about 15 minutes to cool and become a pourable consistency.
Assembling the Poppy Seed Cake:
1. Combine syrup ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Place the first base layer onto a cake platter. Brush 1/4 of the syrup onto the cake then spread with frosting. Repeat with remaining layers. Wipe cake plate clean then Frost the sides and top with just enough to smooth out the cake.
2. Transfer 3/4 cup frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star Wilton 1M tip (These are are the 3 tips I pretty much only use).
3. Put remaining frosting on sides to get a solid white edge. Keep frosting on top to a minimum since you’ll be covering it with ganache anyways. Refrigerate cake. Once ganache is a pourable consistency, pour it over the top of the cake allowing excess ganache to pour off the sides then refrigerate 10 min to set. Pipe frosting around the borders of the cake, top with blackberries and chopped pistachios as shown.
Poppy Seed Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
For the Poppy Seed Cake Layers:
- 6 eggs + 2 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup dry poppy seeds
For the Rum Syrup:
- 1 cup very warm water
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup golden rum, I use Bacardi or 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (if you must)
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 packages, 8 oz each cream cheese, softened at room temp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
To Decorate the Cake:
- 1/2 recipe chocolate ganache, found on natashaskitchen.com
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
- 13 fresh blackberries
Instructions
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Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F and line bottoms of two (9-inch) cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease pans). In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 6 large eggs plus 2 whites with whisk attachment 1 min on high speed until foamy. With mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed 8-10 min until thick and fluffy.
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Whisk baking powder into flour then sift flour in two additions into batter, folding gently with a spatula
-
between each addition, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure you don’t have hidden pockets of flour. Fold in 1/4 cup poppy seeds until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you may deflate the batter.
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Divide batter evenly between 2 prepared cake pans. Bake at 350˚F for 23-28 min (mine took 25 min), or until top is golden and springs back when poked slightly. Once out of the oven, remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula around the edges then transfer to a wire rack, peel back parchment paper and cool to room temp. Slice cake layers in half.
How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
-
Beat cold heavy whipping cream on high speed with whisk attachment for 1.5 to 2 min until stiff and spreadable then transfer to a separate dish.
-
In the same mixing bowl (no need to wash it), beat together 2 pkgs cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl a couple times, then increase to high speed and beat 2 min until fluffy. Using a spatula, fold in whipped cream.
Make your ganache now since it needs 15 minutes to cool and become a pourable consistency.
Assembling the Poppy Seed Cake:
-
Combine syrup ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Place the first base layer onto a cake platter. Brush 1/4 of the syrup onto the cake then spread with frosting. Repeat with remaining layers. Wipe cake plate clean then Frost the sides and top with just enough to smooth out the cake.
-
Transfer 3/4 cup frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star Wilton 1M tip.
-
Put remaining frosting on sides to get a solid white edge. Keep frosting on top to a minimum since you'll be covering it with ganache anyways. Refrigerate cake. Once ganache is a pourable consistency, pour it over the top of the cake allowing excess ganache to pour off the sides then refrigerate 10 min to set. Pipe frosting around the borders of the cake, top with blackberries and chopped pistachios as shown.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Make this poppy seed cake for your sweetheart this weekend. Have a lovely Valentine’s Day my friends!
Q: Any special plans for Valentine’s Day? Are you spending it with a friend, your spouse, or maybe Mom? I’d love to hear from you 🙂
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I made this cake last night and absolutely love how it looks! Can’t wait to try it at the birthday party we are going to this evening 🙂 what’s the best way to store it in the fridge? I didn’t cover it last night and am now worried that maybe I should have…?
Also, I’m worried when I poured the syrup between the layers, that I might have poured “too much” – will it be overly soggy or do you think it absorbs well and usually isn’t a problem? Thank you 🙂
Hi Darya! I am not sure how much syrup you poured or used but this is a sponge cake and it absorbs syrup well. The cake should be refrigerated since it has cream cheese/whipped cream frosting.
Thank you so much for your response! This helps a ton! 🙂
When storing it in the fridge, do you recommend covering it with plastic wrap? Or placing in a cake carrier / container?
Hi Darya! Using plastic wrap would be fine but an airtight container of some sort will keep it freshest!
Hi Natasha,
how many days in advance can I make this cake?
Hi Nadia! This cake is best enjoyed within the first 2 days or so.
Great recipe! Light and fluffy, not too sweet! First time making it and I love it. I wish I can send you some pictures 😊
So glad to hear that, Katerina. I love to see pictures. You can always tag me on Facebook or Instagram. #NatashasKitchen 🙂
Oh, it looks so yummy! I’m going to make this for my Polish friends birthday next week. Of course, I’ll make a practice one first! Will send photo results.
Sounds like a great plaN! We’d love to know how it goes, Diane. Please update us if you can.
Hi Natasha! I just wanted to say this is my favorite recipe on your whole website. I baked this cake like 4 times in one month. I had it for my birthday a couple years ago and for my bridal shower. I can’t even explain it, it’s just the best cake I ever tasted. The only thing I do differently is I don’t add the blackberries or pistachios, I like that stuff just not on the cake. I love the cream cheese frosting, the ganache. And I love a rum moist cake and the crunch of the poppy seeds. So thankyou for having this recipe.
Hello Vika, that is so awesome to know! I’m really happy that you love this recipe so much, it looks like it is your new favorite. Thank you for sharing your good feedback with us!
Have made this cake couple times now and I love it! I am making it for a baby shower and was wondering if you think it would still be okay if for the gnache I used white chocolate so that I could dye the color blue!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me! I have not tested this with a dye but I bet that could work!
Hi, Natasha!
I noticed you use a 9-inch cake pan for a lot of your desserts. How deep is your cake pan? I’m looking at purchasing a couple of pans and I am having trouble deciding on the depth. What size, in depth, do you tend to use most?
Hi Victoria, here is a link to my go-to springform pan.
Hi Natasha, I want to make this recipe. Can I add more poppy seeds ? Perhaps 1/2 cup instead of 1/4 cup ? I LOVE poppy seeds in pastry, my CZech Grandmother used them all the time. We like a LOT of them. But of course I do want the cake to come out right, can this work ?
I haven’t tested that with this amount Surati but it may work! IF you experiment, please let me know how you like this recipe.
Omg! such a mouthwatering recipe.
This is actually art 🙂 thanks for sharing the recipe. Can i replace Bacardi with any Italian Amari? Like Montenegro, limoncello or anything else? I have so many italian amari bottles at home and wonder if i could use them here?
Hi Sara, I honestly haven’t tasted that variety so I’m not sure. You might do a google search to see if they are common substitutes for each other, or mix it up with a little sugar water and see how you like the taste.
I’ve made it!!!!!! Yeah first time tried and it’s works. Thank you so much for such a detailed tutorial video. Love you recipes.
You’re welcome Alla! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed that!
I’m SO excited I found this recipe, I’ll be making this for my boyfriend’s birthday. Is it possible to use Monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar, and would it taste similar? Just trying to limit sugar.
Hi Robyn, I have not tested that with Monkfruit to advise. I don’t see any comments made with that either. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Should poppy seeds be soaked first or left dry? I usually soak in other recipes.
Hi SJ, that is a great question. This recipe does not require them to be soaked.
I followed the directions exactly and beat those eggs in my 6 qt Kitchenaid professional mixer for 8 minutes. The eggs were at room temperature and the batter would just not ribbon. I extended the beating time to 10 minutes and it still wouldn’t ribbon. I made my own cake flour, I sifted the flour twice, and I added it in batches. The mixer parts were clean and I watched the video and I was very gentle and careful in folding in the flour but since the eggs never ribboned the cakes came out flat. Is it possible to over beat the eggs and sugar?
Great question, Yolanda! Yes it is easy to overbeat heavy cream and if you do, it turns buttery. It can be rescued by beating in a little bit more liquid cream.
Hi Natasha,
I will be trying this one for my husbands birthday…. I am a little nervous as my oven is not big enough for the two 9″ tins, can I put both of them in on different racks?
Hi Laura, you can definitely try that. One might cook better than the other at different levels from the heat source. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha, all your cakes with liquor, are kids 3 and older ok having it? or is it adult friendly only?
Hi Kathy, with the teeny tiny amount that will actually be in a slice, I have never worried about it both for flavor or alcohol properties. If you are concerned that your kids might not like the flavor, you could easilly cut the amount of rum in half so it’s just a hint of extra flavor. Or leave it out completely and just use a sugar water or even something like sprite.
Hi,Natasha. I want to try to make this cake,but in a rectangle pan,do I need to double the recipe?
Hi Olga, I would double it and make it in two separate batches or it would overwhelm most mixers that aren’t industrial sized. That is what I did with my strawberry cake in a rectangular pan.
I’m in love with this cake! Seriously, my new favorite now. I’ve made this cake 3 times already and every time it came out sooo delicious. Thank you for this great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha! I have been going through your blog trying to settle on which new cake to make for a family gathering I have decided on this one, but wanted to add a few things to it and wanted your opinion. My mother loves complicated cakes, with a variety of creams and especially nuts and caramel. To make this cake sweeter I wanted to cover each sponge layer with a thin layer of cooked dulce de leche in addition to everything else, and add candied walnuts instead of pistachios. Would that preserve the texture or do you think that would be out of character for this cake? Last question, would adding a layer of bezhe, similar to Kievsky tort, be a little too much for this cake?
Hi Nina, I haven’t tried that combination, but I think a layer of dulce de leche sounds tasty, but I suggest allowing the rum mixture to soak in a few minutes before applying the dulce de leche or it would be difficult to spread without getting pieces of cake caught up in it. Candied walnuts should work fine. A layer of meringue would be too much since it is a moist cake and would make the meringue mushy.
It is really a great recipe using Poppy seeds. I haven’t found any cake with it in our locality thought Poppy seeds is widely available. I think I have to suggest your recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Mobasir!
Hi natasha. I’m doing this cake for the second time now and I’ve experienced the same issue both times: all nice and good but after it’s baked (I don’t open the ovens door during baking) it flattens. 🤔😩 what am I doing wrong? Maybe I should add a bit more flour? The texture is lovely, very soft and airy. The only thing that bothers me is that it loses almost a quarter of its height. Thanks a lot for the recipe. We love it!
Hi Amelia! I’m more than happy to troubleshoot! If the eggs and sugar are not beaten sufficiently, then the cakes won’t rise. The cake relies on the whipped eggs and sugar for volume – it acts as the leavening which makes the cake rise in the oven but if they are not beaten per the instructions (with a reliable stand mixer), they will end up flat. Was anything altered in the recipe? Did you use dry poppy seeds? 🙂
Thank you for your quick response. I have a stand mixer and I did leave them for 10 minutes. The eggs get very foamy and triple in size. And yes, I used dried poppy seeds. All the time I follow your recipes word by word 😊
Hi Natasha, thank you for the recipe. I feel like I might be doing something wrong with the batter. The amount of batter is only enough for one 9 inch tin and comes only half way. the images show two 9 inch tins and almost both of them are full. Help 🙂
Hi Dalya, the primary reason for this cake not to rise is under-beating the eggs and sugar. Watch our video on how to make the classic European sponge cake base (which also has troubleshooting tips in the post). I hope that helps!
Hello! We dont like chocolate ganache, is there something else to replace it with or is there a way to make it sweeter? thank you!
Hi Vicki, you could skip the ganache and just use the cream. I would add a little more sugar to the frosting as well as the syrup to make it sweeter. I hope you love this poppy seed cake! 🙂
What brand cake flour do you like? I’ve made your poppyseed cake roll many times, we love it so I know this cake will be a hit as well. I want to make it for my mom’s birthday this Saturday. Thank you ☺️
Hi Jenny. Often times we make our own. If you click on the link that says “make it with two ingredients” it takes you to my cake flour recipe. You can make your own cake flour with 2 ingredient. It’s just all-purpose flour + corn starch if you wanted to make homemade cake flour 🙂
Hello,nice share.
So happy you liked it! Thank you!
Hi Natasha! What’s the purpose of using 6 eggs and 2 egg whites? Will it turn out with 7 whole eggs instead? Thank you!
Hi Deana, the 2 extra whites make the cake super fluffy. You can still make it work well with 7 whole eggs instead.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for the great recipes! I have tried a few of your recipes so far, including this cake and they were all a big success 😀 Will be trying more of your recipes !!!
Hello Victoria, I’m happy to hear how much you’re enjoying the recipes! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments!
I quadrupled this recipe and made a huge cake for my husbands and little girls 1st birthday. The cake turned out to weight about 17lbs! It was delicious and the frosting and ganache held up really well outside at the park all day where we were celebrating 🙂
Wow, that sounds glorious! I’m glad to hear the recipe was a huge success, lol. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review Lena!
Can I omit corn starch and just use flour by it self?
Hi Oksana, the corn starch creates more of a cake flour and makes the crumb softer. It would still work without it but the texture would be slightly different.
Hi Natasha
Can I use potato starch instead corn starch for the cake flour?
Hi Oksana, I honestly have not tried that substitution so I am not certain. You might try googling something like “cake flour potato starch” and see if anyone has experimented. Sorry I can’t be more help!
Made this recipe for a family gathering and everyone LOVED it!
That’s great, I’m glad to hear that Ina! Thanks for sharing!
What can I substitute with the rum filling? Is coffee flavor ok? Would you advice how to do this coffee flavor filling and should I follow the same frosting or add some coffee flavor in frosting as well?
Lastly I read someone asked if we could freeze the cake. So its ok to make this a few days in advance with the cream cheese frosting and ganache and freeze it?
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried this one with coffee but I think it would work. Here is our tiramisu cake that we put together using the same cake base to give you ideas for the syrup.
Hi Natasha
I want to make this for a friend who is celiac.
Do you think I can just substitute a gf blend like bob’s red meal for the flour?
Hi Cheriee, I haven’t tried that personally, but I have had several readers write in that this sponge cake base does work well with gluten free flour, so I think it could work well in this since it is basically the same sponge cake base with poppy seeds added.
Hi Natasha,
I have made the roll version of your poppy seed cake, that was absolutely delicious. Now I have some occasion coming up and would like to make couple of round cakes.
What size pan do you use for this recipe?
What would be the ratio if I need to make 14″ and 9″ cakes?
Thank you.
Hi Ruta, I’m so glad you enjoyed the poppy seed cake roll! This cake requires two 9″ cake pans. For two 14″ cake pans, I would suggest making 1 1/2 times the recipe.
Want to make this cake for my son’s birthday but wondering with rum in it if it’s considered kid friendly? Any idea?
Thanks.
Hi Mila, with the teeny tiny amount that will actually be in a slice, I have never worried about it both for flavor or alcohol properties. If you are concerned that your kids might not like the flavor, you could easilly cut the amount of rum in half so it’s just a hint of extra flavor. Or leave it out completely and just use a sugar water or even something like sprite.
My son loves a poppy seed torte that I make …. I’m thinking I will make this for his birthday this year…. does this need to stay refrigerated? Or can it sit out for several hours for travel and dinner?
Charlotte, because the frosting is dairy based, you want the cake to stay refrigerated as long as possible. Cake will survive up to 3 hours travel but make sure its full chilled before hitting the road. Hope this helps 😬.
Thank you!!
My pleasure Charlotte!
Hi, I am going to make this cake today and was wondering about the mixer. I only have a hand mixer with beater attachments- no whisk attachment. Could I use those, or is it better to just manually whisk the egg sugar mixture? Thank you so much!
There is no way to beat it sufficiently by hand. You will need a high powered electric hand mixer and the beaters attachment will work but you will probably need to add 2-3 minutes of beating time if using a hand mixer since a stand mixer is more efficient in whipping. I hope that helps!!
Did you soak the poppy seeds beforehand?
Hi Katie, I did not soak in this recipe.
Can you freeze this cake, with the ganache frosting?
Mik
Hi Mika, I haven’t tried freezing this one but I think it would work fine. I have frozen my walnut cake with the same ganache and it worked great :). I would refrigerate the cake first so it firms up and then when you cover it, the plastic wrap won’t stick to the cake, unless you have a cake box which would be convenient for sure 🙂
Hi what do you mean make it with two ingredients i am using cake flour for the poppy seed cake
Hi Celia, if you click on the link that says “make it with two ingredients” it takes you to my cake flour recipe. You can make your own cake flour with 2 ingredients (I’ll update that to read more clearly). It’s just all-purpose flour + corn starch if you wanted to make homemade cake flour 🙂
This cake was a big hit at my daughters birthday! I made it last summer and kept forgetting to write a review! Its a perfect combination between chocolate glaze and delicious frosting, and I’ve used blackberries from my own garden. yummy !!!
Mmmm, the blackberries sound delish! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Made this cake for my brothers birthday and everyone loved it. It came out so delicious and with the way you decorated it the cake became the centerpiece. Usually my cakes aren’t this good or pretty. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome Nina! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! 🙂
Just had to drop in and leave a quick comment..made this cake a couple of weeks ago and it was awesome!!
You’re welcome Linda, thank you so much for the review! 🙂
Hi Natasha, I love this recipe, but both times I made it the cake layers stuck to the wire rack (so that when I lifted them, bits of cake came off on the rack). Any ideas on what I can do to prevent that? Thanks.
It’s ok to cool them on the parchment paper if you’re having trouble with your rack. Also, try flipping them back over and setting them top side up. The top of the cake tends to stick more to the racks. I hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Natasha! Do you have to cook the poppy seeds? & where did you buy your cake pans?
Valentina, I used uncooked poppy seeds and cake pans were purchased at TJ Max, but you can also buy them on Amazon.
I baked this cake for Christmas and it was amaizing!! I can’t wait to try something new, how about royal walnut cake? 😊🍰
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The walnut cake or pomegranate cake are both great choices :). We had the walnut cake for Christmas 🙂
Hi Natasha,
This recipe calls for dry poppy seeds but I was wondering if I can make it with ready/wet poppy seeds?
Hi Katie, the biskvit sponge cake does not respond well to moisture and you would risk deflating your cake. I would suggest dry poppy seeds for this bater.
Looks yummy! Do you think I could make the cream cheese frosting a few days ahead of time?
Hi Joanna, I think it looks and spreads best fresh but you can make it and refrigerate a few days ahead, then bring to room temp, or until it is a spreadable consistency.
the cream is similar to tirimisu cake =)
Do you think i could use only 1 cream cheese in this recipe instead of 2?
Hi Olga, I don’t think it would be enough frosting to cover the entire cake. It was already a pretty thin layer. It could work if you don’t frost the sides. Or, you could add more whipped cream to increase the amount of frosting.
Hi, Natasha! Do you think “Myers’s rum” (original dark) would work ok for this cake? Or no? That’s the only one I have.
Hi Rita, I think it would work 🙂
Hi Natasha
I plan to make this cake during the week and need it for Saturday. Would it be OK if I make it on Thursday night, or would it go bad by Saturday?
Hi Anna, I think that would work fine to make it Thursday night then refrigerate until Saturday, but you might want to add fresh berries for decor the day you’re serving.
Hi Natasha-
I’m planning on making this cake for a work baking contest so I need to perfect it before bringing it in. I wanted to inquire about the mixer. I don’t have a stand mixer but only a hand mixer. Do you have any tips for hand mixers? Would I normally mix longer with a hand mixer then the times you have on the recipes? Any tips would help majorly.
Thanks so much!
Best,
Diana
Hi Diana, it depends on the recipe, but in general I do mix longer when using a hand mixer. You would probably want to beat it at least 10 minutes with the hand mixer if it is a good strong electric hand mixer.
Wonderful! Thanks so much!
Hello Natasha,
First of all, this cake is amazing! The best cake I’ve ever made or tried.
Second, my aunt asked to make this cake for a wedding (200 pieces). She also wants them to be big and squared. I found Wilton 12×18 pans and was wondering if you can help me with he recipe measuremts or any suggestions that you have on how to make it work.
If you’d like to you can email me at epetrashishen12@georgefox.edu or call/text at (503)347-8495.
Thank you so much again!:) looking forward hearing from you!:)
Hi Esther, you’ll just have to experiment. It’s hard to say when I haven’t tried it in that size before. My instinct is to say 1 1/2 of the recipe but again, without testing it that way, I can’t say for sure.
Hi Natasha, my friend made this cake and it was delicious, so I decided to give it a try.. so I just baked the cakes and they are super thin but that’s probably due to my cheap mixer. However, the cakes smell like fried eggs :/ I’m clueless why.. Is there anything I can do to minimize the smell, any tricks?
Thanks!
Hi Riat, if the eggs and sugar are not beaten sufficiently (and it sounds like a mixer problem), then the cakes won’t rise and will be eggy. The cake relies on the whipped eggs and sugar for volume – it acts as the leavening which makes the cake rise in the oven but if they are not beaten per the instructions (with a reliable stand mixer), they will end up flat. To minimize the smell, you really just need to beat the eggs and sugar longer and at high speed. That will make all the difference! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
If I wanted to bake this cake in a two 8-inch pans, would that work also?
Hi Esther, I think it would work but your batter will probably reach the very top of your cake pan.
Hey Natasha
Thank you for the recipe turned out really good. I changed it a bit. I added cacao to the flour and made it a chocolate cake and for the ganache I did
1 cup sugar
3 tbs cacao
8 tbs milk
Boil it for 15-20 min mixing it
And then add 113 gr of butter
Turned out super good
Thank you for sharing that with us! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
If I want to do half of this recipe, how many eggs and egg whites do I use?
Hi Inna, are you planning to bake in a single 9-inch pan and have a 2-layer cake? I’d cut the ingredients in half exactly, so 3 eggs and 1 white.
Wow I am so thankful for you and so proud of myself!!! I love sweets but mostly of my tryings to bake something turn out.. well… my dog appreciates it 🙂 I had a big temptation to buy a cake for my son Birthday Party in the Russian store and save my nervous system, but i gave a try to this cake, and everybody loved it!!! I love that all of the recipes I tried from your website turn out great!!! all 4 salads I made for the party were from here and cake, and cupcakes and rice with mushrooms pilaf, I am so happy to discover Your kitchen, so Finally i can save my time and easily find a recipe that actually turns out great not only for me and my pets 🙂 Thank You very MUCH!!! You’re a blessing to me! Even my hubby, who doesn’t like to try new foods was happy with your vegetable marinated salad, actually, like everybody else 🙂 Thank You very much!
Hi Ilona! Yours is seriously my favorite review 🙂 I’m so thankful for you also! Thank you for trying my recipes and making them for the people you love. I’m so happy this was a big success for you! 🙂
This is my new favorite cake! The rum gives it such a kick of flavor! Love it! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I’m so glad you love it! Thanks Dana 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if I can make the chocolate ganache using white chocolate chips? Or does it have to be the semi sweet chocolate chips for it to come out right?
I think the proportion of white chocolate chips to cream might be slightly different. I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure. Sorry I can’t be more help with your question.
I made this cake twice and my mom can’t get enough of it! I plan to use the cake batter and icing and turn them into cupcakes. Could you give an guestimation on how many normal sized cupcakes this could make? Many thanks~
I’m so happy you both love it! To be honest, I’m not sure this would be great for cupcakes. The batter has no fat in it and I think it would stick to cupcake liners or a muffin tin pretty badly. If you do go ahead and test it, let me know how it turns out 🙂
Are the pistachios optional, or do they add a lot of flavor to the cake? Made it last night & will decorate today! It’s my dad’s birthday on Sunday and If I don’t bring dessert no one else does lol, so I started making the honey cake finished all the layers and last night at about 7:00PM I was browsing around your blog and there I was 10 minutes later making this cake as well! Can’t wait to try it!
Also I used whisky instead of rum! Since that’s what I had on hand. So I’m very nervous about that, but my friend said they taste very very similar. Keeping my fingers crossed
Oh ok, I just don’t have experience with whisky really but do let me know how it goes! 🙂
The pistachios are nice but not totally necessary. You can replace them with something else either fruit or nuts.
Hi Natasha,
If we freeze the layers, how do we thaw them? Do we just let it sit? Or pit the syrup on right away?
Let them thaw either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Once it’s thawed, apply syrup and continue with the cake per the recipe 🙂
Another quick question: What tool did you use to spread the cream?
I used a small icing spatula: http://amzn.to/1oPburb
wowww… very nice recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
You’re so very welcome 🙂 I’m glad you like it!
Hi Natasha –
Last time I used chai seeds, not poppy seeds, and turn very good, but i made рулет not a cake, really wanna try this cake. Thanks a lot for your hard work . . .
do you mean chia seeds? I haven’t tried baking with those so I can’t say for sure hot it would affect the texture of the recipe.
Made this cake for company at my house. Everyone loved it. I usually don’t try new recipes on guests but with natashas kitchen there is no worrying that something won’t taste good. 😋😋
Thank you Diana, what a compliment 🙂 and thank you for the nice review.
That looks really good and the decorating is on point.
Thank you 😀.
Hi Natasha!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Really excited to make it however, would love to use the rum syrup but my sister and I are pregnant. Can you make suggestions on how to make the rum syrup without the alcohol (really don’t want to use lemon juice since I think the rum syrup in such cakes is awesome). Thank You!
Hi Lira, I can’t really think of anything besides a simple water/sugar syrup or water/lemon/sugar syrup if you aren’t using alcohol. You could use some kind of clear juice for a little more flavor. You could also use less of the rum so you just get a hint of it without any effect.
Hello Natasha, im planning to make this tomorrow 🙂 I have original bacardi rum, do you think its ok? or should i buy the one you suggested?
thanks
I think that will work fine. Slightly different in flavor but still good. 🙂
where can i buy Bacardi gold rum??
Unfortunately the only place to get rum or any liquor is the liquor store. They aren’t typically sold in grocery stores.
I make this cake with Bacardi rum all the time! Absolutely delicious!
Hi Natasha,
As someone who is not a pro in the kitchen by any means, I have a question – how do you know you’ve over-beat your whipping cream? Is it visible in its texture, taste or both? I’ve always been intimidated by cooking/baking. So much so that before I would have chosen to write a 5 page paper on something, rather than prepare a meal, but recently I’ve been determined to conquer my cooking fears:-) I want to thank you for your yummy and clear step-by-step recipes – yours is my go-to recipe site and I have made many, many of your recipes and learned quite a bit from you!:-)
Natasha, I’m so happy to hear that you are enjoying the site 😃. For whipped cream, it is done when it’s stiff and spreadable. It is over-beaten when turns buttery. To fix it, add a little more fresh cream and continue beating until fluffy. This is why I always buy more whipped cream than I need because its easy to over-beat. Hope this helps 😁.
Such an amazing cake! Made it this past weekend and it was gone way too quickly! Will definitely make again. Only thing is my poppy seed seemed to be stale even though I just bought it and it was a closed package. Trying to figure out where I can buy better poppy seed.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! I have found the best quality poppy seeds to be at Whole foods and the second best at Rosauers. The one at Whole Foods seems the closest to the ones my Mom grows and stores. I hope that helps!
This cake looks AMAZING! I’m gonna make it ASAP! I was wondering can I use regular flour instead of cake flour?
I make biskvit cake with regular all-purpose flour all the time and it works fine but the cake flour is softer. Check out the recipe for cake flour that I have posted. If you have corn starch and all-purpose flour, it’s really really easy to make 🙂 The corn starch helps the cake to form a really tender and fluffy crumb.
Hi Natasha! I just made this cake for Valentine’s Day. Now im super amazed and puzzled, how did you get the ganache to dribble down so perfectly and get the frosting so perfectly smooth? I ended up covering all the sides with the ganache because it dribbled down clumsily, and even then the covering was wobbly looking…! Your most recent recipes look super pretty and professional these days. Did you take some king of presentation course recently? 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Galina, it sounds like your ganache needed a little bit more time to cool. It also helps if your cake is cool when you put the ganache on because it cools the ganache and slows it down as you pour it on. I’d recommend waiting just a little longer if you see it’s dribbling down too fast. Thank you for the compliment! I haven’t taken any courses although I would like to some day when my schedule frees up a bit :). I just make tons of cakes and have a lot of practice 🙂
Is it possible to over beat the whipping cream? I beat mine for about 2.5 mins and it separated into stiff curds and liquid….!
Hi Galina, yes it is easy to overbeat heavy cream and if you do, it turns buttery. It can be rescued by beating in a little bit more liquid cream.
WOW!!! Natasha this looks absolutely amazing. My mouth is watering! Will have to put this on my list of cakes to try!
You won’t be disappointed 😋. I would love to hear your feedback once you get to it.
Whoa!!! Is this the best cake in the world or what? I am saving this recipe and I’ll make sure to make it ASAP.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!
Aww thank you! That’s quite a compliment! Thank you and Happy Valentines Day to you!
Gorgeous cake Natasha:-)
Thank you so much Anna! This is a fun one to make and decorate 🙂
What a gorgeous cake! I love the way you decorated it 🙂 Poppy seeds are a cool flavor too!
What an awesome compliment. Thanks June! 🙂
Wow Natasha, you’ve outdone yourself! This cake is so beautiful 🙂 I love poppy seeds. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Thank you Natasha, I had fun making it 😁.
For the whipped cream cheese frosting, I’ve made this lots of times and was never able to get it right. I freeze the mixing bowl and use very cold heavy whipping cream, but still can’t get it to the right consistency in 2 minutes, it’ll usually take me at least 6-8 minutes, but by then it already tastes buttery. Any suggestions?
What kind of mixer are you using? You might try using an electric hand mixer for better control to beat the cream to the right consistency. 6-8 minutes is a long time for whipped cream. You want to stop beating the cream when it’s fluffy and spreadable but before it turns buttery. It takes me about 2 minutes in my KitchenAid stand mixer.
What’s the best way to freeze this cake? Should I brush it with syrup before or after freezing? Will the whole finished cake (brushed with syrup and frosted) keep well in the freezer?
Also, how long does it keep in the Fridge without drying out?
Love your blog. Excited to try these recipes! Thank you!
Hi Diane, I haven’t tried freezing the frosted cake. I’ve frozen the baked cake layers with a sheet of parchment between layers and wrapped loosely with plastic wrap. It keeps for at least a month in the freezer. Sorry, I just haven’t frozen the entire assembled cake to say for sure.
Wow, what a gorgeous cake. I love the drippiness of the ganache. Your sister is one lucky lady!!
I’ll make sure to tell her that. lol. Thank you Kate 🙂
Hello, would it be ok if I used cool whip as a substitute for heavy whipping cream?
Inna, yes; the frosting would be a little thicker but it should still work 😀.
I definitely want to try this cake, but I always struggle with how much of the rum syrup I’m supposed to brush on the layers. I made the poopy seed roll cake twice, once I put too much of the syrup and the other time I didn’t put enough. Do you have any tips?
Hi Tanya, great question! I keep mine in a measuring cup and look at the measurements so I can tell about how much I’m using and I use 1/4 of the mixture for each layer. I hope that helps!
Natasha, when I make biskvit, my cake layers dip in the middle and I always have to cut off the edges. How do you make it so that your cake stays flat on the top and doesn’t cave in ?
Have you tried this recipe? It helps to add a little baking powder and also do not grease the sides of the cake pan. I hope that helps! 🙂
Pure perfection hon!!! Photography is stunning…<3
Thank you so much :-). That’s quite a compliment!
The colors of this cake are magnificent! I can’t wait to try it. Love you blog!
Thank you so much for that compliment. You’re so nice :). I’m so happy you like my blog!
Natasha that cake looks SOO good, I love poppy seed cakes too! When I saw the poppy seed roll, I thought to turn it into a cake, and now you did all the work, Thank you! 🙂 I will definitely make it soon!
Ha ha! Great minds think alike I guess 😉 Thank you for that awesome compliment 🙂
Wow!!
this looks DEELicious 😃
How will it be without the poppy seeds? Can’t find it where I live..
Will it alter the taste much?
Thanks!!
Hi, It would still turn out super delicious even if you can’t find poppy seeds. 🙂