This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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. 🙂