This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Imagine taking a big bite of this moist poppy seed cake roll generously filled with a cream cheese frosting, layered with velvety chocolate ganache and pummeled with salted pistachios. It’s moist, sweet, tangy, chocolaty and a teensy bit salty. We have a winner!
My sister said this was my best Poppy Seed Cake Roll yet and everyone who had a chance to try it (because we selfishly ate half of it), loved it! Roulades are great; they’re easy to put together and make you look like you got your degree in culinary arts (rather than business or nursing, or both ;)).
Ingredients for the Poppy seed Cake Roll:
4 eggs (cold or room temp)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 cup shelled, salted pistachios
Ingredients for Syrup:
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup rum
Ingredients for Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
Ingredients for chocolate ganache (click here for ganache tutorial):
8 oz (1/2 lb or about 1 1/3 cup of ) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
You will need:
Parchment paper
Wire rack – recommended
11×17 rimmed baking sheet
How to Make the Poppy Seed Cake Roll:
If you never made a European Sponge Cake, watch the video before you get started:
1. Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line the bottom of a large an 11×17 rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Beat 4 eggs with 1/2 cup white sugar on high speed for 5-7 minutes or until thick and tripled in volume. Fold in 1/2 tsp vanilla.
3. Whisk together 2/3 cup flour with 1/4 tsp baking powder and 2 Tbsp poppy seeds, then fold the flour mixture into the batter. Fold together with a spatula (not with the mixer) scraping from the bottom to make sure no flour pockets are left. Fold just until all of the flour is incorporated. Don’t over-work it since the volume of the eggs helps it rise.
4. Spread batter evenly onto your prepared baking sheet. I used this OXO Bent Icing Knife
5. Once the cake comes out of the oven, remove it from the baking pan, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper over it and roll the cake roll loosely (rolling it while it’s still warm helps prevent cracks).
Let the rolled cake cool to room temp, then you can remove the backing and lay it flat again keeping the same side up as before so you are rolling in the same direction after it’s frosted.
How to Make the Syrup:
1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup hot water with 1 Tbsp sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in 1/4 cup rum then set aside to cool to room temp while you work on the frosting.
How to Make the Cream Filling:
1. Beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with 3/4 cup powdered sugar until smooth (1 min).
2. While the mixer is on, beat in 1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream. Turn the mixer up to high speed and continue to beat 3 minutes or until cream is thick and spreadable. Refrigerate frosting until ready to spread.
Assembly:
1. Brush the top of your unrolled cake roll (the side that will be the inside once it’s rolled up) evenly with the syrup. Let it soak it up for 5 minutes.
2. Spread your cream filling evenly over the top of the cake and start rolling your cake from the same side as before, keeping a tight(-ish) roll without squeezing out the frosting.
3. Next, follow these instructions on how to make the chocolate ganache and how to glaze the cake with minimal waste.
4. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios down the top center of the roll before the chocolate is set so they stick. Refrigerate the finished roll until ganache is set (at least 1 hr is best).
Serve generous slices to your eager friends and family 🙂
If you try it, let me know! 🙂 Have a fantastic and blessed day!
Poppy Seed Cake Roll with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 eggs, room temp
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup shelled, salted pistachios, coursely chopped
For the Syrup:
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup rum
For the Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp
- 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
For Ganache: (visit NatashasKitchen.com for ganache recipe & tutorial)
- 8 oz 1/2 lb or about 1 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
You will need:
- Parchment paper
- Wire rack - recommended
- 11 x17 rimmed baking sheet
Instructions
How to Make the Cake Roll:
- Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line the bottom of a large an 11x17 rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat 4 eggs with 1/2 cup white sugar on high speed for 5-7 minutes or until thick and tripled in volume. Fold in 1/2 tsp vanilla.
- Whisk together 2/3 cup flour with 1/4 tsp baking powder and 2 Tbsp poppy seeds, then fold the flour mixture into the batter. Fold together with a spatula (not with the mixer) scraping from the bottom to make sure no flour pockets are left. Fold just until all of the flour is incorporated. Don't over-work it since the volume of the eggs helps it rise.
- Spread batter evenly onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350˚F for 13-15 min or until top is golden.
- Once the cake comes out of the oven, remove it from the baking pan, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper over it and roll the cake roll loosely (rolling it while it's still warm helps prevent cracks). Let the rolled cake cool to room temp, then you can remove the backing and lay it flat again keeping the same side up as before so you are rolling in the same direction after it's frosted.
How to Make the Syrup:
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup hot water with 1 Tbsp sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in 1/4 cup rum then set aside to cool to room temp while you work on the frosting.
How to Make the Cream Filling:
- Beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with 3/4 cup powdered sugar until smooth (1 min).
- While the mixer is on, beat in 1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream. Turn the mixer up to high speed and continue to beat 3 minutes or until cream is thick and spreadable. Refrigerate frosting until ready to spread.
Assembly:
- Brush the top of your unrolled cake roll (the side that will be the inside once it's rolled up) evenly with the syrup. Let it soak it up for 5 minutes.
- Spread your cream filling evenly over the top of the cake and start rolling your cake from the same side as before, keeping a tight(-ish) roll without squeezing out the frosting.
- Once the cake is done, follow the recipe and tutorial for chocolate ganache and how to glaze the cake with minimal waste on NatashasKitchen.com.
- Sprinkle the chopped pistachios down the top center of the roll before the chocolate is set so they stick. Refrigerate the finished roll until ganache is set (at least 1 hr is best).
I made this cake yesterday for Super Bowl Sunday. It was a huge hit. Lovely delicate flavor of the rum liquid, I believe, was its best feature. My husband said that he liked the “sponginess” of the cake itself. We were thinking about adding orange zest to the cream cheese mixture next time, and oh, Natasha, we did add about a half teaspoon of kosher salt to the cream cheese mixture to cut the sweetness, and also, I added some vanilla without changing the color. A wonderfully written recipe. I followed the directions to a “T,” even when I thought I would never be able to roll the baked cake. I did, though. Now, what to do with the leftover ganache. And Natasha, I would love to see you each day on the Food Network! You would bring back the “how-to” that is used to be before it became so heavily involved in the food competitions.
Thank you so much for your awesome review and what you said about the Food Network! You’re so nice :). That’s quite a compliment!
It has the advantage of being true. Your TV-Q is sky-high……I hope that is your goal.
You are so nice, thank you 😃.
Hi,
Can I make this cake the night before serving it?
Thanks
Yes! You sure can! You can even make it 2 days before if you really need to. If you like this one, you’ll love my next cake post. Stay tuned! 🙂
Do you think the juice from jarred sour cherries would work instead of the rum?
Kari
Hi Kari, yes it would be a little bit different flavor but a juice would work if you wanted to omit the alcohol.
Made this for the second time today, this time doubled it and made 2 rolls for both the Thanksgiving parties we’re going to. It’s even better with actual chocolate instead of chocolate chips! Even though it does require an extra step (chopping the chocolate)
Oh yeah, and of course I received multiple compliments 🙂
Nelya, thank you for the great review 😀 . Looks like you had a busy Thanksgiving day with two parties 🙂 .
Sweet, gonna make this today! I just bought shelled pistachios at Costco and happen to have the rest of the ingredients 🙂 woo-hoo!
Mmm I need to make this cake again. Every time someone comments on a recipe, I get to craving it. 🙂 I hope you love it!
absolutely beautiful looking cake and I’m sure it tastes even better. Will have to add this to my collection. Thank you
Thank you so much for the compliment :). I hope you love it!
Made this yesterday, it’s going to be one of my favorites now. Easy to make and soooo good!
Thank you Angelina! I”m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I don’t have pistachios on hand, would any other nuts work as well?? like pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts? and you think i should toast them before topping off the roll? thanks so much!
Victoria, other nuts would work great as well, just toast them for few minutes first :).
Natasha,
This recipe calla for 1/4 cup rum. Can I replace it with Kajmir 20% alc by vol vanilla favored liquor that is a blend of premium brandy, fine vodka, and natural vanilla flavors? If so, how much of it do you suggest to use?
Thanks much!
Since I haven’t tried it, it’s hard to say how much of it you’d need. It sounds like it’s going to be much stronger than rum since it’s a liquor. I’d say you should add it to taste; start with a teaspoon and maybe work up to a Tablespoon of it. It’s perfectly fine to replace it. I’ve even used plain sugar water before with great results. The Kajmir would probably add nice flavor to the cake.
Thank u very much Natasha for this recipe, I made it last night and it was delicious!!!
Love all your dishes!!!
Awww thanks so much Irina! I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
I want to try making this cake roll but I don’t like chocolate ganache, is there anything else that I could use to coat the cake roll?
You could increase the frosting and spread a thin layer over the top and then add cookie crumbs to the surface. Or use a chocolate frosting over the top; spread thinly and cover with crumbs if desired, or top chocolate frosting with berries.
Is it possible to use imitation rum extract instead of the alcohol rum??? Thank you
Yes, you can, just add a small amount since the extract will be much more potent than rum. You can also omit it if you want. It’s not absolutely crucial to the cake’s success but it does add nice flavor 🙂
Hi Natasha,
So happy I stumbled across your website, I want to try EVERY recipe on your website…the ones I have tried so far turned out AMAZING. Thank you for taking the time to post these for us to enjoy! On this poppyseed roll cake, is it possible to substitute rum for imitation rum extract?
Yes. I just got the same question earlier today. 🙂 Just add a small amount since the extract will be much more potent than rum. You can also omit it if you want. It’s not absolutely crucial to the cake’s success but it does add nice flavor 🙂
I have to say that I had my doubts about pulling this off, but things went exceedingly well thanks to your clear and concise instructions. Coupled with your experience and ability to anticipate potential problems, your website stands head and shoulders above most recipe sites.
Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada, and you have allowed me to bring a dish to the family dinner that I can be proud of. One more thing to be thankful for. Thanks for that.
Happy Thanksgiving to you! Thank you so much for the wonderful comment and compliments. I’m so inspired right now 🙂 You’re awesome and I’m thankful for great readers like yourself 🙂
Oh my gosh, this sounds and looks AMAZING! Buying poppy seeds first thing Monday! Thank you!!!!
Thank you so much Ruti and Enjoy! 🙂
I did the roll… OMG, nobody’s come yet but I hope they do before I finish it! It SUPERB! Thank you so much, Natasha!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks Ruti for a great review!
I made this cake roll few days ago and we all loved it (made this one and your Medovik 🙂 )! The ganache – mmmmmmm!!!!! It was my first time making a cake roll and it is so easy and beautiful! Thank you for your great recipes and tutorials!
The first time I made one, I remember being pleasantly surprised about how simple cake rolls were. They always looked so intimidating, but they really aren’t. Anyway, I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes. Thanks Vicki! 🙂
Made this yesterday and between three adults, it’s about 3/4 gone in one sitting! So so delicious! I didn’t have a wire rack to coat the roll and reuse the drippings so once the ganache set, I scraped off the extras off the wax paper before moving the roll to it’s final plate and sort of, well, ate the extra ganache!!! It was that good!!! I will be making this again SOON!
I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂 Thank you so much for the great review. I ate alot of ganache too the last time I made this 😉
I have poppy seed filling in a can. Would it be possible to use that instead of just the poppy seeds?
I don’t think the filling would blend well and might deflate the cake batter by the time it’s well incorporated. It’s a good thought, but I would still recommend using plain, dry poppy seeds.
Hi Natasha,
I stumbled over this recipe this afternoon and had to try it out right away. The flavors match wonderfully! But,following your instructions for the cream cheese frosting, the frosting turned out runny,even after spending an hour in the fridge. To save the dessert I changed it into a simple trifle layering the cut-up cake, nuts, chocolate ganache and the frosting.it did not look as pretty as the roll, but it certainly was delicious.
what could I have done wrong? I looked the instructions over again and I seem to have followed them, except for adding a couple drops of vanilla extract.
Did you make sure to use HEAVY whipping cream rather than just whipping cream? The fat content in the HEAVY whipping cream will keep it firmer, longer. If you used the correct heavy whipping cream, make sure it’s very cold and straight out of the fridge when using it and you could also try beating it longer.
Loved it! So tasty and easy!
Thank you so much for a great review! I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
Natasha, can I use anything to substitute the rum syrup?
Hi Masha, you could just use a simple syrup with water, sugar and lemon juice for a little more flavor, or you could use 1 can Sprite, 7-UP, or LaCroix with 2 Tbsp sugar.