Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake with Custard Cream
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Remember the ugly/crookedy cake test that I shared on Instagram and Facebook? The cake tasted so good, I knew I had to perfect and share it. This Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake is naturally moist and has so many layers of flavor.
The pastry cream is lightly sweetened and complements the subtle tang of the sour cream. Mmm mmm and more mmm. Top it off with the chocolate ganache and a heavenly mound of raspberries and you’ve got yourself a cake that’s gorgeous and delicious.
Recipe Tips:
Read through the recipe before you begin. Make the pastry cream first since it needs time to cool (p.s. it can be made a day in advance). Follow the order of the steps listed. Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly!
Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake Ingredients:
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vinegar
1/3 cup poppy seeds
Custard Cream Ingredients:
9 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups heavy whipping cream
Ingredients for Ganache Recipe & Topping:
8 oz by weight (1/2 lb or about 1 1/3 cup of ) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
6 oz package fresh raspberries for garnish
CLICK HERE for Chocolate Ganache tutorial
How to Make Custard Cream Filling:
1. In a medium sauce pan, bring 3 cups of heavy whipping cream just to a simmer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 9 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until very smooth. As soon as you see the cream starting to simmer, add hot cream slowly in a thin stream to the yolk/sugar mixture, continually whisking
(tip: don’t add cream too fast or eggs may curdle and if they do curdle, strain through a sieve).
Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until just barely starting to simmer and the consistency of condensed milk then remove from heat. DO NOT BOIL. Let cool to room temp and thicken before spreading onto cake layers (tip: can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated to speed up the process).
How to Make Poppyseed Sour cream Cake:
Preheat Oven to 375˚F. Butter and flour 2 non-stick 9-inch cake pans.
1. In the bowl of an stand mixer using whisk attachment on high speed, beat 5 eggs and 2 cups sugar until pale yellow and thick (5 min).
2. Stir together 2 cups flour and 1/3 cup poppy seeds then blend into egg/sugar mixture with a spatula.
3. Put 2 cups sour cream in a large measuring cup. Put 2 tsp baking soda in a ramekin and stir in 2 tsp vinegar. It will fizz up, then stir it into the sour cream. As soon as the sour cream is visibly rising (it happens fast), mix it into the cake batter with a spatula until no streaks remain. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.
4. Bake 20-22 min at 375˚F or until tops are golden and toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans 5 min then transfer to wire rack and cool to room temp then slice cake layers in half with long serrated knife.
Assembling Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake:
1. Place first cake layer on a cake stand, cut-side-up. Spread 1/3 of the pastry cream over the top. Repeat with remaining cake layers and cream. Keep the bottom of your second cake layer for the top of the cake (its flat surface is perfect for the ganache). Use a spatula to remove any excess custard from the sides. Refrigerate cake at least 1 hour before preparing ganache.
2. After cake has been refrigerated at least 1 hour, prepare chocolate ganache.CLICK HERE for Chocolate Ganache tutorial. Pour ganache evenly over cake in a circular motion moving outward, then use a spatula to spread evenly. Since the cake is chilled, the ganache will firm up quicker and be easily spreadable. Scrape any excess chocolate from the cake stand and wipe stand clean with a moist paper towel. Garnish with fresh raspberries then refrigerate cake 4 hours or preferably overnight for the custard to set so it would be easier to slice. Let cake sit at room temp about 30 min before serving.
Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake with Custard Cream
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake Ingredients:
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups 16 oz sour cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1/3 cup poppy seeds
Custard Cream Ingredients:
- 9 large egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
Ganache Recipe
- & Topping:
- 8 oz by weight, 1/2 lb or about 1 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 oz package fresh raspberries for garnish
Instructions
How to Make Custard Cream Filling:
- In a medium sauce pan, bring 3 cups heavy whipping cream just to a simmer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 9 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until very smooth. As soon as the cream starts to simmer, add hot cream slowly in a thin stream to the yolk/sugar mixture, continually whisking. Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until just barely starting to simmer and the consistency of condensed milk then remove from heat. DO NOT BOIL. Let cool to room temp and thicken before spreading onto cake layers (tip: can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated to speed up the process).
How to Make Poppyseed Sour cream Cake:
- Preheat Oven to 375˚F. Butter and flour 2 non-stick 9-inch cake pans.
- In the bowl of an stand mixer using whisk attachment on high speed, beat 5 eggs and 2 cups sugar until pale yellow and thick (5 min).
- Stir together 2 cups flour and 1/3 cup poppyseeds then blend into egg/sugar mixture with a spatula.
- Put 2 cups sour cream in a large measuring cup. Put 2 tsp baking soda in a ramekin and stir in 2 tsp vinegar. It will fizz up, then stir it into the sour cream. As soon as sour cream is visibly rising (it happens fast), mix it into the cake batter with a spatula until no streaks remain. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake 20-22 min at 375˚F or until tops are golden and toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans 5 min then transfer to wire rack and cool to room temp then slice cake layers in half with long serrated knife.
Assembling your cake:
- Place first cake layer on a cake stand, cut-side-up. Spread 1/3 of the pastry cream over the top. Repeat with remaining cake layers and cream. Keep the bottom of your second cake layer for the top of the cake (its flat surface is perfect for the ganache). Use a spatula to remove any excess custard from the sides. Refrigerate cake at least 1 hour before preparing ganache.
- After cake has been refrigerated at least 1 hour, prepare chocolate ganache.
- Click here for Ganache Recipe. Pour ganache evenly over cake in a circular motion moving outward, then use a spatula to spread evenly. Remove any excess chocolate from the cake stand with a moist paper towel. Garnish with fresh raspberries then refrigerate cake 4 hours or preferably overnight for the custard to set so it would be easier to slice. Let cake sit at room temp about 30 min before serving.
Notes
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):
* The Wusthof Serrated Bread knife is also great for slicing cake layers.
* OXO kitchen scale with pull out display – so handy!
* A well stocked kitchen needs measuring cups of all sizes 🙂
*Ofcourse the “workhorse”: KitchenAid Pro 6Qt
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
RUNNY CUSTARD?? NO PROBLEM
This is a really really good cake!! However, the dozen times I’ve made it my custard ALWAYS comes our very runny. I found the perfect solution. I actually now prefer it runny 😊. Once you make the custard, let it fully cool. I would recommend placing it the freezer for a few hours then WHIP IT!! Yup – it’s heavy cream based so whipping it (when it fully cooled) makes the custard fluffy and stiff. You can whip it by hand or use a standing kitchen aid – 5min. I just made it and it turned out perfect again. Highly recommend
Thank you for sharing that tip Alena!
Hi
I was wondering if i can only use 1/3 of sugar for the cream and for it still turned out ok, since we already used 2 cups sugar for the cake. That seems like a lot of sugar for one cake.
Hi Oksana, the overall cake doesn’t come out too sweet (we also don’t like our sweets overly sweet). I’m not sure how it would affect the custard forming with using only 1/34 of the sugar.
I am having trouble with the custard. Is it supposed to look a bit foam-y?
I did not boil it I cooked it on low until it got a little thick. Now I put it in the fridge checked on it and it’s a bit foamy.
Hi Eva, I’m not exactly sure what you mean by foamy since I haven’t had that happen. Did you cook “until just barely starting to simmer and the consistency of condensed milk then remove from heat”?
Hi Natasha, I love your site and your recipes- yum!! I’m just watching season 2 episode 2 of The Great British Baking Show Masterclass and Mary Berry makes a Creme Anglaise, which seems quite similar to the pastry cream you have here, and hers is meant to be slightly runny. I made this sour cream cake for a birthday a couple days ago as a ‘Boston Cream Pie’, so I left out the poppy seeds, and due to the reviews of trouble with the cream being runny, I used a pastry cream recipe different from the one you have here (Tartine book 3) that includes corn starch. I had no trouble with the firmness of the cream. This cake was a huge hit and I’m so glad I made it! (Also as an fyi, I used whole grain spelt for the flour and coconut sugar with your same measurements and it was delish!)
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!!
I was hoping to make this cake for a large party… Would the cake and custard hold up if i were to double the recipe? Thank you in advance!
Hi Oksana, I honestly haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure. If you made the cake layers any taller, it might be too heavy for the custard.
This cake was easy to make, especially the decor part (which I’m surprised turned out amazing) I did have to cook the custard a lot longer for it to thicken up than the suggested time, just a tip for those that have the problem of runny custard. My guests liked the cake, although I’d say the custard wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t know what custard was, to me it tasted a big egg-y much. Otherwise great flavors come together with the poppyseeds, chocolate and raspberries. Thanks for another easy to follow recipe 😊
Thank you for sharing this feedback with us, Katie!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I have a question about the custard cream – since the egg yolks aren’t boiled when mixture goes back on stove, would they still cook through (ie: not considered raw) once the cream is made? Thank you in advance!
Hi Anna. They are cooked through and not raw by the time the custard is ready 🙂 Hope this helps.
Hi natasha
I have a question if I will make this cake Friday can stay will be good on Sunday?
Hi Valentina, I believe that will work if it is covered and refrigerated. I would suggest adding raspberries and garnish the same day you are serving for max freshness.
Do you think you can freeze the cake part for a couple days? Or what would be the best way to store it for 5 days?
Thanks!
Hi Alina, I haven’t tried that but I think the cake layers without the filling can be frozen for a couple of days, or wrapped in plastic and refrigerated to avoid defrosting. I would probably refrigerate if it is only 2 days.
My family loved this cake! I’ve made it several times, it’s so good! Thanks Natasha! 🙂
You’re welcome Lena! I’m glad to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Hello Natasha, we love this cake and I make it every holiday. I have a question for you, I always make it as it is with chocolate ganache on top but I wanted to know what is the best white type of frosting that could go with it on top instead of ganache. I want to make it for my daughter’s birthday and she wants this cake but I want it to be white so I can decorate it for a girl. Looking forward to hear from you soon!
Hi Ina, with this particular cake, the chocolate keeps everything together. If you wanted to try a different filling as well, you might try the Swiss Meringue Buttercream if you are looking for a white frosting, or even using the cupcake frosting should work well.
I will be making this cake for the second time! Everyone loved it the first time around!
Awesome! I’m glad to hear that Ruslana! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Would the finished product still look nice with half the recipe?
Hi Michelle, It would be half the size but you could cut it down and slice a single cake layer in half and put custard between the layers. I do think that would still work 🙂
I have a question for you – can i use poppy seeds pie filling ready made?
Hi Anette, I have only tried dry poppy seeds so I can’t speak to that. I would guess that it works best with dried poppy seeds.
Thanks Natasha
Hi Natasha, I am not sure where it’s best to leave this request 😉 It would be awesome if you found and posted a recipe for eclairs/cream puffs with custard cream that are enough for a party. People also fill them with cream that uses dulce de leche and cream with tvorog. 😊
Thank you for your request! It’s on my list 🙂
Hi, I made the custard cream and it turned out too runny, I tried to whip it the next day once it got cold but it only helped a little. So I put it back on the stove and cooked a little longer, boiled a little, constantly whisking and it worked. It got thick and more yellow, although it burns at the bottom and ends up in a cream (without changing the taste). I hope it’s helpful to the other readers that are having the same problem. Basically, just boil a little and it won’t be too runny.
HI .. Is it possible if I use for the filling half and half instead of heavy whipping cream?
Hi Cristina, I haven’t tested it that way, but I don’t think it would set properly with half and half because it has a lower fat content and is thinner.
Hello Natasha,
Can I make the cake without poppy seed?
Hi Marie, yes it would still work without the poppyseeds.
Hi Natasha, can this be made ahead a few days and frozen until ready to eat?
Hi Sarah, to be honest I’ve never tried freezing this cake so I’m not sure if the custard would freeze well or not.
Hi Natasha! I’m a huge fan of your blog! All the recipes I have tried off of it have been absolutely amazing! I’ve made this cake twice and have come to decide that this is probably now my all-time favorite cake!! I can’t stop sneaking bites of it everytime I wander into my kitchen! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!
On another note, I was wondering if perhaps you would be able to make this a video recipe? Because Although I have made the cake twice and it tasted absolutely wonderful both times, my custard has turned out runny every time (and I remade the custard a couple times both times I made the cake…) the only way I was able to get it onto the cake was by adding gelatin and even then a lot of the custard ended up running off the cake before I added the ganache. I’m sure the cake would taste even better if I were able to make the custard the right way so whenever you get the chance, I’m sure a video would be very helpful in making that happen!
Thank you again :))))
Hi Christina, that is a great suggestion! Cakes are a little more challenging to film because they take more time and our filming window (the baby’s nap) is pretty small :). I’ll add it to my list though. I’m so glad you like the cake and I would love to make the custard more clear with a video in the future. 🙂
Your cake looks so yummy! 😊 I would like to make this cake but I have a question: is it possible to substitute poppy seeds for something else? Maybe walnuts? What are my options? Would it still turn good if I don’t add poppy seeds? My hubby isn’t a bit fan of them….
Also sorry for a stupid question: what are the difference between poppy seeds Nd chia seeds? Or is it the same?
Also, do you have any other recipes with the same cream as in this recipie?
Thank you! 😊😘
You can substitute with walnuts. Instead of poppyseeds, use 1 cup of walnuts, toasted, cooled to room temp and chopped. Poppy seeds and chia seeds look similar but they are very different and they cannot be interchanged in baking. Chia seeds absorb moisture and turn gel-like, where poppyseeds don’t. I hope that helps!
I just finish to decorate it. Looks very good, kids can not waited until try. Today our son is 8, so we have party with this awesome cake. Thanks Natasha!!!!!! God be with you and bless your family!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Nina, thank you for such a sweet comment and happy birthday to your son 😁.
Hello – The link for the ganache recipe doesn’t work under “Assembling the Cake” section.
Julie, I just tried and the link is working. What browser are you using?
Hi Natasha it’s my again,
I would like to make this cake but in a 6-inch pan. Do you have any suggestions for what I should do? Do I need to change oven temperature or any ingredients?
I love this cake!! It’s so so perfect!!!
You’re amazing!!
Hi Esther, I’m not sure I could give you exact measurements without trying it in a 6-inch pan myself. You’ll have to experiment. I would probably suggest making 2/3 of the recipe unless you want an extra tall cake (and if your cake pan walls are tall enough to accommodate it) and then you’ll have to adjust the oven temp to bake a little longer but without testing, I can’t give you exact advice on that.
I don’t know if this will help, but I’ve made it in an 8in twice before. I made the same amount but split it into portions. I only had two 8in pans so I split the batter in half and then in half again for the two pans and then rest I put into the fridge while the first batch baked. Then I baked the other half. The cake came out tall but just the perfect height. For a 6 in as Natasha said probable do 2/3 if you want it tall.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Natasha,
I love this recipe! I made it for Easter and my family loved it. I have a question, I’m making a naked cake (I’m sure you know what that is), can I use the same recipe for the корж but without poppyseeds? Will it work out and still taste good? Thank you:)
Hi Esther :). I think it would work just fine without the poppy seeds but I’m not sure custard is sturdy enough to work inside a naked cake.
Hi Natasha! My custard came out too runny, and I don’t know why. It’s my second time making this delicious cake and both of the times it’s runny. My custard is in the freezer, that’s the only way I can do this 🙁
Hi Yana, it’s difficult to say without being there but I’m happy to help troubleshoot. Did you do anything differently? Any substitutions? Are you using LARGE eggs for the custard and HEAVY whipping cream?
When I was making my cakes, the custard I had to cook for a very long time around 15 minutes wisking it the whole time until you could notice that it’s getting thick, and if you cook it long enough trust me you will see how thick it gets. 🙂 hope this helps
I made this cake 3 times in the last 2 weeks! It was delicious and perfect all three times! But I’m wondering it says you need to put the vinegar and baking soda in the sour creme & it will rise, well my sour creme never rises but the cake still turns out really good!
That’s interesting that your sour cream doesn’t rise – I don’t know why that would be unless the baking soda might not be fresh? But I’m glad it still works out for you! 🙂
Hi Natasha! I am Brazilian, my husband is Russian and thanks for your website he is very pleased with the foods that I make =)
I made this cake yesterday, it is delicious!!! I couldn’t make my custard get thick, but the taste is awesome!
Thank you for the recipes and tips!!!
I’m so glad you are enjoying the blog and recipes 🙂 I think it might be a good idea for me to make a video on that custard one of these days 😉
I really want to try this cake but was thinking with the ingredients and all, it might look cuter to make it with white chocolate ganache. You think it will work? Thanks
Hi Lana, I’ve actually never made a white chocolate ganache, so I can’t say for sure but It sure sounds good! Do you make it the same way with white chocolate chips and heavy cream?
I am in the middle of baking this cake right now and just wondering if it could be combined with the other recipe you have for a poppyseed cake that has the sugar/rum mixture spread on? Would that work ok with the custard?
Thanks!
Hi Lindsay, I’m not sure if the syrup would be complimentary here with the custard. I probably would not put them together. There’s plenty of moisture and flavor in this cake with the custard and ganache as it is. The syrup might compete.
Do you use heavy cream (like the directions say) or heavy whipping cream ( ingredients say) for the custard cream?
I use heavy whipping cream.
I used “all purpose whipping cream” which is supposed to be the same thing according to a store associate, but I’ll have to try using something else. But my custard cream was a bit runny and didn’t look as thickened as yours. It tasted great and set nicely overnight, just when I was spreading it, i had trouble keeping it from running onto the sides. not sure why it happened. Other than that, tastes great.
Also, do you know the difference between whipping cream, heavy whipping cream, all purpose whipping cream, and heavy cream? Is there a difference? I get so confused all the time haha
Heavy whipping cream will always say “heavy” on it. Some of them specify 36% Heavy whipping cream, but they will always say heavy. The heavy one has more fat and whips up better.
Hello!
My husband isn’t a fan of chocolate but the rest is delicious. Are there any substitutions for the frosting?
Please and thank you!
Love your recipes.
-Dasha 😘
Hi Dasha! I think any vanilla frosting would taste great. Here’s an example: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/09/10/the-healthier-carrot-cake-recipe/
Hey natasha..i love this website n all ur recipes…
Im trying to make the custard for this cake..and i made the mistake of kinda letting it boil n not whisking continiously..is it salvageable? The color is not as yellow as urs in the pic but the consistancy is almost pudding like? Help !!! :(( im letting it cool and placing it in the fridge for use tomoro..hope to hear from u
It should still be ok as long as it’s not chunky or grainy. Did you taste it? Let me know how it works out.
It is a little grainy and has a very eggy taste.. :-/
It might be beyond repair if that’s the case… 🙁 It is important not to boil the custard. Oh bummer 🙁
Natasha, do you soak poppy seeds before using them?
No need to soak or rinse them for this recipe.
Hi Natasha,
Would this be good with the frosting from your poppyseed cake roll recipe? My mom’s birthday is coming up and that cake roll is one of her favorite things I’ve ever baked so I’d like to turn it into a birthday cake.
Thank you.
I think it would taste good but it probably won’t be enough to cover the cake. Are you planning to use it instead of the custard or instead of the ganache?
Instead of the custard. Maybe make double the amount?
I’ve actually decided to make your honey prune cake instead and am in the middle of that now. It looks fantastic! Thanks so much for all your recipes, clear directions and super helpful replies.
This poppy seed cake is next on my list.
Ooh that’s one of my very favorites. I hope you love it! Doubling would probably work except that is alot of butter :-O
Hi Natasha!
I want to make this cake for my family for thanksgiving. Unfortunately we’re not big fans of the custard cream filling. in your opinion, what cream filling would you recommend that would pair well with this cake instead of the custard?
Thank you
Hmmm I think this one might work on the inside and sides with the chocolate cream over the top 🙂 https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/06/29/cupcake-frosting-recipe/
Hi Natasha,
If i wanted to make this into a square/rectangle cake, what size pan do you think would work best for this recipe? Will a 9×13 be too large?
Thanks!
It will be too large to get the same tall cake. You’ll have very slim layers and it would probably need less baking time. An 8 or 9″ square pan would work also.
I made this cake and it came out good. The custard filling turned out runny though and I wasn’t sure why. I ended up adding some starch to thicken it but I am still wondering why that happened as I followed your directions exactly and took it off the stove when it started to simmer.
It’s hard to say without being there. Did you use large eggs? Also, did you make sure to measure the cream at eye level for the most accurate measurements?
Hi, Natasha! Made this cake today. Came out sooo delicious!!! Thank you for the detailed recipe! Love your site! Thank you so much for all your hard work!!! God bless you and your family!
Tamara, thank you very much for such a great review, blessings to you and your family as well :).
You’re very welcome! Cake tastes amazing!!! Now it’s my favorite one!!! I posted picture on Instagram. Thanks to you site I started to bake! You’re my favorite!!!
You’re very welcome!!! Thank you you’re way too sweet!!! Cake tasted amazing!!! Will definitely make again! Now it’s my favorite one!!! Posted picture on Instagram. You’re my favorite! Thanks to your site I started to bake!
Thank you Tamara :). You’re so nice!
I just wanted to let you know i made this cake bc i had a dozen leftover egg yolks, anyways it turned out AMAZING! i invited my whole family over to enjoy it and they all complimented it. Thank you for such a great recipe and for detailed instructions!
I didn’t have raspberries so I put a gorgeous pile of cherries on top, it looked so pretty
Ellina, thank you for such a great review on the cake and I’m very happy to hear that the whole family enjoyed it :).
Was really excited to try this cake. But is the baking time correct? After 22 minutes my cakes were still completely raw on the inside. I didn’t realize it (they did turn a beautiful golden colour on top) until I was trying to invert them onto a cooling rack. Put them back in the oven but not sure if it’s salvageable at this time 🙁
Hmmm… I haven’t had that experience. Are you certain your oven was at 375˚F? Have you noticed that before with other baked recipes – could it possibly be your oven? I’m not sure what else it could be. I hope that reply is somewhat helpful.
Yeah my oven was at 190C (I’m in Australia) and I haven’t had any problems with it before. Thankfully the cake did turn out delicious 🙂
I guess I’ll just have to remember to bake it a bit longer next time. I did love this recipe and tagged you on Instagram 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake and thank you so much for sharing it on Instagram!! 🙂
I am making it and it rose in the middle liek a muffin. Do you know by any chance why would this happen? I followed step by step with only exception of using spring pan, could this affect, or I didn’t let it stay or mix enough in sourcream? I will cut it off but would love to know for the next time I bake it
Hi Olga, did you add the sour cream mixture as soon as it was noticeably rising? Also, what size was your springform mold? Did you bake it in one springform mold or in two separate pans?
Looking for a baby shower recipe but wanted to use fresh fruit in the filling. I know you have a poppyseed strawberry salad, so do you think a poppyseed cake with strawberries would be a good flavor combination?
Then again, maybe poppy seeds during pregnancy are a no-no! I’d still love to try it sometime, though!
Elizabeth, I think poppyseed and strawberry is a good combination but I’m not sure how you can place strawberries without layers sliding apart. Strawberries would go great on top but not between the layers. Hope this helps :).
Thanks! I know what you mean. 🙂
Making your cake today as a surprise for my husband 🙂 I made the custard cream filling yesterday and put it in the refrigerator overnight but it didn’t quite thicken … is there anything I can do to save it?
So sorry for the late reply. We spent most of the day at my parents house helping them prep or a garage sale. How loose is it? It’s ok for the custard to be a little loose – the cake absorbs some of it and becomes more moist.
My family loved this cake, thank you for the recipe!
Galya, thank you for the great review and you are welcome :).
Thanks a lot for detail pictures.It makes easy to made this cake.Looks so yummy.
You’re so welcome. I’m glad you are enjoying the step-by-step photos. It’s definitely more work, but worthwhile 🙂
This cake taste amazing! it is a little more on the dense side but very moist. Definitely will be making it again:)
Veronica, I’m so happy you loved it and if you took a picture of it, I would love to see it :).
It’s in the fridge!! The chocolate ganache takes it to the next level. havent tried it yet but it looks stunning!:)
I excidentally purchased regular whipping cream instead of the heavy kind. Didn’t want to go back to the store and decided to give it a try. It worked perfectly fine. Just thought I’d mention just in case anyone else is wondering if it will. I also melted white chocolate and drizzled over the top for decor. My husband is not a big fan of fruit on cake. Turned out great. Thank you for the detailed step by step instructions. No way to mess it up!
I’m so glad you liked it! I bet it was gorgeous with the white chocolate drizzled over the top!
hi natash,
Can i use regular chocolate, like i bought at winco in the bulk section a few blocks of chocolate, will it work for the ganache?
It should work but you’ll need to shave it or chop it into pieces the size of chocolate chips or they won’t melt properly. It’s definitely easiest with using chocolate chips because the chips are all uniformly sized.
What a fabulous cake, Natasha! Can I have a slice of it please? I love the flavorful layers you made for the cake. The chocolate ganache is amazing and the raspberries are so tempting. Such a wonderful creation!
Thank you Maureen. I’d pass you a slice if I could; you know I would! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Is it ok if I omit the poppy seed? Will it still taste good?
Yes, that is perfectly ok and will still turn out great. 🙂
Hi,how r u? I am a huge friend of u.I like all yr recipes,definitely gona try this,looks yummy
Chaya, thank you for your sweet comment. I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes :).
This cake looks amazing. Will try for sure.
Thanks Irene! I hope you LOVE it 🙂
Hey Natasha! What a lovely presentation! Thank you for posting such a beautiful cake. My question for you is can I use a springform cake pan instead of a non-stick cake pan? Is there a reason why you did not use a springform cake pan to make this cake?
You would have to have 2 springform cake pans since you need to bake the cake layers in 2 separate pans. The cake itself is pretty heavy and I don’t think it would rise well in a single springform pan.
Hi natasha,
This cake looks so good! Thanks for the recipe! What do you think about adding cocoa into the cake batter and making it a chocolate poppy seed cake? Would it ruin the recipe?
Cant wait to try this yumminess!!!;))
That would work – I’ve done it by adding 2 Tbsp cocoa.
This looks delicious. Can’t wait to get abit I’m working on it and my cream turned out too runny? Is there any way to fix that?
It will thicken as it cools and it’s not supposed to be fully set when you’re spreading it on the cake. What is the consistency of it? If it’s thinner than uncooked condensed milk, then it probably needed to be cooked slightly longer.
Nice !! I love the custard cream yummy !!!
Thank you Sveta 🙂
Thank you! I left it to cool down and will see how it looks in the morning?
Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate. I’ve used next-day custard and it worked fine, just whisk it before using to smooth it out. Does it taste lumpy (like the eggs curdled?) or does it just look lumpy? If it just looks lumpy, I wouldn’t worry about it; you probably won’t be able to tell once it’s inside the cake 🙂
One more thing, can the cream be still saved at this stage or should i start all over? Thank you!
It will still work and is salvageable, it will just be a little thicker.
Making this right now with my daughter! This looks gorgeous! Although i must have messed up the cream, it looks loke “kefir”, however was smooth when i started to heat it up.
You might have just overheated it. Did you boil it?
Same thing happened to me?? :(((( Can i still use it/???
Yes, its still usable It will look smoother once the cream is on the cake and had time to absorb some of the custard. Hope this helps.
Ahh, this cake looks gorgeous, Natasha! and that last picture is just calling my name. 🙂 I wish I can cut one slice and eat it as an afternoon treat. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. Pinning!
You are welcome Neli :). It really is a treat. I hope you’ll love it.
Natash, Perfection. You could have ending with just the poppy seed cake but custard, ganache and raspberries? Out of this world good!!! Bravo!!!
Thank you Valentina, that’s quite a compliment, coming from you :). I’m always impressed by your desserts.
Oh my looks so good!!!! I have a question what kind of poppy seed did you use? Is it the “ready kind” like for the pie filling or just the regular poppy seed, if u know what I mean?
Anna, I just used regular dry poppy seeds, hope this helps :).
Hi Natasha, this cake looks marvelous! I’m looking forward to making it and have no doubt it will turn out delicious! Your recipes are amazing and I always go back to your site for some new creations 🙂 The cakes I make from your site taste amazing, but the decorations don’t look nearly as neat and pretty as yours always do. The cream is often to liquid to spread or the layers get caught up in the cream and it looks quite messy lol Could you please (in the future) make a video on how you decorate the cakes with your delicious frosting and share any tricks or tips for that? Thank you 🙂
I’ll definitely keep that in mind – some cake decorating tutorials would be fun. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
This cake is gorgeous! Sounds like all of your testing paid off!
Thank you Shelby :). Yes, we ate a lot of cake this week :D.
And let them eat cake…right!! Stunning visual appeal here, especially with all those raspberries piled on top. Love the poppy seeds too. My wife wants to name a kid Poppy but I’m just not ready for that.