Traditional Austrian Poppy Seed Cream Cake
Ingredients
Cake base
- 5 medium eggs
- 70 g sugar
- 100 g softened butter
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 100 ml eggnog liqueur
- 1/2 package poppy seed baking mix
- 125 g ground almonds
- 80 g dark chocolate shavings
Cream
- 500 g cold heavy cream
- 200 ml milk
- 1/2 package poppy seed baking mix
- 3 medium egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla pudding powder
- 50 g sugar
- 3 sheets gelatin
- cold water, as needed
Glaze and decoration
- 3 sheets gelatin
- cold water, as needed
- 250 ml eggnog liqueur
- 2 tbsp dark chocolate shavings
Preparation
Line a 26 cm (10 inch) springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F) conventional or 160°C (320°F) fan-forced. Separate eggs, setting aside yolks, and whip egg whites with sugar until stiff peaks form.
Beat softened butter with powdered sugar, then gradually add egg yolbs. Stir in eggnog liqueur, poppy seed baking mix, ground almonds, and chocolate shavings.
Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool completely, then level the cake with a serrated knife if needed.
Whip the cold heavy cream until stiff. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with about 5 tablespoons of the whipped cream, and refrigerate the piping bag and remaining cream.
In a small saucepan, bring milk and poppy seed baking mix to a boil. Whisk together egg yolks, vanilla pudding powder, and sugar, then gradually whisk into the boiling mixture, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for a few minutes, then squeeze dry and dissolve over a water bath. Stir 3 tablespoons of the poppy seed mixture into the gelatin, then mix the gelatin into the poppy seed cream. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
Place the cooled cake base on a serving plate and surround with a cake ring. Spread the cream evenly over the cake and refrigerate for 2 hours.
For the glaze, soak gelatin sheets in cold water. Warm 50 ml of eggnog liqueur in a saucepan, dissolve the squeezed gelatin sheets in it, then gradually whisk in the remaining cold eggnog liqueur.
Pour the glaze over the cream layer and refrigerate for 1 more hour. Remove the cake ring, pipe 16 dollops of whipped cream around the edge, and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.
