Poppy Seed Cake (Poppy Seed Strudel)

To prepare a delicious poppy seed cake, start by dissolving fresh yeast in a small bowl, adding a little warm milk. It is essential that the milk is not too hot, so as not to destroy the yeast. Add two teaspoons of sugar and a handful of flour, mixing well until you achieve a homogeneous composition, with the consistency of a denser cream, not too liquid. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave it in a warm place, where the yeast will start to act, and the mixture will increase in volume, becoming frothy.

After the starter has risen and doubled in size, take a larger bowl and put the starter in it. Add the egg yolks well beaten with sugar until they become a creamy mixture. Continue by adding the melted and cooled butter, warm milk, vanilla essence, and grated lemon zest, which will give a fresh and pleasant aroma to the dough. Start to gradually incorporate the flour, not all at once, mixing with a spatula or with your hands, until the dough becomes homogeneous. It is important to knead the dough, gently hitting it against the walls of the bowl, until bubbles of air appear in it. The dough should not be too soft, but neither too hard; the ideal consistency is elastic and slightly sticky.

After you have obtained the perfect dough, cover it with a tablecloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours. During this time, prepare the poppy filling. Grind the poppy seeds until fine and mix them with the whipped egg whites and sugar, gradually adding hot milk until you achieve a dense cream, similar to a paste. This will be the rich and aromatic filling for your cake.

After the dough has risen, roll it out on the work surface, obtaining a sheet about 1 cm thick. Brush the dough with melted and cooled butter, then add the poppy cream, spreading it evenly over the entire surface. Roll the dough, forming a log, and make sure to close the ends well to keep the filling inside. Transfer the log to the prepared baking tray, lined with parchment paper, and brush it on top with an egg yolk for a golden and appetizing crust.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 180°C, in the middle area, for about 45 minutes. Check if it is done by the toothpick test; if it comes out clean, the cake is perfectly baked. After you take it out of the oven, let it cool completely, then dust it with powdered sugar for an elegant appearance. This poppy seed cake will surely be appreciated by all who taste it, offering a perfect combination of flavors and textures. Enjoy your meal!

 Ingredients: Dough: 300 g Manitoba flour or 000 flour, 100 g 00 flour, 25 g fresh brewer's yeast, 1 egg yolk, 30 g sugar, 250 ml whole milk, grated zest from half a lemon, 50 g butter, 1 vanilla pod. Filling: 300 g poppy seeds, 100 g granulated sugar, 2 egg whites, a little boiling milk. Others: 30 g butter for greasing the dough, 1 egg yolk for brushing, powdered sugar for decoration.

 Tags:  eggs milk unt flour sugar lemon christmas and new year's recipes vegetarian recipes recipes for kids mac