The most delicious chocolate poppy seed cake. Incredibly soft, easy to make, and beloved even by people who don’t usually like poppy seeds.
You can make it dairy-free by using orange juice instead of cream, and you can bake it as two loaf cakes (that’s what the recipe is written for), in a round pan, or as cupcakes to give as a gift.
Serves:2 loaf cakes or 1 roundPrep Time:Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts:200 calories20 grams fat
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )
Ingredients
For 2 loaf cakes or one 9.5-inch (24 cm) round cake:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup oil (any kind you have at home)
1 cup sour cream or yogurt or heavy cream or milk or orange juice
Zest of 1 orange (optional)
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup finely ground poppy seeds (freshly ground, if possible)
3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate
For the Chocolate Ganache:
3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
2 teaspoons oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar for 10 minutes on medium-high speed, until you get a pale, airy foam. Be patient here — you want it light and voluminous. - Add the oil and sour cream, and beat for another minute (no more than that). - Add the orange zest, flour, baking powder, and poppy seeds, and mix with a spatula or spoon until the batter is uniform and there are no lumps of flour. You can run the mixer for about 30 seconds just to start combining, then continue by hand. The goal is not to overmix so you don’t lose the volume, but still end up with a smooth batter. - Finely chop the chocolate (or use chocolate chips), add to the batter, and mix gently. - Transfer to greased pans. The batter should fill the pans to about 3/4 height. - Bake in a preheated oven at 340°F (170°C) for 40–50 minutes, or until the cake is set and deeply golden on top. - Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until you get a smooth, glossy sauce. Add the oil and mix well. - Wait 10 minutes after the cake comes out of the oven, then pour the chocolate on top, spread slightly — and eat.
You don't even realize how soft, chocolatey, and packed with poppy seeds this cake is.
Notes
- Store the cake at room temperature, wrapped well. - If you have leftover batter, bake it as cupcakes in lined tins. - The topping can also be made with milk chocolate. - Try to buy poppy seeds that are freshly ground, so they don’t taste stale or bitter. - You can use coconut oil instead of regular oil. - Like coconut? Add 1/2 cup.
