Poppyseed cake with orange-vanilla cream
To celebrate the end of the school year, I decided to make a new cake for my friends: a poppy seed cake with orange-vanilla cream. It turned out wonderfully light and tender, perhaps because the batter contains so little flour. The filling is delicious, with plenty of orange flavor to complement the poppy seeds. This was my first attempt, and I made a few mistakes, which I explain below.
Adjust servings in the full version
I was in a hurry and did not chill the orange custard before adding it to the whipped cream. As expected, the cream lost its structure and the filling became runny. It soaked into the cake beautifully but did not hold its shape.
I would also like a little more tartness. Next time I might add a layer of lemon curd or cherries.
Prepare all ingredients for the crust at once. Weigh out the required amount. Melt the butter and cool slightly.
Mix flour, poppy seeds and vanillin. If you are afraid that the dough will not rise, or you are making the dough with whipped egg whites for the first time, you can add 1 tsp. baking powder. Actually, this is not necessary, just to be on the safe side.
Beat the whites at high speed with half the sugar until stiff peaks form.
Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and foamy.
Gently fold the beaten whites into the yolks in several additions, using a silicone spatula or spoon. Lift the mixture from the bottom as you fold; do not use a whisk or mixer.
Fold in the dry ingredients and melted butter in 2-3 additions, lifting the mixture gently from the bottom each time. The batter should remain light and airy.
Line a 20 cm cake pan with baking paper. Add the batter and bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. I used a multicooker on the Bake setting for 60 minutes, with baking paper lining the bottom.
Remove the finished cake from the oven and cool slightly in the pan. Then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. The cake turns out fluffy and tall. Cut it with a wide knife into 3 or 4 layers.
While the cake is cooling, you can start preparing the cream.
Remove the zest from the orange. It is convenient to do this with a small grater. Squeeze the juice from a whole orange.
Beat the egg with the sugar, then mix in the milk and pudding mix until smooth. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until bubbles appear. Add the orange juice and zest and cook until thickened.
Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the chopped white chocolate. Let cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Do not skip the chilling step.
After an hour, whip the cream. Gradually add orange cream to whipped cream. Continuing to beat until smooth.
The simplest thing left is to assemble the cake. Take one cake layer and spread it with cream. Place another cake layer on top and spread cream again. Repeat the same with the third and fourth cake layers.
Place the cake in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. It's better to let it sit overnight.