Breton Poppy Seed Cake – My New Invention That’s About to Steal the Show

If you’ve been following along, you already know – there’s no good poppy seeds in Paris. It’s perhaps one of the only ingredients we make sure to bring from Israel or regularly receive from our visitors. It might sound strange, an ingredient you can’t find in the world’s most culinary city, but it makes sense because culturally, it’s not an ingredient used in French cuisine or French pâtisserie.

Last year, I created in our magical Parisian apartment the best poppy seed cake I’ve made to date – a Franco-German poppy seed cake, a blend of France and Germany. The cake consists of a base of Normandy butter cookies instead of shortcrust pastry, and a wonderful, moist poppy seed cake layer with a touch of crème fraîche that adds incredible moisture. This cake went viral and became a star for many during Purim, but not only then – anyone who loves poppy seeds eats it regardless of this colorful holiday.

This year, I decided to experiment again and create another variation of a cake I made in the past that became one of the blog favorites – the Breton Brownies. Half Breton cake, half brownie layer with chocolate hazelnut spread between the two layers. The result – catastrophic! But in the best possible way. After the success of this creation, I decided to make it with apricot jam instead of chocolate hazelnut spread, and it too became a huge favorite.

And this time, a wonderful combination of Breton cake base, a moist poppy seed cake layer, and chocolate hazelnut spread between them. And to make this indulgence even more elegant, you can add a shiny chocolate ganache layer that makes the cake even more festive and delicious.

Your cake for the upcoming Purim and for any other day you want to treat yourself and others to a wonderful combination of textures and flavors.

Breton Poppy Seed Cake
Baking pan/ring: 20 cm (8 inches)

Ingredients
Breton Butter Cake Base:
60g egg yolks (approximately 3 medium eggs)
100g fine sugar
125g semi-salted soft butter
175g flour
3g baking powder (half teaspoon)

Chocolate Core (prepare in advance):
150g store-bought or homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread (recipe inside)

Poppy Seed Cake Layer:
300g whole milk
100g sugar
190g fresh ground poppy seeds
60g semolina (finely ground if available)
75g Crème fraîche
60g butter, cut into cubes
15g date syrup or honey
100g eggs (about 2 medium eggs)
10g rum (optional) 

To Elevate the Cake – Chocolate Ganache (optional):
150g heavy cream
150g quality dark chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon honey (for smooth and flexible ganache)

Preparation
1. Breton Butter Cake Base: Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F), grease the pan or ring and line only the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a mixer bowl, whip egg yolks with sugar until fluffy and pale.
3. Add butter and continue whipping until you get a uniform mixture.
4. Add flour and baking powder and mix until you get a dough. Remove from mixer, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead slightly by hand until the dough is uniform.
5. Transfer the dough to the pan or ring and flatten it to get a smooth, even appearance.
6. Bake for about 16 minutes, until the cake is lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool. Keep the oven on and increase temperature to 180°C (350°F).
7. Chocolate Core (prepare in advance): Pour the spread onto parchment paper, creating a chocolate spread disc with an 18cm diameter. Freeze for at least one hour. After the chocolate has set, place it on the Breton cake base (after the base has cooled slightly).
8. Poppy Seed Cake Layer: In a medium pot, bring milk and sugar to a boil.
9. Add poppy seeds and semolina, continue stirring for about two minutes until the liquids are absorbed.
10. Add crème fraîche and continue stirring for another minute. Remove from heat.
11. Add butter cubes and stir until butter is fully melted. Add date syrup/honey, stir, and set aside to cool.
12. When the mixture cools slightly, add eggs and mix vigorously. Add rum and mix.
13. Pour the mixture over the Breton cake layer and chocolate spread disc. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch. Remove from oven, cool, and enjoy.
14. Chocolate Ganache (optional): In a medium pot, bring cream to just below boiling. Remove from heat and pour cream over chocolate through a strainer. Wait a moment before starting to mix. Using a spatula, begin mixing slowly and gently, combining the chocolate and cream. It’s recommended to mix in the center of the bowl without lifting the spatula from the bottom. The idea is slow and careful mixing until you get a shiny ganache without air bubbles. Add a tablespoon of honey and mix gently for a smooth ganache. Pour over the cake.
*Can be stored for about a week in an airtight container at room temperature. The cake improves with time.

Bon-Appétit
Sharon