hello there!
congrats for your blog! it's gorgeous!! I love those seeds and I never have seen a cake with so much of them in it!! I will try it for sure ^_^
oxox

I enjoy your blog. I am from NY but come to Paris for work often. I have found many good suggestions on your site - thanks.

My oven used to be a drag on my baking undertakings too, so I cussed and complained a lot. I think I was about to write a sort of petition to a court to protect my rights as a home baker. :) It was that close. But then my oven refused to serve, or rather co-operate with me, altogether. Ahem.

Your cake looks gorgeous! And thanks for a precaution, the one about the teeth. :)

You poor thing - having a finicky oven is no fun! We had that problem last year but the good news is that we were able to get a shiny, new stainless steel oven out of it. Gotta look at the bright side, right? :)

That look great! Another caveat about this cake is that you may not want to have a piece before being tested for opiates! That's a crazy amount of poppy seeds!

Beautiful! I had seen Lilo's recipe and it was love at first sight, but I think I even prefer the orange twist you gave it...

ahh--so sorry about the oven! maybe santa will read your letter in time for the chritmas rush!!!

The photo of the poppyseed cake made my heart skip a beat. I adore anything with sweetened poppyseed. My family is of German and Polish origin, and I seem forever to be in search of a möhnstrudel that has almost no pastry to interrupt the luscious filling (some are rolled up as a jelly roll would be, others are cut in squares, with pastry sandwiching the filling).

I now live in Paris, and have managed to find a perfect möhnstrudel on rue des Rosiers in the smallest and least famous of the patisseries in this road. I am only allowed to buy one piece at the time, for fear of turning into a poppyseed.

On a different note, my great aunt, who was in a concentration camp during the war, noted that she and other victims, craved poppyseeds for many years after the war ended. Apparently there is an element, in the poppyseed (linked to opium? Or a vitamin) that starving people crave. Perhaps also there is a link to the fact poppyseed is used in many noodle dishes in Eastern Europe.

So, thank you.

Lovely! My friend from Romania makes this delicious pastry with a poppy seed & lemon zest filling. Ever since I tasted that I've loved using poppy seeds. I'll give this cake a try tonight.

I wonder what this recipe would be like if you grind the poppy seeds like they do in Germany instead of leaving them whole.

I love your style of cooking; open the frige see what's there and invent something wonderful!

I once had an oven that would decide to go in the clean cycle while I was baking. The door would lock and you could not get the food out until it had cycled and then cooled.

My husband and I had a running disagreement on how well chicken should be cooked; he liked it- dry!

Well some oven barbecued chicken got caught up in the clean cycle, and when I could finally get it out I put it on the counter meaning to throw it away. My husband come into the room, grabbed a leg and exclaimed, "now this is how I like it!"

Oh yes! I will be trying this the first chance I get! Thanks for sharing!
Amy

Wow I have never heard of a flourless poppyseed cake but this sounds LOVELY. I'm bookmarking it. Sorry about your oven—that is so frustrating. You'll get much joy and use out of a new one.

I love using almond meal in the place of flour. One of my favorite cakes to make contains only: almond meal, eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon :) It is truly simple and delicious.

I was thinking of making this for my parents when I visit them for Christmas, but then realized my Dad's not allowed to eat poppy seeds in case he gets drug tested at work. Poppy seeds are hilarious.

Oh my. I love poppyseeds...This cake looks so densely crunchily beautifully delicious!

I love poppy seed and that's one killer slice! Keep some floss handy! :)

I have never seen a cake with so many poppy seeds! And with the almond butter and meal, it sounds divine. Can't wait to try it.

What a fabulous cake, I love poppy seed cakes.

I feel your pain with the oven woes. My fire alarm goes off any time the temp climbs toward 425F, (thought it has never yet reached it), from all of the steam it emits as I attempt to roast something. I have had to come up with some very creative solutions for using mine. However I am thankful that it doesn't spontaneously shut down mid bake. My holiday wish for you is a new oven.

I am currently also dealing with the heartbreak of a misbehaving oven. You have my deepest sympathies/empathies!

What a shame... There is nothing that a foodie "hates" more than having to buy a new food utensil or appliance.

I am "fearing" that my refrigerator may develop a virus and that I may have to buy that new stainless steel, super-energy efficient one in the new year.

And, since I am in Paris next week circumstances may transpire that force me to E.Dehrillien. Oh, what shall I do. Woe is me...

Clotilde,

I got a portable convection oven for a little more than $100. I have done most of my summer cooking in it. It gets very heavy use, although I have used it so much that the door is getting a little "tired." I think you need a new oven ASAP! YOu deserve it as a cooking professional. They sell really large capacity portable ovens and you could get one right away.

Dory

Je suis d'accorde. I agree there is a problem with poppy seed getting stuck between teeth, which is more the reason to keep it for ourselves. Meaning, we don't share it at an office party, but with close friends.

Oh, I'm longing to try this recipe out. I would like to change out the sugar for agave nectar if possible. What can I do to make up for the extra liquid?

RIP oven. I'm so sorry for your loss!

I never met a poppy seed cake I didn't like... something tells me I'm going to like this more than most (thus making all the other poppy seed cakes in my acquaintance jealous?)!

You have all my sympathies for your oven woes - I lived with a particularly temperamental one for nearly four years, so I know what you're going through. Just to give one example - sometimes it would take over 2 hours to roast a panful of ratatouille, other times it would take 45 minutes. (I don't know how it managed to behave the day I baked a wedding cake for two of my friends, but I'm still thanking my lucky stars it did...) I hope Santa is extra kind to you this year!

Fab cake. Years ago I made a poppy seed cake and the seeds sank to the bottam so I've never tried another one. We've just moved apartments and our oven hasn't been working properly either. Fortunately because we are only leasing our landlord is required to fix it. I just hope it happens before Christmas Day or it will be a very burnt turkey.

I have NO oven in the studio we stay in, here in Paris, so I read about your baking even in a bad oven, with envy. I can't wait to make the poppy seed cake when I return home. Oh please tell, which of the little bakeries on rue des Rosiers is it? I think I'll buy a piece of poppy seed cake from each one and do a taste test. How bad could that be?!

Hello,

I just wanted to say I am enjoying your website and recipes immensely (I am a first time visitor linked from the London Times, which ranked you as one of the top 10 food blogs in the world).

Thanks!

Ovens can be such sneaky little devils. The oven in my former apartment in Berkeley CA used to lie to me all the time, claiming it was 20 degrees hotter than it really was. The holidays definitely aren't a good time for oven problems, but just think about how you get to choose a brand-new one now!

Love this recipe, Clotilde and can't wait to try it. But my oven, also, went malade and then sad to say, mort. Now I use a counter toaster oven and can do small amounts of baking. Maybe I'll try this in muffin tins. Are you asking Santa for a La Cornue?

My all-time favorite cake is basically the same as your gateaux au yaort with almond extract and a generous scoop of poppy seeds added in. I can't wait to try this too!

Merci beaucoup!

Sounds divoon. Like a perfect coffee accompaniment. Sorry about your oven! Give it a kick and good talking to.

Clotilde! I LOVE poppyseed cake. I am Ukrainian. What more can I say! My favorite is lemon-poppyseed cake. Do you think this recipe would be as good with lemon in place of the orange? This cake sounds delicious.

How absolutely frustrating; but how fun to look at purchasing a new oven ;-)

I'm a big fan of poppies, and in your recipe here, I love all the nuts and nut butters -- a much better alternative. I have a lemon-poppyseed-thyme cookie that this sort of reminds me of, and it's flourless as well (well, rice and potato flour. Gluten free anyway).

I love your blog, it's great!
I'll probably be a frequent reader! :]

oooh, glutenfree. looks light and moist and yummy. i am going to send this to my gluten allergic mother right away.

This cake looks good! I do not have a scale in my kitchen. What is the approximate cup equivalent for the poppy seeds? (I did not find it in you great conversion table)Thanks!

I liked all the fasinating articles on all the great food and deserts and it made me hungry, very well laid out though. Thank you!

hi! what's almond butter like? I've never tried or heard of it! - Anyway, hope you're well! xxx

and i thought i was the onlyone that had this problem. after five l o n g years, i finally saved enough for all new appliances which includes a new stove!!! can't wait to bake these goodies.

Sorry for oven issues!! ...the 5 years I lived in Paris my oven was only big enough for me to bake 3 cookies at a time!!

that cake is beautiful, wow it looks great. Bisous from California..

Hi Clotilde!

I just found your blog and it's wonderful! Thank you! I am going through all the archives, too! Do you think this cake would work with 1/4 cup neutral oil (I'm thinking grapeseed) instead of butter? I would prefer to keep it dairy free!

I did not read through all the comments, but in case it did not get said yet, this is a great recipe to send to Celiac patients or their family members. It appears to be completely gluten free, and looks delicious.

Ah! Love the poppy seed cake recipe! It turned out exactly like your picture and was promptly devoured by welsh teenagers who thought it was rather cool! Thanks for bringing more gluten free inspiration! Kim

Tried this today and should have listened to my wife's comment that it was far too many poppy seeds. Looks good, but far, far too many poppy seeds.

Did the original French recipe call for equal amounts of seeds and almond flour?

I bought the poppy seeds the week before from a bulk bin at Whole Foods and they seemed fresh. My feeling was that the poppy seeds overwhelmed the cake, but as you suggest that is a matter of taste. I think I will spoon some plain yogurt over the rest of my cake, which I did not glaze.

a really pretty recipe! it actually came out tasting a lot like the C&Z financiers -- only very crunchy. i used white poppy seeds (from an indian food store) lemon zest and vanilla, and a little bit of grand marnier for an extra kick of orange.

grams! yay!

Clotilde, have you yet had a chance to try the cake without the baking powder?

Thank you for the recipe. I was wondering if you know of a good online source for bulk poppy seeds. I could only find them in small containers at my grocery story, and it would take over $20 worth of poppy seeds to make the cake! Thanks for your help!

I had a new stainless General Electric oven that acted similarly up through its eventual retirement, less than two years after purchase (and conveniently after the warranty expired, despite much argument with the company). I'll never buy another GE product again, and would advise anyone else to do the same, if you want your appliances to last any longer.

Merci pour cette recette, elle est épatante. Les 8 gourmands à table se sont régalés, une fois l'ambiguité levée: non ce n'est pas un cake aux épinards (le noir des grains de pavot, sans doute). Il tient aussi bien que s'il y avait la farine dedans tout en gardant une texture légère.

Thanks for the wonderful poppy seed cake recipe! Very easy to make, moisturize, full of flavours... I bake that cake for a family sunday brunch and guess what ? Everybody loves it, even my grand-mother who never heard of poppy seed!
Valerie, Montreal

how would you go about leaing out the eggs if you are allergic?

Aah, this looks like a perfect teacake. Something to make at one's leisure and keep covered on the counter until it's devoured. Cake for breakfast, this is. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

the taste is great, i love poppyseeds BUT a caveat about the baking powder caveat: you absolutely DO need it! i had run out of baking powder and decided to give the exclusion a go. well, i baked more of a thick cookie than a cake. it is maybe 2cm high! crunchy and crumbly-- i will have to make it again cake-style!

Hey Clotilde,

I have been admiring your site and found a lovely string of you recipes to cook from (pear cake and this one). I am making bagels on sunday and figure this will be great for leftover poppyseeds.

I like your caveat: i shant walk around the office or take a drug test after eating this cake.

Thanks for this recipe, its look delicious.

Hi Clotilde
Love your blogs, recipes & french idiomatic expressions !
I agree with you about Coco & Me blog - I'm well hooked on it...
happy days !
Lynn

I made this cake this weekend for my mother's birthday. It was a huge hit. I adjusted the poppy seeds down a little (just because I got home and didn't have enough poppy seeds!) it was great, and maybe even better a day (and two days!) later. Thank you!