German Poppy Seed Cake with Streusel: Mutti's Mohnkuchen

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

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My Mutti's German Poppy Seed Cake recipe, aka Mohnkuchen. Delicious and, oh, so traditionally German. Try making this yummy holiday treat just like my Mutti!

My Mutti's German Poppy Seed Cake recipe, aka Mohnkuchen, is so WUNDERBAR! It's among my favorite holiday baking recipes, especially since I just love poppy seed in any type of cake! Delicious and, oh, so traditionally German.

For example, if you're fortunate to be celebrating Christmas in Germany, you'll find this poppyseed cake on the dessert table, sitting right alongside the Stollen and Lebkuchen. OH!!!! Don't just wait for the holidays to make this fabulous German food!!! (Cake is one of the food groups, isn't it?)

Even though it uses yeast, it's simple to make. You may not think that yeast recipes can be quick. This one is though. It only uses one main 'rising' and during that time you make the filling.

Poppy Seed Filling ~ from scratch or can?

If you are blessed to live close to a German or Polish Deli, you can buy prepared poppy seed filling and use that instead. You can even buy it online. Actually, you may find that finding the prepared filling is a lot easier than finding the actual poppy seeds.

Personally, I like using the prepared canned type when it's available. Simply, because the brand I can buy tastes amazing. It makes this cake so much quicker to make and I can easily keep several cans in the cupboard.

Finding the actual fresh poppy seeds can be much more daunting. Then, the seeds do need to be ground, not super fine, but just enough to crack them open.

Once they are ground, they need to be used right away or frozen until needed. When I say, fresh, I mean fresh. Using stale poppy seeds will totally ruin your cake. The rancid taste and smell is quite unpleasant.

Below, my recipe is my Mutti's. She used fresh poppyseeds, and it's the recipe I grew up with. Sometimes I'll still make it this way. Other times, I will sub in a can of prepared poppy seed filling. You choose the way you wish to make it. Both are yummy!

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Mutti's Streusel (Crumb) warning!

A warning I give when making any of the crumb cake recipes (cakes with a crumb or "streusel" topping): the crumbs taste great even before baking.

• Keep the kids (and hubby) away from the streusel -- they'll eat it up before you can use it!

Oma says,

I know this looks like a long and complicated recipe. It's not!

Just take it step-by-step and you'll soon be enjoying this poppyseed cake. It's so similar to other crumb cake recipes, it'll be a breeze to make them as well.

Ready to make this poppyseed cake?

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Print Recipe

German Poppy Seed Cake with Streusel: Mutti's Mohnkuchen

My Mutti's German Poppy Seed Cake recipe, aka Mohnkuchen, is so WUNDERBAR! It's among my favorite holiday baking recipes, especially since I just love poppy seed in any type of cake! (Actually, I love this anytime of the year, including my poppy seed roll.) 

Prep Time 30 minutes

Bake Time 30 minutes

Total Time 60 minutes + rise time

Ingredients:

Yeast Dough:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup milk, lukewarm
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2⅓ cups flour, all-purpose
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 large eggs

Poppyseed Filling:

• ⅓ cup Wheatlets (Cream of Wheat)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup poppy seeds, ground
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter

Crumb Topping:

• 1 cup cold butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour, all-purpose

Instructions:

Yeast Dough:

1. Stir 1 teaspoon of sugar into warm milk. Sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit 5 minutes or until surface is frothy. If it doesn't get frothy, don't continue with the recipe. Get new yeast with an expiry date far into the future.
2. Into a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt.
3. Stir yeast. Lightly beat cooled butter and egg into yeast mixture.
4. Pour yeast mixture into flour, mixing to make a dough.
5. On a floured surface, knead dough lightly for about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Poppy Seed Filling:

1. While waiting for dough to rise, make the filling and topping.
2. Follow package instructions and make cereal with Wheatlets and water. Let cool slightly.
3. Add poppy seed, flavoring, butter, and sugar. Mix well. Add eggs. Mix well.
4. Let cool.

Crumb Topping:

1. Mix ingredients to a crumbly texture.

Finish Cake:

1. Grease 9x13-inch cake pan or use a large springform pan.
2. Knead risen dough lightly and roll out to fit cake pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.
3. Pour poppyseed filling over cake.
4. Gently crumble topping evenly over filling.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F.
6. Let rise in a warm place 15 minutes.
7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes - or until top is a rich golden brown.
8. Cool and serve.

Hints:

• Instead of making the poppy seed filling, use a good brand of purchased canned poppy seed filling. Try various brands to find your favorite. 

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Poppy Seed Cake Recipe made Just like Oma



By Oma Gerhild Fulson





My Mutti's Poppy Seed Cake recipe is so wunderbar! Even though it uses yeast, it's simple to make. Delicious and, oh, so traditional. You'll have to give this one a try!


Ingredients: sugar, milk, yeast, all-purpose flour, salt, butter, eggs, Cream of Wheat, poppy seeds, vanilla flavoring,

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.