This German poppy seed cake is made from a buttery cake topped with a creamy poppy seed filling and crumbly streusel. Best of all, we'll create impressive cake layers without having to cut and assemble a traditional layer cake.
If You Like Poppy Seeds, You'll Love Mohnkuchen mit Streuseln
Step aside poppy seed muffins, there's a new sheriff in town, and its name is Mohnkuchen. This traditional German cake is great for breakfast with coffee, and afternoon treat with tea, or dessert with heaps of whipped cream. And growing up in Germany, I'd see packets of Möhn filling at the store, but since those aren't widely available in the U.S., we'll make our poppy seed filling from scratch!
First up, we'll make the dough for a moist, buttery cake that tastes almost like a shortbread cookie. Then our cake dough is topped with a poppy seed filling thickened with farina and sweetened with sugar. And my favorite part is that the poppy seed layer is super dark, providing a beautiful contrasts with the other two cake layers! Finally, a sweet + crunchy streusel topping is sprinkled on top.
And if you know me, you know one of my rules in life is that streusel makes everything better, which is why I pile it on so many of my cakes, like my classic German lightning cake.
Tips for Baking with Poppy Seeds
In order to bring out the flavor of poppy seeds, they need to be ground or cooked. Since this recipe cooks the poppy seed filling on the stove before it's baked, technically you could use whole poppy seeds. But after testing this recipe multiple ways, I still recommend grinding them first to release the seed's oil and their nutty flavor. I know they're already so small, but I promise, it really makes a difference!
You can use a food processor or coffee grinder, or even an old school mortar and pestle to grind them. And since we'll be using quite a large quantity of poppy seeds (one whole cup), I find that it's usually cheaper to buy them in bulk. This way you can buy extra poppy seeds and make my fluffy poppy seed strudel!
Let's Gather Our Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - Allow the butter for both the cake and streusel to soften to room temperature, which makes it much easier to incorporate into your mixes.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the cake, filling, and streusel. You could also use brown sugar for a caramel-like flavor.
- Baking powder - Helps the cake rise under the weight of the filling, so it's still light and cakey instead of dense and gummy.
- Salt - Enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients. I recommend using non-iodized tabled salt or fine sea salt, not kosher salt.
- Eggs - Helps the cake rise as it bakes. Also helps the poppy seed filling thicken and set, so it isn't runny.
- All purpose flour - Provides the base structure for a light cake.
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Farina - This hot breakfast cereal is made from ground wheat and thickens the filling. A common brand in the U.S. is Cream of Wheat. Or you can find farina cereal or farina flour in the bulk section.
- Poppy seeds
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg - Add a warm spice to the streusel. You could also add ground cloves or cardamom.
Let's Bake German Poppy Seed Cake!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prepare the Poppy Seed Filling
1. Boil the milk, sugar, and vanilla, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from the heat & stir in the butter until it's melted.
2. Add the farina & poppy seeds. Boil for 1 minute.
4. Cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and whisk to combine.
Make the Cake Base
5. Beat the softened stick of butter until creamy.
7. Add the egg and beat again until it's incorporated.
6. Mix in the sugar, baking powder, and salt.
8. Add the flour & mix until it forms a crumbly dough.
Assemble & Bake the Cake
9. Mix the streusel until it's crumbly.
11. Pour the poppy seed filling on top.
13. Bake until it's golden.
10. Press the cake dough into a pan.
12. Sprinkle the streusel on top.
15. Cool, then slice and serve!
Baking Tips and Variations
- You don't need to chill the poppy seed filling. Just allow it to cool while you prepare the cake dough and streusel.
- You can also bake Mohnkuchen in a square 9x9 inch baking pan, which I've done to create square slices, more like layered bars.
- Add the zest of a half or whole lemon to the poppy seed filling. These flavors go great together, like a lemon poppy seed muffin!
- If you can't find farina, you can substitute semolina flour - when I tested this swap, my poppy seed layer made with semolina flour was a little more yellow and slightly less crunchy.
- Sometimes I like to add extra warm spices to the streusel including ground cloves, allspice, or cardamom.
German Poppy Seed Cake (Mohnkuchen)
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Base
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (1 stick)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
Poppy Seed Filling
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup farina (such as cream of wheat)
- 1 cup poppy seeds (freshly ground)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
Streusel Topping
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
Make the Poppy Seed Filling
- In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, bring the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Add the farina and ground poppy seeds. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted.
- Set aside to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then crack in the eggs and whisk to combine. Set aside to continue cooling.
Make the Streusel Topping
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Use a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or your fingers to crumble the mixture into small pieces. Set aside.
Make the Cake Base
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch round cake pan or springform pan.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand whisk or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened stick of butter until it's smooth and creamy, after 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat again until it's pale yellow and fluffy, after 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and beat again until it's incorporated, after 1 minute.
- Add the flour mix on a low speed until it forms a very crumbly mixture, and there's no visible dry flour, after about 1 minute. Try not to overmix it, otherwise it will become gummy and sticky.
Assemble and Bake the Cake
- Dump the dough into the cake pan, and press it in an even layer with your hands. Pour the cooled poppy seed filling onto the shortbread base and spread it out in an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping on top.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the streusel is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove the cake from the springform pan and allow to cool for another 20 minutes. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Poppy Seeds: I highly recommend grinding your poppy seeds before adding them into the filling. Grinding them releases some of the seed's oil, enhancing the flavor.
- Don't Overmix: Be careful not to overmix the crumbly cake dough. Stop mixing when it holds its shape when you squeeze a handful in your palm. If you overmix it, it could become gummy and sticky.
- Equipment: I recommend using a springform pan or a cake pan with a removable bottom. Then you can get your whole cake out of the pan easily and show off those beautiful layers!
- Storing: Allow the cake to cool completely, then wrap in plastic cling wrap or place it under a cake dome. Store either at room temperature for one day, or in the fridge for up to three days.
Shanon
Tastes healthy and delicious!