Poppy seeds aren’t widely used in central and southern Italy, and that’s a shame because they make desserts special. This cake is Tyrolean; I used to eat it in the mountains, but it adapts well anywhere because it’s delicate and tasty. This cake doesn’t rise much, and is airy and slightly moist thanks to the apples. Perfect as a snack for any age.
Almond and Poppy Seed Cake
- Preparation time: 30 minutes+baking
- For a 20 cm cake pan
- Difficulty: Easy recipe
- Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 100 grams of sugar
- 100 grams of almond flour
- 100 grams of poppy seeds
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Grated zest of ½ lemon
- 20 grams of rum
- 2 apples
- Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
- Grate the lemon zest and mix it with the sugar.
- Cut an apple into small cubes.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, add the lemon juice, rum, cinnamon, and finally the almond flour and poppy seeds.
- Whip the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture, stirring gently.
- Finally, add the diced apples.
- Pour the cake batter into a lightly buttered baking pan lined with parchment paper and smooth it out.
- Bake in the hot oven for about thirty to thirty-five minutes.
Tips to ensure a successful cake:
- It’s best to add the egg whites in three batches. You can also whisk them in the first batch; in the second and third, the mixture should be mixed more gently.
- This cake sticks stubbornly to even well-buttered pans. For this reason, I prefer using parchment paper.
- Baking times are approximate because every oven is different
