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Apfel-Mohnkuchen (Apple-poppy seed cake)

The recipe is another treasure from the Buchenberger Landfrauenverein’s trove of apple recipes. Remember: gift store, Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee on your next cross-country trip in Germany.
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Ingredients

  • Flour 1-2/3 cup cup (200 g)
  • Baking powder 1 Tbsp
  • Sugar 2/3 cup (125 g)
  • Vanilla sugar 1 package (see Note below)
  • Butter ½ cup (125 g)
  • Egg 1, separated
  • Hazelnuts ground, lightly-roasted, 5 ounces (150 g)
  • Milk hot, 2/3 cup (150 ml)
  • Butter soft, ¼ cup (50 g)
  • Egg 1
  • Sugar ½ cup (100 g)
  • Apples 2 lbs (1 kg), peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
  • Sugar 1/3 cup (75 g)
  • Cinnamon 1 tsp.
  • Poppy seeds ½ lb (250 g) (Freshly ground, see Note below)
  • Powder for vanilla sauce 1 package (see Note below)

Instructions

For the crust

  • Soften the butter and mix it together with the sugar.
  • Add in the egg white and ½ of the egg yolk (the other ½ will come into play later on.). Mix well.
  • In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and hazelnuts.
  • Add the flour-hazelnut mix into the butter-sugar-egg mix and combine thoroughly.
  • Knead into a dough. Refrigerate the dough while you prepare the other ingredients.

For the poppy-seed filling

  • Heat the milk and the butter in a small saucepan. When the milk is hot, add in the poppy seeds. Mix well.
  • Set to rest for 15 minutes and then refrigerate.
  • When you are ready to use the poppy seeds, mix in the egg, sugar and vanilla sauce powder.

For the apple filling

  • Combine the apples with the sugar and cinnamon in a pan.
  • Cook gently to soften the apples.
  • Refrigerate the filling.

Assembly

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Separate out 1/3 of the dough for the crust. Roll it out onto a floured service and cut out small round cookies. (I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter because I was serving the cake to lovers. You too are free to be creative.)
  • Butter a springform pan, 11 inch (28 cm) in diameter.
  • Roll ½ of the remaining dough out onto the bottom of the pan.
  • Press the remaining ½ of the dough along the inside walls of the pan.
  • Spread the poppy seed filling onto the crust.
  • Top with the apple filling.
  • Lay the cut-out cookies onto the top of the cake.
  • Combine the ½ egg yolk with 1 Tbsp of milk. Brush onto the cookies.
  • Bake for 40 minutes.
  • Eat your heart out.

Notes

Vanilla sugar : Is this a product marketed in the U.S.? I can’t recall ever using vanilla sugar packets as a child. If not, add a teaspoon of vanilla flavoring and maybe an extra teaspoon or two of sugar. Then, next time you’re in Europe, pick up some packets when you tour a local supermarket.
Poppy-seeds : Now, the recipe calls for the poppy seeds to be freshly-ground. I have not yet determined how to do this, having unsuccessfully attempted to grind the seeds in all of the grinding devices we have on hand. If you know the secret to grinding poppy seeds, go for it – and don’t forget to show off in the comments section!
Powder for vanilla sauce : I bought a powder here in France for “crème anglaise”. In the U.S. maybe a package of vanilla pudding mix would work. Next time we are in Germany I will do a bit of investigative research on what exactly is included in a package of “Saucen-Pulver Van. geschmack” so we can figure out what to substitute in.