Poppy Seed Cake

This Poppy Seed Cake is a classic buttermilk coffee cake studded with poppy seeds and a cinnamon swirl in the middle. It is perfect for a dessert, brunch, or even a special breakfast treat.

This Poppy Seed Cake recipe is from my mom. It is one of my favorite treats that she makes for special occasions. She got this recipe many years ago (we’re talking decades) from the hostess of a ladies luncheon. She said everybody at the party was asking for the recipe. That’s always a good sign!

I made a last minute decision to whip up this cake, and as a result had to make a few changes from the original recipe based on what I had on hand. I used vanilla extract since I was out of almond extract. I also used oil in place of butter because I had one stick of butter left that I was planning to use to make cookies! Feel free to use almond and/or butter in place of what is noted below. Either way works great!

Between the buttermilk-soaked poppy seeds and the cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle, it is no surprise this Poppy Seed Cake is always a hit! This cake would be a welcome addition to any array of holiday treats, and is also perfect for brunch of a special holiday breakfast treat. I thought it would be the perfect recipe to share for Week 8 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic.

Poppy Seed Cake

Yields: 24 servings

Ingredients

2 ounces poppy seeds
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine poppy seeds and buttermilk and let soak for at least 2 hours.
In the meantime, combine ½ cup sugar and cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream oil, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Then beat on high for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add half of flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating on low. Then add half of poppy seed mixture to creamed mixture, beating on low. Repeat and then beat on medium low until fully combined.
Pour half of batter into prepared baking pan and sprinkle with half of cinnamon sugar mixture. Add the rest of the batter and then sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Run a knife through to create a swirl.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Each week, several blogger friends and I will be sharing a sweet treat fit for your holiday treat table. Be sure to take a look at what everyone else is making. And make sure you’re following the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats on Pinterest so you can keep track of all the recipes.

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