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old family receipe for poppy seed cake or poppy seed roll

mpiasec's picture
mpiasec

old family receipe for poppy seed cake or poppy seed roll

I have a receipe from my mom passed down.  The dough calls for 1/2 cup spry, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 can evaporated milk + a little water, heat a little, add some salt, and 2 teas. baking powder.  This is the issue, she never mentions how much flour was used.  It says don't work the dough to much, separate pieces and roll out on board.  Put in the poppyseed when cool and roll out like a jelly roll.  Put milk and egg on top and bake at 400 about 45 minutes.  Test with tooth pick.  Any one who can calculate the amount of flour to use it would be greatly appreciated.  Would love to make mom proud.   Also how many cakes does this make>  Thanks....

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

From whence does the recipe come? Geographical location? Culture? About how old? Any associated festivals, holidays, religions? Is is Polish Poppy Seed Roll? Viennese Poopy Seed Torte? Amish?

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

Quote:
The dough calls for 1/2 cup spry, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 can evaporated milk + a little water, heat a little, add some salt, and 2 teas. baking powder.

What's spry? Vegetable shortening, if Google is correct?

HeidiH's picture
HeidiH

Spry was a brand of vegetable shortening akin to Crisco.

(Dreft was laundry detergent.  Lilt was a hair permanent.  Am I dating myself?)

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

This looks like it comes very close, but uses oil instead of spry/shortening.

I'd say your recipe is for several small jelly rolls, but it's impossible to know for sure without flour quantity. The exact recipe you have word-for-word would help us a lot.

My best guess is that you're supposed to roll it out, fill it with poppy seeds, and then slice it, almost like you're making cinnamon rolls, then bake, making something like this:

AUNT BLANCHE'S POPPYSEED CAKE (Source. http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cjskitchenkorner/cakes.html)
 
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (olive oil is best)
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 lg can evaporated milk
1 can poppyseeds
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients and mix together by hand OR with mixer on slow speed.

Pour into bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool and serve plain or with a glazed frosting. (From my very good friend, Bev Johnson - April, 2001) 

A simple recipe for glaze frosting is:

GLAZE

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cup strained confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoon hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, cream the butter with a wooden spoon.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and water. Beat until smooth, then blend in the vanilla. The glaze should be pourable. If not, add a few extra drops of water.

joyfulbaker's picture
joyfulbaker

thomaschacon, for this recipe.  I have always loved poppyseed cake or strudel, and this looks easy and delicious.

Joyful

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

Here's another one that looks good: http://www.acakebakesinbrooklyn.com/2010/06/poppy-seed-cake.html

 

I found it when I was searching yesterday for an equiv. recipe to the one originally posted.

This cake looks less fussy than the rolled one; and, I like the idea of the vanilla-walnut custard. (Anything that looks like German Chocolate Cake frosting gets my vote!) ;D