This Lemon Poppy Seed Torte is a traditional Ukrainian cake filled with a tangy raspberry curd and a creamy white chocolate whipped cream frosting. It's easy to decorate but looks elegant and perfect for any special occasion! If you’re Ukrainian, there’s a good chance that you've been exposed to a lot of poppy seed stuff. And if not, welcome to the world of poppy seeds!
I grew up with them because Baba always had something poppy seed on the table. Both my Dad and husband are pretty big fans of it, while I, on the other hand, could take it or leave it for the majority of my life. That was until I made this Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. Then I totally felt the poppy seed love... It's a traditional Ukrainian cake that's elevated with a raspberry curd filling and white chocolate whipped cream frosting!
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I made this Ukrainian Poppy Seed cake for my poppy seed crazy husband's birthday, and it was a huge hit. But even I couldn't get enough of it! It's easy to decorate, but looks elegant and is perfect for birthdays, Easter, Mother's Day, or any special occasion!
And if you love Ukrainian cakes, give my Ukrainian Walnut Torte a try too!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
- Poppy seeds. Poppy seeds are popular in Ukrainian recipes because Ukrainians view them as a symbol of fertility and prosperity. This poppy seed torte is adapted from a very old-school Ukrainian recipe, and it's a bit heavier in texture than the typical poppy seed stuff that most North Americans are used to
- Honey. The honey in the recipe, which is very common in Ukrainian baking, gives it a distinct flavor and a rich, moist texture that pairs perfectly with light whipped cream and tart raspberry curd filling. It's just sooo much better than your coffee shop variety - there is really no comparison!
- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. These are critical for the flavor of the cake, as it adds a bright, tangy flavor that complements and balances the sweetness of the cake.
- Coffee - you can use any kind
- Unsalted butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in my baking. The salt content in salted butter varies from brand to brand.
- Raspberries - You can use fresh or frozen.
- White Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting. This frosting is the PERFECT pairing for this cake!
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Frosting - You could use Whipped Cream Buttercream Frosting (with shortening), EASY Stabilized Whipped Cream Icing (with piping gel), or another frosting of your choice.
- Curd Filling - You could use a lemon curd or blueberry compote instead, or simply use raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry jam mixed with the frosting.
🔪 How to Assemble Lemon Poppyseed Cake
- Trim cakes. Add about ¼ - ⅓ cup layer of white chocolate whipped cream frosting, then add ½ the raspberry curd filling.
- Repeat.
- Add the final cake layer, then add the remainder of the whipped cream frosting.
- Garnish: Add fresh raspberries and lemon zest to the top of the cake. Gently toss poppy seeds on the sides of the cake until they stick.
*See recipe card for full directions
Expert Recipe Tips
- Warm the honey slightly before mixing: If your honey is thick or crystallized, warm it just until it's pourable (but not hot) to help it blend smoothly into the batter.
- Use room temperature ingredients: For the best texture, ensure your eggs, butter, and lemon are at room temperature before starting. Cold ingredients can cause uneven mixing.
- Don't overmix the batter: Once you add the flour and poppy seed mixture, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake denser and tougher instead of tender.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice: Bottled lemon juice won't give the same fresh, bright flavor — fresh juice and zest are key to that vibrant lemon taste.
- Cool the cakes completely before assembling: Even slightly warm cakes will cause the whipped cream frosting to melt and slide. Make sure they are fully cooled to room temperature.
- Strain the raspberry curd thoroughly: Press the curd firmly through the strainer to remove seeds and achieve a silky-smooth texture. This makes a big difference in the final cake!
- Chill the frosting for easier spreading: After making the white chocolate whipped cream, refrigerate it for about 20–30 minutes if it's too soft. This will make assembling the cake much easier.
- Use a serrated knife to trim cakes: A long, serrated knife makes it easier to level the tops of your cakes without tearing them.
- Decorate just before serving: For the freshest look, add the fresh raspberries and lemon zest garnish right before serving, especially if storing the cake for more than a few hours.
- Cut with a hot knife for cleaner slices: Dip a knife in hot water and wipe it dry between slices for bakery-style, clean cake cuts!
Difference Between a Torte and a Cake
If you're wondering what the difference is between a cake and a torte, well, not much, really. A torte is a type of cake, so all tortes are cakes, but not all cakes are tortes. Tortes tend to be layered and a little 'fancier'. And they are often also denser than a typical cake. For all of those reasons, this cake is considered a torte. The density of a torte is similar to that of a pound cake. If you are interested, you can read more about the difference between cakes and tortes HERE.
Top Tip
I use Wilton Cake Release (affiliate link) -it's one is one of my favorite products because my cakes never stick to the pan!
👪 Serving Size
This Poppy Seed Torte makes 12 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You'll need additional cake pans.
🌡️Storage
Store leftovers of this poppy seed torte in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. You can freeze this cake (unfilled and unfrosted) for up to 3 months. Defrost completely before frosting and serving.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can bake the cake layers and prepare the raspberry curd up to 2 days in advance. Store the cake layers tightly wrapped at room temperature, and keep the curd refrigerated. Assemble and frost the day you plan to serve for the best freshness.
You can, but it will be much sweeter and less tangy than homemade raspberry curd. If using pie filling, you may want to use a thinner layer to avoid overpowering the cake.
Since this batter is denser thanks to the honey and coffee, the poppy seeds naturally stay suspended and don't sink. No extra steps are needed!
The coffee deepens the overall flavor of the torte and balances the sweetness, but you won’t actually taste the coffee in the final product. It just enhances everything subtly!
So, if you are looking for a poppy seed torte recipe or a traditional Ukrainian cake with a modern twist, you'll love this one! Enjoy....
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📋Lemon Poppy seed Torte (with Raspberry Curd filling) Recipe
Equipment
- mixer
Ingredients
Torte
- 1 cup poppy seeds
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup honey (melted/warmed and cooled)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup coffee, cooled
- 6 whole eggs, beaten until thick
- 3 cups all purpose flour, unbleached
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- dash salt
Raspberry Curd Filling
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ pint fresh raspberries or ½ of a 12-oz. package frozen raspberries, thawed
- 3 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Garnish
- fresh raspberries,
- lemon peelings
White Chocolate Whipped Cream Icing
- White Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting https://foodmeanderings.com/white-chocolate-whipped-cream-frosting-ganache/
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F/148 degrees C and grease 3 round 8 inch pans.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, honey, vegetable oil, cold coffee, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- In a separate medium bowl, beat egg until thick (consistency of gravy) with an electric mixer on medium speed, then add to honey mixture and beat again for 2 minutes
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt together.
- Gradually add the flour poppy seed mixture to the egg mixture and stir thoroughly after each addition.
- Pour into 3 round 8-inch prepared pans. Fill pans ⅔ full and bake for 40- 50 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
- When cake is done, let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan and moving to wire racks.
Raspberry Curd Filling
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the raspberries, egg yolks, sugar and salt, and cook on a gentle boil, mashing the berries. Stir frequently at first and then constantly at the end, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Pour the mixture through a coarse strainer set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Cool to room temperature; the curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
White chocolate Whipped cream frosting
- Make as per instructions in recipe in NOTES
Assembly
- Trim cakes
- Add about ¼ - ⅓ cup layer of white chocolate whipped cream frosting, then add ½ the raspberry curd filling.
- Repeat.
- Add final cake layer, then add remainder of whipped cream frosting.
Garnish
- Add fresh raspberries and grated lemon peel to top of cake
- Gently toss poppy seeds at sides of cake until they stick.
Notes
-
- Warm the honey slightly before mixing: If your honey is thick or crystallized, warm it just until it's pourable (but not hot) to help it blend smoothly into the batter.
-
- Use room temperature ingredients: For the best texture, ensure your eggs, butter, and lemon are at room temperature before starting. Cold ingredients can cause uneven mixing.
-
- Don't overmix the batter: Once you add the flour and poppy seed mixture, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake denser and tougher instead of tender.
-
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice: Bottled lemon juice won't give the same fresh, bright flavor — fresh juice and zest are key to that vibrant lemon taste.
-
- Cool the cakes completely before assembling: Even slightly warm cakes will cause the whipped cream frosting to melt and slide. Make sure they are fully cooled to room temperature.
-
- Strain the raspberry curd thoroughly: Press the curd firmly through the strainer to remove seeds and achieve a silky-smooth texture. This makes a big difference in the final cake!
-
- Chill the frosting for easier spreading: After making the white chocolate whipped cream, refrigerate it for about 20–30 minutes if it's too soft. This will make assembling the cake much easier.
-
- Use a serrated knife to trim cakes: A long, serrated knife makes it easier to level the tops of your cakes without tearing them.
-
- Decorate just before serving: For the freshest look, add the fresh raspberries and lemon zest garnish right before serving, especially if storing the cake for more than a few hours.
-
- Cut with a hot knife for cleaner slices: Dip a knife in hot water and wipe it dry between slices for bakery-style, clean cake cuts!
Terri Gilson
Growing up Ukrainian, I've been around a lot of poppy seed stuff - Baba always had it on the table. While my Dad and husband are big fans, I was on the fence until I made this Lemon Poppy Seed Torte. It's a traditional Ukrainian cake, but I've elevated it with raspberry curd filling and white chocolate whipped cream frosting. The honey gives it a distinct flavor and rich, moist texture that's just sooo much better than your coffee shop variety!