Tosca poppy seed cake

Name: Tosca poppy seed cake
Ingredients: 8 egg whites; 1 pinch of salt; 200 g sugar; 150 g poppy seeds; 1 packet baking powder; 4 tablespoons flour; 8 egg yolks; 150 g sugar; 300 ml milk; 1 packet vanilla pudding powder; 300 g butter; 2 packets Petit Beurre biscuits (400 g); 200 ml brewed coffee; 200 g baking chocolate; 100 ml whipping cream; 100 g butter

Dessert - Tosca poppy seed cake by Floarea M. - Recipia

Tosca poppy seed cake has a light sponge, vanilla cream, biscuits dipped in coffee and a chocolate glaze. Once chilled, it cuts into neat layers, with a creamy middle and the slightly grainy texture of the poppy seeds. I prefer it cold, when the cream is firm and the biscuit layer cuts cleanly. Preparation: 35 minutes. Cooking: 47 minutes. Resting: 3 hours. Total time: 4 hours and 22 minutes. Servings: 12. Approximately 775 kcal and 12 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the poppy seed sponge

8 egg whites
1 pinch of salt
200 g sugar
150 g poppy seeds
1 packet baking powder
4 tablespoons flour

For the vanilla cream

8 egg yolks
150 g sugar
300 ml milk
1 packet vanilla pudding powder
300 g butter

For the biscuit layer

2 packets Petit Beurre biscuits (400 g)
200 ml brewed coffee

For the glaze

200 g baking chocolate
100 ml whipping cream
100 g butter

Preparation

1. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually add 200 g sugar and beat until it dissolves. 2. Fold in the poppy seeds and baking powder, then gradually add the flour, mixing gently. Pour the mixture into a pan lined with baking paper. 3. Bake the sponge in the oven preheated to 180°C for about 30 minutes. Check it with a toothpick; if it comes out clean, the sponge is baked. 4. Mix the egg yolks with 150 g sugar until it dissolves. Add the milk and pudding powder, then cook the cream over a double boiler for 12 minutes, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken. 5. Leave the sponge and cream to cool for 60 minutes, until they reach room temperature. Mix the softened butter into the cream, then spread the cream over the sponge. 6. Quickly dip the biscuits in the coffee and arrange them in a layer over the cream. 7. Melt the chocolate, whipping cream and butter over a double boiler, stirring for 5 minutes, until you have a smooth glaze. Let it cool slightly, pour it over the biscuits and spread it while it is still fluid. 8. Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours, then cut it into slices.

Notes

The poppy seeds should smell fresh, with a slightly nutty aroma; if they smell rancid, don’t use them. Let the coffee come to room temperature before dipping the biscuits in it, because hot coffee softens them faster. If the sponge browns before the 30 minutes are up, loosely cover it with baking paper until it finishes baking. Plain biscuits can replace Petit Beurre in the same quantity, but they absorb the coffee a little faster. As with tiramisu, the biscuits form a soft layer between the cream and the glaze; here, the cream contains butter and firms up when chilled. The cake contains gluten, dairy and eggs. I make it the night before, keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and serve it with black tea.