Polish Poppy Seed Cake – Makowiec Recipe

sliced polish poppy seed roll on the table.

5 from 3 votes

Polish Poppy Seed Cake – Makowiec Recipe

Makowiec, a Polish poppy seed roll, is a traditional Easter and Christmas treat filled with poppy seeds, nuts, and dried fruit, perfect with tea or coffee.

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Additional Time2

Total Time3 45

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Polish

Servings: slices

Calories: 324kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Stand mixer with dough hooks
Baking sheet

Ingredients

Yeast dough (Note)

25 g fresh yeast 0.9 oz OR 7 g/ 0.25 oz active dry yeast
250 ml lukewarm milk 1 cup + 1 tablespoon
30 g granulated sugar 2 ¼ tablespoon
400 g all-purpose flour 14 oz/ 3 ⅓ cups
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg yolk Note 2
50 g unsalted butter 2 oz/ scant ¼ cup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

2 egg whites
220 g poppy seeds ground, 8 oz/ 1 ½ cups, Note 3
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons dried blueberries Note 4
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
80 g sugar ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon
100 ml milk ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons

Assembling:

1 tablespoon butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk

Glaze:

75 g powdered sugar 2.5 oz/ ¾ cup
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice or milk or water, as needed

Instructions

Dough:

Proof yeast: If using fresh yeast, crumble it in a small bowl. If using active dry yeast, place it in the bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the already measured sugar, 2 tablespoons of the measured flour, and a little lukewarm milk from the measured milk. Just enough milk to form a thick paste. Mix well and leave to stand for about 5-10 minutes, covered, in a warm place. It should double its volume.
25 g fresh yeast / 0.9 oz OR 7 g/ 0.25 oz active dry yeast + 2 teaspoon sugar + 2 tablespoon flour + a little milk
Melt butter: In the meantime, melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
50 g unsalted butter/ 2 oz/ scant ¼ cup
Combine: Place the flour into a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the dough hooks. Add salt and the remaining sugar. Mix well. Add the lukewarm milk, melted butter, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and yeast mixture. Mix well with a spoon.
400 g all-purpose flour/ 14 oz/ 3 ⅓ cups + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + 30 g granulated sugar/ 2 ¼ tablespoon + 250 ml lukewarm milk/ 1 cup + 1 tablespoon + butter + 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + yeast mix
Knead: with a mixer with dough hooks or stand mixer for about 5 minutes or until elastic and smooth.
Let rise: Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a kitchen cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. (Note 5)

Filling:

Make the filling while the dough rises.
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
2 egg whites
Mix: In another bowl, mix the ground poppy seeds, raisins, blueberries, walnuts, and sugar.
220 g poppy seeds/ 8 oz/ 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons raisins + 2 tablespoons dried blueberries + 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts + 80 g sugar/ ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon
Combine: Heat the milk until boiling. Pour it over the poppy seed mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool. Fold in the egg whites.
100 ml milk/ ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons

Assemble the roll:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
1 tablespoon butter
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, about 1 cm/ 0.5 inches thick and about 40x30 cm/ 15x12 inches large. Brush with the melted butter. Spread the filling on top.
Roll up and close the ends well so that the filling doesn't spill during baking. Then, place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, seam side down.
Egg wash: Mix the egg yolk and the milk and brush the roll with the mixture.
1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon milk
Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until golden and baked through. Let cool on a wire rack.

Glaze:

Mix the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice (or milk or water) to form a thick, pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cooled roll. Sprinkle with a few poppy seeds if you have any left.
75 g powdered sugar/ 2.5 oz/ ¾ cup + 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Notes

Scale: Use a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients; it will give you the most precise results, ensuring the best bakes possible (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
Eggs: You will need a total of 2 eggs, both separated. One egg yolk for the dough and one for the brush. Both egg whites are for the filling.
Poppy seeds: If they are not ground, you can easily do it in the food processor. They will be finer but should not become a powder.
Dried fruit: The exact amount of other dried fruit or berries can be used instead.
The rising time depends on how warm your kitchen is and the type of yeast you are using. If using fresh yeast, check after one hour already; dough made with fresh yeast always rises faster.

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