I was so lucky to have a great friend who lived in the country and let me hang out at her home all the time and eat all the fabulous food her Russian/(maybe some German, too) mother made. This was about 1969-1970, before all the other goofy recipes for poppy seed things came out, I think, and this is the best one I have ever tasted, out of all the poppy seed breads and cakes to come. I was over there one weekend and there was this really high, light, bundt cake for us to snack on. I couldn't stop sneaking pieces of it, it was so light and delicious. She gave me the recipe and a couple other great recipes of hers and I and all the women in my family have been making it ever since for every family holiday or special occasion.
Her recipe was based on using a Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, long before they started putting pudding in the mix, so, I have had to adjust the recipe to make up for the change in cake mixes. I burnt out a couple of mixers trying to follow Erlene's directions to beat it 8 minutes and have since given up on ever having one as tall and light as hers was. I have had them fall time and time again when I have beat them a long time, so, I just use a Betty Crocker Yellow Cake mix (my favorite, too) and add about half a package of vanilla instant pudding and follow the directions on the cake mix box, then add the 1/4 cup of poppy seed and butter extract and vanilla. Erlene's original recipe said add 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup corn oil, plus a whole package of vanilla instant pudding to the cake mix and beat until well incorporated, then add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating one minute after each one. Then beat 8 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of butter extract and 1/4 cup of poppy seeds during last minute. Poppy seeds bought from a grocery store are usually very stale and expensive-get fresher, cheaper poppy seeds at a health food store, preferably in the refrigerated section, unless you know a nice Mennonite family who grows their own and will share!
Here is my recipe adapted to the modern cake mixes with pudding already in them:
ERLENE'S POPPY SEED BUNDT CAKE
1 Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 to 3/4 package vanilla instant pudding
corn oil-whatever amount the cake mix calls for plus a little extra
water-whatever the cake mix calls for
4 eggs-beat well after each one
1/4 cup poppy seed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter extract
Glaze
1 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon butter extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 or more Tablespoons water or milk to make a thin glaze, but, I make mine a little thicker to stick better and make the cake pretty
As I said, add the pudding, oil and water to the cake mix in a large bowl and mix well. Add each egg, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat batter well, 2 minutes or more as you prefer. Add in the vanilla, butter extract and poppy seeds and mix well.
Spray or grease well a regular metal bundt pan. Pour batter in and bake about 350 degrees until knife inserted near center comes out clean (see times on cake mix for bundt cake) or until pressing lightly on the top of the cake causes it to spring back. If the cake is rising on the sides too fast or burning on top, turn oven down to 325 or so.
Remove from oven and place cake plate or serving plate on top of bundt cake, hold it on as you turn the pan over and then pull the cake pan off leaving the cake on the plate to cool. Erlene said to cool it in the cake pan but it always fell for me so I have better luck turning it out right away. She was like a master cook, like other older, farm wives I have known, who could just do amazing things that take years to master, like mixing pie dough with the fingertips and having it still come out impossibly light.
Her recipe said to spread a little icing on the cake using your fingertips! I use a pastry brush. Sometimes, she didn't put any icing on it and it was still great, but, I usually cover the whole cake (excessive!) and then drizzle a little over the top to make it pretty.
Everyone always loves this cake. Erlene's was even better, of course! Remember to tell them what you had if you have to get a UA, lol!
Note: Around here, the Mennonites grow their own poppy seeds because they taste better and are cheaper. I thought that was illegal, but apparently not! They are really much tastier. They make poppy seed rolls which are also addictive and like a long cinnamon roll before it is cut, only filled with a sweetened poppy seed mixture and baked like that. Then, you cut it into slices. So delicious!
Her recipe was based on using a Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, long before they started putting pudding in the mix, so, I have had to adjust the recipe to make up for the change in cake mixes. I burnt out a couple of mixers trying to follow Erlene's directions to beat it 8 minutes and have since given up on ever having one as tall and light as hers was. I have had them fall time and time again when I have beat them a long time, so, I just use a Betty Crocker Yellow Cake mix (my favorite, too) and add about half a package of vanilla instant pudding and follow the directions on the cake mix box, then add the 1/4 cup of poppy seed and butter extract and vanilla. Erlene's original recipe said add 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup corn oil, plus a whole package of vanilla instant pudding to the cake mix and beat until well incorporated, then add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating one minute after each one. Then beat 8 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of butter extract and 1/4 cup of poppy seeds during last minute. Poppy seeds bought from a grocery store are usually very stale and expensive-get fresher, cheaper poppy seeds at a health food store, preferably in the refrigerated section, unless you know a nice Mennonite family who grows their own and will share!
Here is my recipe adapted to the modern cake mixes with pudding already in them:
ERLENE'S POPPY SEED BUNDT CAKE
1 Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 to 3/4 package vanilla instant pudding
corn oil-whatever amount the cake mix calls for plus a little extra
water-whatever the cake mix calls for
4 eggs-beat well after each one
1/4 cup poppy seed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter extract
Glaze
1 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon butter extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 or more Tablespoons water or milk to make a thin glaze, but, I make mine a little thicker to stick better and make the cake pretty
As I said, add the pudding, oil and water to the cake mix in a large bowl and mix well. Add each egg, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat batter well, 2 minutes or more as you prefer. Add in the vanilla, butter extract and poppy seeds and mix well.
Spray or grease well a regular metal bundt pan. Pour batter in and bake about 350 degrees until knife inserted near center comes out clean (see times on cake mix for bundt cake) or until pressing lightly on the top of the cake causes it to spring back. If the cake is rising on the sides too fast or burning on top, turn oven down to 325 or so.
Remove from oven and place cake plate or serving plate on top of bundt cake, hold it on as you turn the pan over and then pull the cake pan off leaving the cake on the plate to cool. Erlene said to cool it in the cake pan but it always fell for me so I have better luck turning it out right away. She was like a master cook, like other older, farm wives I have known, who could just do amazing things that take years to master, like mixing pie dough with the fingertips and having it still come out impossibly light.
Her recipe said to spread a little icing on the cake using your fingertips! I use a pastry brush. Sometimes, she didn't put any icing on it and it was still great, but, I usually cover the whole cake (excessive!) and then drizzle a little over the top to make it pretty.
Everyone always loves this cake. Erlene's was even better, of course! Remember to tell them what you had if you have to get a UA, lol!
Note: Around here, the Mennonites grow their own poppy seeds because they taste better and are cheaper. I thought that was illegal, but apparently not! They are really much tastier. They make poppy seed rolls which are also addictive and like a long cinnamon roll before it is cut, only filled with a sweetened poppy seed mixture and baked like that. Then, you cut it into slices. So delicious!
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