Claudia is finally back from her 3-week vacation in the country. Just in time for her birthday. Last week, I posted my absolute favourite birthday cake that Claudia makes for me every year. With Claudia’s return and birthday looming, we figured it would be fitting to post HER favourite birthday cake.
Because I pride myself on being a good daughter, I asked Claudia upon her return from vacation last week what kind of cake she would like for her birthday. Not even a split second went by before she blurted out excitedly “Poppy Seed Chiffon Cake!” Looks like Claudia prepared herself for this question and contemplated it quite heavily on the 5-hour drive back to the city!
Up until last week I had no idea what this cake was, let alone how to make it. So Claudia showed me her favourite recipe (a combination of two recipes – one consisting of a recipe card with ingredients written via typewriter and the other out of an old classic cookbook for the assembly and baking instructions). She wasn’t kidding around. A few days went by and I received a phone call from Claudia, insisting that she help me with her birthday cake. Yes folks, she wanted to make her own birthday cake. Mother-daughter baking trust issues? Perhaps. Perfect opportunity for a blog post? Absolutely.
Sift together your flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of sugar.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Separate your eggs and add all 7 yolks to the well, along with the vanilla and vegetable oil.
Looks almost alien, doesn’t it?
Beat for a few seconds until yolks are…well…beaten.
Add poppy seeds and water mixture to well and beat, slowly incorporating the dry ingredients around the well.
Lookin’ good!
In a separate large bowl, beat your egg whites, 1/2 cup sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form (approximately 3-5 minutes)
Those are some stiff peaks!
Pour poppy seed batter in with whipped egg whites and fold gently.
Very heavenly. And it’s not even baked yet.
Pour your fluffy batter into a non-greased 10-inch two-piece tube pan.
The two-piece pan is essential when dealing with this cake since you do not grease the pan with any butter (surprise, surprise -a first for us!).
Cut vertical sections of the batter. Not entirely sure why we do this, but Claudia insisted we do. I don’t argue with the woman. After all, she IS baking her own birthday cake!
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
Viola!
Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Cut around the edges and remove from pan.
Cool completely on wire rack.
While cooling, this is a perfect opportunity to make your icing! This is by far the simplest icing to make.
Combine all three ingredients in a bowl.
Whip for 3 – 5 minutes until icing is a thick consistency.
Now, ice your cake!
Happy Birthday Claudia!
Moist, fluffy and delicious.
A little slice of heaven.
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 7 eggs at room temperature (separated into yolks and whites)
- 1/2 cup poppy seeds which have been soaked in 1 cup water for 2 hours
- 1 package of Dream Whip
- 1 package of instant vanilla pudding
- 1.5 cups of 2% milk
- Sift together your flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of sugar.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Separate your eggs and add all 7 yolks to the well, along with the vanilla and vegetable oil.
- Beat for a few seconds until yolks are combined.
- Add poppy seeds and water mixture to well and beat, slowly incorporating the dry ingredients around the well.
- In a separate large bowl, beat your egg whites, 1/2 cup sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form (approximately 3-5 minutes)
- Pour poppy seed batter in with whipped egg whites and fold gently.
- Pour your fluffy batter into a non-greased 10-inch two-piece tube pan.The two-piece pan is essential when dealing with this cake since you do not grease the pan with any butter.
- Cut vertical sections of the batter.
- Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Cut around the edges and remove from pan.
- Cool completely on wire rack. While cooling, this is a perfect opportunity to make your icing!
- Combine all three ingredients in a bowl.
- Whip for 3 – 5 minutes until icing is a thick consistency.
- Now, ice your cake!
- Enjoy!
24 Comments on Poppy Seed Chiffon Cake
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JamieLou
September 20, 2010 at 11:17 AM (14 years ago)I LOVE CLAUDIA!!!and EVERYTHING she makes!! Can’t wait to try this one out…maybe accompanied by the curryflower soup!! mmmmmmmmmmm….autmn is loverly
Michelle
August 25, 2011 at 8:55 AM (13 years ago)I started to use this recipe but changed my mind when I saw 3 tbsp of baking powder seemed an awfull lot realized later must of meant 3 tsp.
Claudia's Cookbook
August 28, 2011 at 4:47 PM (13 years ago)Thanks for your keen eye Michelle! You are correct, it should definitely be 3 tsp and NOT tbsp! We have corrected the recipe. I hope you make it – it’s delicious!
Elizabeth
March 24, 2012 at 11:02 PM (13 years ago)As my aunt and I were baking, we noticed it said to first, “Sift together your sugar, flour, baking powder and salt”. After following the rest of the steps, we came along to the egg whites where it said, “In a separate large bowl, beat your egg whites, sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form (approximately 3-5 minutes)”.
Since we had already used the sugar called for, we were confused on why it was asking for sugar again. I think perhaps the sugar wasn’t suppose to be included in the first instruction. Any reasons why it says this?
Claudia's Cookbook
March 25, 2012 at 9:52 PM (13 years ago)Hi Elizabeth. Sorry for any confusion. I realized I forgot to add in the ingredients list that you need another 1/2 cup for when you beat the egg whites, baking soda and cream of tartar. Therefore, you need 1 cup sugar sifted with the flour, baking power and salt at the beginning of the recipe, and another 1/2 cup for your egg whites. I will correct this immediately. Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention!
Carol
February 24, 2015 at 4:25 PM (10 years ago)I come from a small town in Alberta. One of my favourite childhood food memories was my mother’s poppy seed chiffon cake. It always seemed like a mystery on how anybody could create anything as delicious as this cake.
I am an adult now(or I try to be one) and Mom is gone and I never did get that recipe from her. I have tried many recipes and have all but given up on ever trying to master this cake. This recipe has changed all that. With the wonderful direction and perfect integration of the ingredients I have created what can only be called a masterpiece.
I did not have the whipped topping or instant pudding so I made a seven minute frosting and I am so very happy with it all.Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe.
Claudia's Cookbook
February 24, 2015 at 4:46 PM (10 years ago)Hi Carol! Wow, thank you so much for sharing and for your lovely comments! We are so happy you love the recipe and that it brings back wonderful memories
Glenda
April 2, 2015 at 8:15 AM (10 years ago)I would love to have your cook book.! I live in Saskatoon .also I am looking for a white cake recipe
Claudia's Cookbook
April 2, 2015 at 4:28 PM (10 years ago)Hi Glenda, we actually don’t have a cookbook. All our recipes are on the blog 🙂
Marlene
April 22, 2015 at 8:23 PM (10 years ago)perfect results thank you thank you I would use 1/2 cup less sugar
Terry
July 14, 2016 at 9:34 PM (8 years ago)Thank you so much for the recipe. I always make my husband a poppyseed birthday cake but we’ve just moved after 15 years in the same house and I can’t find my old standby recipe that was given to me by my Baba anywhere. Now I’ve bookmarked this one as it’s as close as can be to hers and it’s baking in the oven (and making the new house smell delicious!) as I write this. Thanks again.
Claudia's Cookbook
July 17, 2016 at 9:05 PM (8 years ago)You’re welcome Terry!
Randall
July 31, 2016 at 4:48 PM (8 years ago)I do not see a print option on your website. This would make it easier to print a working copy.
Claudia's Cookbook
August 8, 2016 at 12:19 PM (8 years ago)Hi Randall – We are currently updating all our recipes to have print links. I’ve updated this one so you should be able to print now. Thanks for your patience!
carol
September 30, 2019 at 9:20 AM (5 years ago)Thank You Claudia my Father just turned 83 he was raised in Winnipeg Man. he always had a poppy seed cake for his Birthday, My Mother passed away at 40 BUT as a child l can remember helping her fold in the egg whites into the cake but could not find the recipe. MY dad remarried and my step mother made him his cake she passed away almost two years ago her cake was good but not like my Mothers last year l used my Stepmothers recipe BUT l kept on searching for my Mother recipe, when l came across your recipe l was so excited to make it we had it yesterday for his Birthday and it’s the same as my Mother’s Cake my Father was in TEARS he loved it. THANKS for sharing now just to find the double boiler icing she made for it.
Sheila Lupul
April 23, 2020 at 10:39 AM (5 years ago)Hi Carol….try 7 minute icing…that could be what you’re looking for.
Gayle Turlock
July 17, 2020 at 11:26 PM (4 years ago)Hi, I have made this a few times and we love it, I have to bake mine for about another 20 min. I have an oven thermometer to ensure I have the correct temperature. Maybe to due with elevation? Or should I cook it at 350F
Claudia's Cookbook
March 1, 2021 at 3:25 PM (4 years ago)I think you have the right idea of baking it a little longer. All ovens are different. Glad you like it!
Gwen
November 14, 2022 at 5:27 PM (2 years ago)I would like to know if this cake and icing are freezable?
Jamie
November 15, 2022 at 10:01 AM (2 years ago)Interesting, I live in BC now however I lived in Calgary half my life, and that’s where I got introduced to Poppy seed chiffon. In case you’re still wondering why you cut horizontal lines in the cake is to remove any bubbles that may be in the batter. Beautiful recipe!
Laurie
December 31, 2022 at 1:00 PM (2 years ago)Interesting that our recipes vary slightly – in the one I usually use, thecegg whites just get beaten with cream of tartar; all sugar goes in the yolk mixture.
I grew up on a farm in rural Alberta as well, and this was, and still is, my very favorite cake. My mom made such beautiful chiffon cakes, and although she is no longer with us, I can almost feel her beside me every time I make one. Looking fwd to trying your recipe next time!
Joan
April 3, 2023 at 5:02 PM (2 years ago)I am going to make this cake for Easter this weekend. Have you ever put lemon zest in this cake?
Joan
April 3, 2023 at 5:03 PM (2 years ago)Also, what size package of vanilla pudding did you use?
Val Lozoway
February 7, 2024 at 11:05 PM (9 months ago)My Aunt has baked me this cake for several of my birthdays. It is exactly the same one and would not share the recipe. She has gone to a nursing home and found this recipe so have been retuning the gift to her several years. On Feb 19th she will be 91 and am surly making her this.