Marbleized Poppy-Seed Cake (Marmorierter Mohnkuchen)

"<em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong>When it comes to cake recipes from scratch, you simply must try this recipe for Marbleized Poppy-Seed Cake (Marmorierter Mohnkuchen)! The recipe includes a number of ingredients you likely already have on hand, and can be ready to serve and eat within just a few hours. It also has just a few steps, and is the perfect way to flex your baking skills. What's not to love about this <a href="https://www.cookstr.com/tag/Easy-Dessert-Recipes" target="_blank">dessert recipe</a>? This German poppy seed cake is one that is sure to delight family and friends. It can also be served at almost any occasion.</em><br /> <br /> What I have come to understand from my time in Germany is that you either love poppy seeds or hate them. I happen to love their haunting, stony flavor, and how it reminds me so strongly of childhood afternoons spent at my friend Joanie’s apartment, where there was always something delicious baking in the oven. To use poppy seeds in cakes, you must grind them to crack their tiny little hulls, which releases their oils and delicate fragrance. Left whole, they just won’t have the same flavor and creamy-nubby texture. To grind poppy seeds, use a hand-cranked poppy-seed grinder, an electric coffee grinder, or a high-powered blender. A food processor won’t do, as the seeds are too tiny to be caught in the big blades.<br /> <br /> This marbleized cake is made by swirling a creamy vanilla batter together with a sturdy poppy-seed batter flavored with vanilla and almond extracts to give the ground poppy seeds extra ballast. In the finished cake, the poppy seed crumb is textured and a lovely bluish gray, contrasting with the tender and buttery yellow crumb. It is an excellent candidate for afternoon teatime, pairing well with both tea or coffee.<br /> <br /> In Germany, this kind of cake would be baked in a <em>Gugelhupf</em> pan, which is more compact and taller than a Bundt pan. I’m not big on spending money on specialty baking pans, but it’s worth seeking out one for the satisfying wedges you can cut out of a <em>Gugelhupf</em>-shaped cake. Of course, the cake will taste equally good if made in a Bundt pan. Just remember that it won’t need to bake as long. A dusting of confectioners’ sugar will give the cake a nice finish at serving time, no matter which pan you use.<br /> <br /> I call for cake flour in the recipe to achieve a delicate crumb. This cake can, however, also be made with all-purpose flour if that is all you have. It will result in a sturdier, denser crumb...."