Polish Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients

• 3.5 cups poppy seeds
• boiling water to cover
• 5 eggs , separated
• 9 tablespoons margarine
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 apples - peeled , cored, and grated
• 0.5 cups chopped walnuts
• 0.5 cups raisins
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

1. 1

   Place poppy seeds in a small pot, cover with boiling water, and set aside for 24 hours.

2. 2

   Line a colander with a cheesecloth and spoon in the poppy seeds. Allow draining for several hours. Once drained, transfer to a food processor and process until fine.

3. 3

   Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup margarine, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, and baking powder in a large bowl and knead into a smooth dough.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a deep 9x13-inch deep pan and line it with parchment paper.

5. 5

   Roll out dough on a slightly floured surface and place in the prepared sheet pan.

6. 6

   Combine egg yolks, 9 tablespoons margarine, and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in drained poppy seeds gradually. Add apples, walnuts, raisins, honey, bread crumbs, and almond extract; mix well.

7. 7

   Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: egg whites will form sharp peaks. Fold egg whites into poppy seed mixture; spread over dough in the sheet pan.

8. 8

   Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour until cake is set; transfer to a wire rack to cool.

9. 9

   Mix enough boiling water with confectioners' sugar to form a smooth icing. Spread generously over cooled cake.