Auntie Betty’s Poppyseed Cake
Auntie Betty’s Poppyseed Cake is one of those recipes that needs to be in everyone’s recipe box (is that still a thing?). With a crunchy exterior and soft, moist interior, a person can never go wrong with this old-time recipe. And, I’ve got a great story to go with this recipe!
I recently visited my first cousins in Florida. My cousin, Brenda, asked me if I often make Auntie Betty’s Poppyseed Cake. I was embarrassed to say that I didn’t know that cake, especially since Auntie Betty was my mom! My mom passed in 1983, but her recipes definitely live on! She was a great baker and cook!
Brenda showed me the recipe and I was cracking up…it’s one of those three sentence recipes that goes something like this: Mix all the ingredients, pour into Bundt pan, bake. Seriously!
Even though I love the challenge of baking a dramatic 3-layer tiered cake with all the decorating, etc, Brenda (and her 3 daughters, Tammy, Diane and Francine) convinced me that I had to try it. Even more startling for me was that it used boxed cake mix and vanilla instant pudding. Yikes! But, I promised that I would try it.
At that point, the conversation went something like this:
Brenda: Be sure to undercook the cake by about 5 minutes
Diane: Use the small size Vanilla Pudding. I used the large one and it was awful!
Tammy: Be sure to use Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix. No other will work as well!
Francine (my cousin, not me): Don’t mix the poppyseeds in at the beginning. They go in right before transferring the mixture to the pan.
Brenda: Yes, you must use the cream sherry!
All: It’s our favorite cake EVER!
Brenda: I can’t wait to see how you make it your own!
It was this last comment that got me sweating…how to take a beloved classic, one from my own mother, and rework it so that it is blog-worthy. What I decided was that I would leave the cake as it’s written but just add a glaze and a raspberry coulis that you could add if you wanted to. If you are a purist, don’t add anything. If you like a little more zhuzh, than drizzle one or both of the extras. You could also sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the top as I’ve done. Honestly, I loved using all three!
Here’s the interesting thing about me and this cake…once I tasted it, I remembered it! I remembered the funny way that the poppyseeds crunched in my mouth when I took a bite. I remember how delicious it was and how much I loved the crunchy exterior. It all came back to me!
I shared the cake with my siblings and they all remembered it with fondness!
So, I want to thank my cousins for reminding me about Auntie Betty’s Poppyseed Cake and I want to encourage you all to try it! You will never realize that it begins with two boxed mixes. All you will know is that it’s delicious, easy and blog-worthy!!
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Auntie Betty’s Poppyseed Cake
Makes: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box Vanilla Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
- 4 eggs
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 cup cream sherry
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1/3 cup poppy seeds
Cream Sherry Sauce:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cream sherry
- 1/4 cup water
Raspberry Coulis:
- 1 cup raspberries
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray.
In a stand mixer, beat all of the ingredients except the poppy seeds for 5 minutes. Add the poppy seeds and combine for 30 seconds.
Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for 20 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with raspberry coulis and Sherry Glaze.
For the glaze, melt all ingredients in a small saucepan on the cooktop. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, cool for a few minutes and pour over the cake.
For the Raspberry Coulis, place the raspberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan on the cooktop and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, gently smashing the raspberries until a sauce forms. Cool before serving.
Recipe adapted from Betty Shostack (my mother, of blessed memory)
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