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    Home » Desserts

    Yeast Bundt Cake with Poppy Seed Filling

    Published: Jan 12, 2023 by Petra Kupská

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    If you’re looking for a unique twist on classic bundt cakes, then this Czech bundt cake with a homemade poppy seed filling is the perfect recipe. The combination of soft yeast dough and luscious poppy seed flavor in one showstopping cake will have your taste buds jumping for joy!

    Czech poppy seed bundt cake, maková bábovka, served on a plate.
    Table of Contents hide
    ➜ About the cake
    ➜ Maková bábovka - Czech pronunciation
    ➜ Ingredients
    ➜ How to make poppy seed bundt cake
    ➜ How to get bundt cake out of the pan
    ➜ Serving
    ➜ Storage
    Yeast Bundt Cake with Poppy Seed Filling

    ➜ About the cake

    Typically, when you hear about poppy seed cake, you envision a baked cake with poppy seeds incorporated into the batter. The cake in this recipe, however, is entirely different; it is made from yeast dough.

    Raised dough is shaped into a rectangle and given a coat of poppy seed filling. Then, it is rolled into a log and baked in a bundt pan. The result is a nice, rich, and perfectly dense bundt cake with a great moisture level thanks to the filling.

    Baked bundt cake removed from a pan.

    ➜ Maková bábovka - Czech pronunciation

    The recipe comes from the Czech Republic, where this type of rolled cake is traditionally baked on weekends and for festive occasions. Its Czech name is "maková bábovka," where the word "maková" means "made with poppy seeds" and "bábovka" is a bundt cake!

    I recorded a short audio clip with the word "maková bábovka." I am a native speaker, so you will hear the real Czech language.

    MY TIP: Here you will find a recipe for a traditional Czech babovka bundt cake (without filling)

    ➜ Ingredients

    I split the list of ingredients into two parts: the things you need to make the yeast dough and the items you need to make the poppy seed filling.

    For yeasted dough:

    Yeast bundt cake ingredients inclusive captions.
    • All-purpose flour; or plain flour, if you are based in the UK
    • Active dry yeast; don't worry about working with yeast dough. It's not rocket science!
    • Granulated sugar; white granulated sugar is required in the dough to add flavor and activate the yeast
    • Unsalted butter; ensures a soft texture
    • Milk; lukewarm
    • Salt; helps to balance the sweetness of a pastry
    • Vanilla; I used vanilla paste. If you don't have one, vanilla extract is a good substitution.
    • Egg yolks; provide a richer, softer dough. They also help bind the ingredients together and give the cake a golden color.

    For homemade poppy seed filling:

    Ingredients for homemade poppyseed filling, inclusive captions.
    • Poppy seeds for baking; ground. Use a poppy seed grinder designed for this purpose, or grind the poppy seeds in small batches in a clean electric grinder.
    • Milk; thins out the poppy seed filling and makes it easier to spread over the dough
    • Granulated sugar
    • Vanilla, in the form of a paste or essence
    • Cloves; crushed cloves add a hint of spice and warmth to the poppy seed filling (learn how to crush cloves by hand)
    • Fresh lemon zest; provides a bright and citrusy flavor

    For the final dusting, you need about two tablespoons of powdered sugar

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    Equipment: This recipe is designed for a bundt cake pan with a volume of 12 cups, which corresponds to about 2.7 liters in metric units. I have a beautiful ceramic bundt pan that is absolutely stable and always produces a nice, regular shape of baked cake.

    ➜ How to make poppy seed bundt cake

    STEP 1: Make a yeast starter: Heat the milk for the dough to about 110°F (43°C). Stir in one tablespoon of sugar and instant dry yeast. Leave in a warm place; in about 10–15 minutes, light brown foam with bubbles should form on the milk surface.

    Active dry yeast mixed with milk in a bowl.
    Activated yeast starter.

    STEP 2: Start making a yeast dough: Heat the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or melt it on the stovetop. The butter cannot be hot! In a large mixing bowl, add the flour (I recommend sifting it through a sieve beforehand), the melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, remaining sugar, and the yeast starter.

    Making dough for yeasted bundt cake.

    STEP 3: Knead the dough smooth. First, use a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones in a bowl. Once the dough has come together into a crumbly mass, turn it out onto a floured work surface.

    Knead a soft dough that is a little sticky with your hands. If it sticks too much to your hands or the work surface, sprinkle it with a little flour and work it into the dough. 

    The whole kneading process takes about 10 minutes and may require a bit of physical work if done by hand.

    Yeasted dough in a white bowl before letting it to rise.

    TIP: If you have a stand kitchen mixer with kneading attachments or a bread machine, feel free to use them to process the dough.

    STEP 4: Let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place. I let the dough rise in an oven with a pot of hot water on the bottom and the door shut.

    ⤍ Learn how to make dough rise in the oven.

    Proofed dough for bundt cake.

    STEP 5: In the meantime, make poppyseed filling. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the ground poppy seeds, sugar, vanilla, grated lemon zest, and crushed cloves. Learn how to crush cloves by hand.

    Bring to a boil on the stove, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every so often. Allow the poppy seed filling to cool completely.

    Homemade poppy seed filling in a bowl.

    TIP: Spread the filling as evenly as possible over the surface of a deep bowl. Every 10 minutes or so, give it a good stir. This will allow the poppy seed filling to cool more quickly.

    Here are more details on how to make poppy seed filling

    STEP 6: Roll out the dough into a 30x12-inch rectangle (50x30cm). The dough should not be overly thin! Spread the cooled poppy seed filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) around the edge free.

    Spreading poppy seed filling over rolled yeast dough.

    STEP 7: Fold the dough over the filling as you see in the pictures below. Basically, you create a simple roll.

    Folding yeast dough over poppy seed filling.
    Folded yeast dough over poppy seed filling.

    STEP 8: Prepare your bundt cake pan. Carefully grease the inside with solid fat (e.g. Crisco) and dust with fine, taste-neutral breadcrumbs or flour. Learn in detail how to grease and dust a bundt pan

    Flouring a bundt cake pan.

    STEP 9: Put the folded dough with the filling into the prepared bundt pan so that it fills all the space around the pan evenly. Allow for a second rise in a warm place, this time for 45 minutes.

    Poppy seed bundt cake in a pan, before baking.
    Raised poppy seed bundt cake in a pan.

    STEP 10: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Bake the cake for 1 and ¼ hours. If it starts to turn golden brown on the surface near the end, cover loosely with foil.

    Baked yeast bundt cake in a pan.

    ➜ How to get bundt cake out of the pan

    Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let it sit there for 15 to 20 minutes. Then put a cake platter or cutting board on top of the pan and flip it carefully over. If you have greased and floured the pan well before you placed the cake in it, the cake will spring right out.

    Baked bundt cake removed from a pan.

    ➜ Serving

    Before serving, dust the poppy seed bundt cake with powdered sugar. Cut into individual pieces and serve on a dessert plate with coffee or tea.

    This poppy seed bundt cake tastes best the same day it is baked. However, even on the second and third day, it remains moist.

    Yeast bundt cake with poppy seed filling, served on a plate with a dessert fork.

    ➜ Storage

    • Room temperature: Let the bundt cake cool completely and keep it in a covered cake plate on the counter. If you don't have a cake plate, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Eat within three days.
    • In the refrigerator: Cut the cooled bundt cake into pieces, place it in an airtight container, and put it in the fridge, where it will keep for about five to six days.
    • In the fridge: I recommend freezing the cake whole, not sliced because the poppy seed filling could cause it to fall apart when thawing. Place the cake in an airtight container in the freezer, where it will last for at least three months.

    More poppy seed recipes:

    • Poppy seed cake (Czech makovec)
    • Poppy seed roll
    • Noodles wit poppy seed topping

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest. Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me any question about Czech cuisine to my e-mail. I love hearing your feedback!

    Yeast bundt cake with poppy seed filling, served on a plate with a dessert fork.

    Yeast Bundt Cake with Poppy Seed Filling

    If you’re looking for a unique twist on classic bundt cakes, then this Czech bundt cake with a homemade poppy seed filling is the perfect recipe. The combination of soft yeast dough and luscious poppy seed flavor in one showstopping cake will have your taste buds jumping for joy!
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Rising time: 1 hour 45 minutes
    Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 20 slices
    Calories: 218kcal
    Author: Petra Kupská

    Equipment

    • 12-cup bundt pan
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Poppy seed recipes

    Ingredients

    Yeast dough:

    • 4 cups all-purpose flour (520 g)
    • ½ Tablespoon active dry yeast
    • 4 Tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 1 cup milk (240 ml) lukewarm
    • ½ stick unsalted butter (57 g)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla essence
    • 2 yolks

    Poppy seed filling:

    • 7 ounces ground poppy seed (200 g)
    • 1 cup milk (240 ml)
    • 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla essence
    • 3 cloves
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest freshly ground

    Miscellaneous:

    • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar to sprinkle the cake before serving
    • 1 Tablespoon solid fat to grease the bundt pan
    • 2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs or flour, to dust the bundt pan

    Instructions

    • Make a yeast starter: Heat the milk for the dough to about 110°F (43°C). Stir in one tablespoon of sugar and instant dry yeast. Leave in a warm place; in about 10–15 minutes, light brown foam with bubbles should form on the milk surface.
    • Start making a yeast dough: Heat the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or melt it on the stovetop. The butter cannot be hot! In a large mixing bowl, add the flour (I recommend sifting it through a sieve beforehand), the melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, remaining sugar, and the yeast starter.
    • Knead the dough smooth. First, use a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones in a bowl. Once the dough has come together into a crumbly mass, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Knead a soft dough that is a little sticky with your hands. If it sticks too much to your hands or the work surface, sprinkle it with a bit of flour and work it into the dough. The whole kneading process takes about 10 minutes and may require a bit of physical work if done by hand!
    • Let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place. I let the dough rise in an oven with a pot of hot water on the bottom and the door shut.
    • In the meantime, make poppyseed filling. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the ground poppy seeds, sugar, vanilla, grated lemon zest, and crushed cloves. Bring to a boil on the stove, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every so often. Allow the poppy seed filling to cool completely.
    • Roll out the dough into a 30x12-inch rectangle (50x30cm). The dough should not be overly thin! Spread the cooled poppy seed filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) around the edge free.
    • Fold the dough over the filling from both sides. Basically, you create a simple roll.
    • Prepare your bundt cake pan. Carefully grease the inside with solid fat (e.g. Crisco) and dust with fine, taste-neutral breadcrumbs or flour.
    • Put the folded dough with the filling into the prepared bundt pan so that it fills all the space around the pan evenly. Allow for a second rise in a warm place, this time for 45 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Bake the cake for 1 and ¼ hours. If it starts to turn golden brown on the surface near the end, cover loosely with foil.

    Notes

    • Makes about 16-20 pieces, depending on their size.
    • Removing the cake from the pan: Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let it sit there for 15 to 20 minutes. Then put a cake platter or cutting board on top of the pan and flip it carefully over. If you have greased and floured the pan well before you placed the cake in it, the cake will spring right out.
    • SERVING: Before serving, dust the poppy seed bundt cake with icing sugar. Cut into individual pieces and serve on a dessert plate with coffee or tea.
    • TIP ON MAKING YEAST DOUGH: If you have a stand kitchen mixer with kneading attachments or a bread machine, feel free to use them to process the dough.
    • How to help the poppy seed filling cool: Spread the filling as evenly as possible over the surface of a deep bowl. Every 10 minutes or so, give it a good stir. This will allow the poppy seed filling to cool more quickly.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart

    Nutritional Estimate pro portion

    Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 2mg
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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