White poppy seed cake with orange and honey by Kamil Szulc

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Kamil Szulc cherishes the traditions and ingredients of French pastry, as well as the expressiveness and creativity of Spanish pastry. From both, the chef builds an honest and elegant style, based on simplicity and avoiding artificiality.

The Lead Chef for the CEE Region at the Callebaut Chocolate Academy debuted in our magazine, so good.. magazine, in issue 33 with three exclusive creations. One of them is based on a very popular Polish product: white poppy seeds, which have their moment in November when they are used to make croissant fillings. With these products, “I wanted to highlight the part of Europe I come from,” he explains.

This cake is constructed with a diplomat cream of honey and orange blossom water, beneath which lies a crunchy almond crumble base, a filling of white poppy seeds, and a citrus marmalade made with orange and calamansi.

Photos: Jakub Wilczek

Discover so good #33

White poppy seeds, orange, honey

Almond crumble

75 g butter
60 g demerara sugar
67 g flour
75 g almond flour
19 g pailleté feuilletine
1 g salt

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix all the ingredients until combined. Pour 85 g into a 16 cm diameter ring and bake in the oven preheated to 150°C for 15 to 17 minutes.

Boiled white poppy seeds

800 ml water
800 ml milk
500 g white poppy seeds

Bring the water and milk to the boil, add the white poppy seeds and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, drain and leave to cool, then blend in a food processor in small batches.

White poppy seed filling to bake

237 g boiled white poppy seeds
50 g butter
22 g sultanas, chopped
30 g walnuts, chopped
30 g candied orange peel, chopped
38 g acacia honey
55 g egg yolks
75 g almond powder
0.5 g natural bitter almond extract
90 g egg whites
45 g sugar

Cook the first 6 ingredients together and transfer to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a flat paddle attachment, allow to cool and add the almond flour, egg yolks and natural bitter almond extract. Make a meringue from the egg whites and sugar and gently fold into the mixture. Pour 190 g over the baked crumble and bake at 160°C for 12 to 15 minutes.

Orange and kalamansi marmalade

322 g oranges
130 g orange juice
80 g kalamansi purée
84 g sugar (1)
3 g pectin NH
15 g sugar(2)
4.5 g gelatine sheets, 200 bloom
1 g citric acid

Soak the gelatine in cold water. Mix the pectin with the sugar (2). Boil the oranges 3 times, changing the water to cold each time. Blend in a food processor with the orange juice, kalamansi purée and sugar (1). Pour into a saucepan and reduce to 400 g. Add the pectin and sugar, stirring constantly, and bring to the boil. Add the citric acid and soaked gelatine, stir and leave to cool.

Pipe approximately 110 g of each onto the poppy seed mixture. Set aside to freeze.

Diplomat cream with honey and orange blossom water

450 g milk
30 g sugar
45 g acacia honey
90 g egg yolk
34 g Maizena
83 g Zéphyr 34% white chocolate
7.5 g gelatine sheets 200 bloom
90 g boiled white poppy seeds
7 g orange blossom water
323 g cream, 35% fat

Soak the gelatine in cold water. Bring the milk to the boil with the honey, in a separate bowl mix the egg yolks with the sugar and the Maizena. Make a pastry cream, add cooked white poppy seeds and gelatine, mix, pour over the chocolate and mix again. Cool to 24°C, add the orange blossom water and whipped cream, mix to combine.

White poppy seeds decoration

100 g water
100 g sugar
100 g white poppy seeds
q.s. Mycryo

Bring the water to the boil with the sugar, cool and add the white poppy seeds (not cooked). Leave to stand for 15 minutes, then drain well in a sieve and place on a silicone baking tray. Bake at 150ºC for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with Mycryo and leave to cool. Store in a sealed container.

Others

toasted almonds
candied orange peel

Assembly

Layer the toasted almonds, chopped candied orange peel and boiled poppy seeds in the base of an 18 cm diameter ring. Pipe 325 g of diplomat cream directly onto each piece and place the frozen insert of crumble, baked poppy seeds filling and orange marmalade on top. Freeze and spray with a neutral glaze.

Discover the interview and these creations by Kamil Szulc in so good.. magine 33