Poppyseed Christmas Tree Cake Recipe – Quick Makowiec Alternative

The poppyseed Christmas tree cake recipe is a fun Christmas themed recipe to make. If you have kids in the household you will find that the Christmas tree shape of the cake is a big hit. Unlike many Christmas tree cakes, shaping this cake does not take much skill or effort. 

This poppyseed Christmas tree cake recipe is a quick alternative to the traditional Polish poppy seed roll. The makowiec is a polish cake/pastry that takes a lot of time and effort to make. Some would even say that making makowiec is a skill and it takes time and patience to perfect it.

The poppyseed Christmas tree cake on the other hand does not require a lot of preparation time, it does not require a lot of skill and the results are pretty fabulous!

Poppyseed Christmas Tree Cake Recipe – Quick Makowiec Alternative

Part I – Defrost The Puff Pastry

Defrosting the puff pastry is very important if you are using frozen puff pastry. This is because frozen puff pastry is brittle and will break when you handle it. Plus cold puff pastry does not rise well when baked. For the optimal flaky puff pastry texture, use puff pastry that is soft, malleable and at room temperature. Usually it takes around 30 minutes to defrost puff pastry.

Part II – Preheat The Oven To 356F

Part III – Fold An A4 Sheet Of Paper

For this step you will need an A4 sheet of paper. Fold it lengthwise such that the paper folds in half. Cut the triangle by cutting off the opposite corners of the paper and unfold the paper. This will serve as your stencil for the poppyseed Christmas tree cake.

Part IV – Using The Paper Template Cut 2 Christmas Trees From The Puff Pastries

Place the paper template on the puff pastry and cut out the Christmas trees. Make sure that you cut out the tree trunks too. You will need two of these as they will layer one on top of the other.

Part V – Layer The Poppyseed Filling On One Of The Christmas Trees

Part VI – Cover With The Second Sheet Of Puff Pastry

Part VII – Make Horizontal Cuts Along The Christmas Tree

Measure and make horizontal cuts along the Christmas tree. Twist these so that they look like the Christmas tree branches.

Part VIII – Brush The Tree With Egg Wash

Part IX – Use The Remaining Dough To Form Cookies

The downside to this recipe is that there is always a lot of pastry dough that is left over. Don’t worry. You don’t have to waste it. Use the remaining dough to make cookies of your choice.

Part X – Bake For 20 Minutes

Place the Christmas tree on a parchment-lined baking tray. Make sure to align the Christmas tree branches well. Bake it for 20 minutes.

Part XI – Decorate The Cake

You can decorate the cake with dried fruits, nuts and candies of your choice. 

FAQ About Poppyseed Christmas Tree Cake

Why Should I Defrost The Puff Pastry?

Frozen puff pastry is hard to handle, is brittle and will not hold form. This is the main reason why puff pastry needs to be defrosted. This recipe requires the puff pastry to be malleable so that you can shape it into the Christmas tree.

Why Didn’t My Puff Pastry Rise?

Puff pastry contains a lot of butter. It however does not contain yeast or baking powder. Puff pastry rises as the butter melts. If the puff pastry was not been perfectly defrosted, a large amount of the butter would still not have melted. This would have prevented the puff pastry from rising well.

What Other Fillings Can Be Used In A Christmas Tree Cake?

While this recipe uses poppyseed filling. The Christmas tree cake is remarkably versatile and you can use a number of different fillings. Popular fillings include Nutella, chocolate and a variety of jams. It really depends on your personal preference. Irrespective of what you use, this cake is an attractive addition to any Christmas get-together. 

Yield: 6 servings

Poppyseed Christmas Tree Cake Recipe - Quick Makowiec Alternative

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 puff pastry sheets
• 3-6 tbsps of poppyseed filling
• 1 egg
• dried fruits, nuts, candies to decorate

Instructions

1. If you are using frozen puff pastry, defrost it first.
2. Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).
3. Take a sheet of paper (A4) and fold it in half, lengthwise. Cut the triangle by cutting off the opposite corners of the paper. Unfold the paper.
4. Using the paper temple, cut 2 Christmas trees from puff pastries, making sure to leave the tree trunks at the bottom.
5. Spread the filling on the dough.
6. Cover with the second sheet of puff pastry.
7. Make vertical cuts along the Christmas tree, then twist them.
8. Brush the tree with egg wash.
9. Use the remaining dough to form the cookies of your choice.
10. Bake on a baking tray lined with parchment paper for 20 minutes.
11. Decorate the cake with dried fruits, nuts, and candies of your choice.

Notes

1. Use ready-to-use poppy seed filling or make it yourself using this recipe.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 116Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 51mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g

These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix