German Poppy Seed Cherry Cake with Sour Cream

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This German Poppy Seed Cherry Cake combines a buttery shortcrust pastry with tart cherries, a creamy ground poppy seed filling, and a light sour cream topping. This traditional German cake is easy to make ahead and tastes even better after chilling overnight.

This German Poppy Seed Cherry Cake was such a hit with my family that it immediately became one of my new favorite poppy seed cakes. It has everything I love in a German cake: a buttery shortcrust base, juicy tart cherries, a creamy poppy seed filling, and a light sour cream topping.

The combination of cherries and poppy seeds is especially delicious because the tart fruit balances the rich, nutty poppy seed layer. And while this cake looks impressive with all its layers, it’s actually quite easy to make. Even better, it tastes best after chilling overnight, making it a great make-ahead cake for holidays and special occasions.

Tips for making this German Cake

• Use ground poppy seeds. This is important! Whole poppy seeds won’t give you the same texture or flavor. If you can only find whole poppy seeds, grind them in a poppy seed grinder or spice grinder first.
• Use full-fat sour cream. The German version used a dairy product called Schmand and the most similar would be American sour cream but it tends to be thinner than German Schmand, so definitely choose full-fat sour cream for this recipe. It gives both the poppy seed filling and the topping a richer, more stable texture.
• Cook the cornstarch mixture until really thick. The poppy seed filling needs enough structure to hold up once the cake is sliced. After adding the cornstarch slurry, let the mixture come to a boil while whisking and cook until it is noticeably thick.
• Let the poppy seeds soak. Once you stir the ground poppy seeds into the hot pudding mixture, give them about 5 minutes to absorb some of the liquid before adding the sour cream.
• Don’t slice the cake while warm. For beautiful, clean slices, let it cool completely and then refrigerate it for several hours. I prefer making it the day before and chilling it overnight.
• Choose your pan size. A 9.5-inch (24 cm) springform pan gives you the very tall, generous layers you see here. You can also use a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan for a slightly flatter cake; start checking it a few minutes earlier toward the end of baking.

About the cherries

Use tart cherries or Morello cherries. In Germany, we typically use Morello cherries (Schattenmorellen) packed in juice and sold in glass jars for cakes like this. In the US, look for jarred Morello cherries or tart cherries—Trader Joe’s is a good place to check. Avoid cherries packed in heavy syrup, as they will make the filling too sweet. Frozen tart cherries also work well; simply thaw and drain them first. Since you need cherry juice to thicken the filling, use bottled tart cherry juice if your cherries don’t come packed in juice. For a less authentic shortcut, use cherrie pie filling.

How to Store It

Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. In fact, I think the flavor and texture are even better on the second day, once the cherry and poppy seed layers have had time to fully set.

If you love baking with poppyseeds, you gotta try my German Apple Poppy Seed Cake with Almonds and my German Plum Poppy Seed Crumble Cake

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German Poppy Seed Cherry Cake with Sour Cream

Makes one 9.5-inch (24 cm) springform cake. You can also bake it in a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan for a slightly flatter cake.

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Keyword German poppyseed cake, poppyseed cake with cherries

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry

• 1½ cups 185 g all-purpose flour
• 6½ tbsp 92 g cold butter
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or essence
• 2 tbsp 22 g granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 1 small egg

For the Cherry Filling

• 1 large jar Morello or tart cherries in juice about 24 oz (680 g), juice reserved
• ⅓ cup 40 g cornstarch
• 2 tbsp 25 g granulated sugar, optional

• For the Poppy Seed Filling
• 1⅔ cups 400 ml whole milk
• 5.3 oz 150 g finely ground poppy seeds
• ⅓ cup 40 g cornstarch
• ¼ cup 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• ¾ cup 200 g full-fat sour cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract or paste
• Optional: finely grated lemon zest cinnamon, or a few drops of rum extract

For the Sour Cream Topping

• 3 large eggs separated
• ⅔ cup 80 g powdered sugar
• ¾ cup 200 g full-fat sour cream

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, cold butter, vanilla, sugar, salt, baking powder, and egg. Quickly knead until a smooth dough forms. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Drain the cherries, reserving the juice. Whisk the cornstarch with about 6 tablespoons of the cold cherry juice until smooth. Bring the remaining juice and optional sugar to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until noticeably thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, then fold in the cherries. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. For the poppy seed filling, whisk the cornstarch with about ½ cup (120 ml) of the cold milk until completely smooth.
4. Add the remaining milk, ground poppy seeds, sugar, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until very thick.
5. Remove from the heat and let the poppy seed mixture sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the sour cream, vanilla, and any optional flavorings. The filling should be thick and spreadable, not runny.
6. For the sour cream topping, separate the eggs. Whisk the egg yolks with the powdered sugar and sour cream until smooth. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the sour cream mixture.

7. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9.5-or 10 inch (24 – 26 cm) springform pan.

8. Press the chilled pastry evenly over the bottom of the pan and about 1½ inches (4 cm) up the sides.
9. Spread the cherry filling evenly over the crust. Carefully spoon the poppy seed filling over the cherries and smooth the top.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
11. Remove the cake briefly from the oven and carefully spread the sour cream topping over the poppy seed layer.
12. Return to the oven and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until the topping is set and lightly golden.
13. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. For the best texture and cleanest slices, refrigerate for several hours or preferably overnight before serving.