German Poppy Seed Mandarin Orange Cake with Almond Streusel

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German poppy seed mandarin orange cake with a creamy poppy seed filling, juicy canned mandarins and buttery almond streusel. An easy make-ahead cake that tastes like it came from a German Bakery!

This easy German Poppy Seed Mandarin Orange Cake combines a thick, creamy poppy seed filling with juicy mandarin oranges and buttery almond streusel. Fresh orange zest, vanilla, and a splash of rum or Amaretto make the filling extra flavorful, while ground almonds give the streusel a delicate, crumbly texture.

The best part? The crust and streusel are made from the same dough, and canned mandarins mean you can bake this cake all year round. WIN, right?

A fruity twist on Classic German Poppy Seed Cake

I love poppy seed cakes with a generous layer of filling, and this one delivers. The filling is made from scratch with ground poppy seeds, whole milk and cornstarch.

Mandarin oranges add just enough fruity freshness to balance the rich poppy seed filling. Fresh orange zest enhances their citrus flavor, while vanilla and a little rum or Amaretto make the whole cake taste extra special.

For the streusel, I replace some of the flour with ground almonds. This makes the crumbs more tender and adds a subtle almond flavor that pairs beautifully with both poppy seeds and citrus.

A German Bakery Classic you will love

This cake looks impressive but is surprisingly easy to make. You only need one dough for the crust, sides, and streusel, so there is no need to prepare a separate topping.

The canned mandarins make it an easy year-round German cake, and it is also an excellent make-ahead dessert. In fact, I think it tastes even better the next day.

Tips

• For this cake, you want ground poppy seeds rather than whole poppy seeds. Grinding releases their oils and gives the filling its characteristic rich, creamy texture and much stronger poppy seed flavor. If you can only find whole poppy seeds, grind them before making the filling.
• Resist the temptation to cut into the cake while it is warm. The filling needs to cool completely to set properly.
• Make sure the canned mandarins are very well drained. I like to put them in a sieve before I even start making the cake.

For more European Poppyseed Cake Recipes make sure to check out my Traditional German Cheesecake with Poppy Seeds and my Austrian Poppy Seed Cake with Apricots & Cheesecake Swirl

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German Poppy Seed Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe

German poppy seed mandarin orange cake with a creamy poppy seed filling, juicy canned mandarins and buttery almond streusel. An easy make-ahead cake that tastes like it came from a German Bakery!

Makes: one 10-inch / 26 cm cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Keyword Cake with mandarin oranges, German Poppy Seed Cake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

For the Crust and Almond Streusel

• 310 g 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 40 g about 1/3 cup finely ground almonds or almond flour
• 80 g 6 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 175 g 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg
• A few drops almond extract optional

For the Poppy Seed Filling

• 750 ml 3 cups + 2 tbsp whole milk
• 80 g about 2/3 cup cornstarch
• 150 g 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 200 g about 1 3/4 cups ground poppy seeds
• Finely grated zest of 1 organic orange
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
• 1 generous pinch salt
• 1 –2 tbsp dark rum or Amaretto

For the Mandarin Layer

• 1 can mandarin oranges about 300 g / 10–11 oz, drained very well
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Make the crust and streusel: Combine the flour, ground almonds, sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until crumbly. Add the egg and almond extract, if using, and quickly work everything together into a crumbly shortcrust dough.
2. Grease a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside about one-third of the dough for the streusel.
3. Press the remaining two-thirds of the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. There is no need to roll it out. Take small portions of dough, roll them into ropes between your palms, and press them against the inside of the pan to create a rim about 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) high.
4. Cover and refrigerate the remaining streusel dough while you prepare the filling.
5. Make the poppy seed filling: Add the cold milk, cornstarch, sugar, ground poppy seeds, and salt to a saucepan. Whisk thoroughly while everything is still cold so there are no cornstarch lumps.
6. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened considerably. Remove from the heat.
7. Stir in the orange zest, vanilla, and rum or Amaretto. Let the filling cool for about 10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, drain the mandarin oranges very well. Gently toss them with the lemon juice.
9. Pour the poppy seed filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Arrange the mandarins evenly over the filling, pressing them very lightly into the surface.
10. Crumble the reserved almond streusel dough evenly over the top.
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 320°F (160°C), conventional/no fan, for about 60 minutes. Baking at the lower temperature allows the thick poppy seed filling to set gently while the crust and streusel turn golden without becoming too dark.