This elegant Poppy Seed Coconut Cherry Cake is a perfect holiday dessert for a large gathering. Poppy seed and coconut layers filled with cherry-flavored pastry cream and cherries, topped with chocolate glaze, are worthy of celebration. This creation is based on plyatsok, a sweet pastry beloved in Western Ukraine.
What is a plyatsok?
Plyatsok (plyatsky, plural), any flat baked good made from any dough or a thin cake, is a traditional Eastern European dessert, possibly originating in the Middle Ages. Particularly popular in Ukraine and Poland, plyatsky evolved and were adapted to local preferences and ingredients. At first, they probably were savory pies with cabbage, onions, or potatoes; later came versions with meat, mushrooms, fruits, and sweet fillings. Today, different regions of Ukraine and Poland have their own special recipes, reflecting the countries’ culinary characteristics. The word plyatsok is of Polish origin (placek), meaning a pie or pancake. However, Ukrainian cooks adopted the name, refined the concept and took it to new heights.
In Ukraine, a plyatsok can be single-layered, with simple, quick recipes for everyday. A single-layer plyatsok resembles a tart, a galette, or even a slab pie. Mama and Titka Hanna made single-layer, one-dough plyatsky, topped with plum, cherry or apple in the summer and with nuts and honey during fall and winter. See post Cherry Tart, Ukrainian Style, https://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/cherry-tart-ukrainian-style-vyshnevyi-plyatsok/.
Sweet Cherry Plyatsok
Apple Plyatsok
For special occasions, inventive Ukrainian cooks create multi-layered plyatsky made with various doughs, sometimes several in the same creation. Sponge, biscuit, yeast-fermented dough, batter as well as puff and short crust pastry may be enhanced with poppy seeds, almond flour, nuts, coconut and chocolate, and the cake may be filled with pastry creams flavored with nuts, fruits, dried fruits, honey, cheese, rum, brandy and marmalade.
The Plyatsok Tradition
In Western Ukraine, plyatsok is a cherished confectionery that combines different cake layers, creams, jams and fillings. A defining characteristic of plyatsky is its unusual combination of different tastes which incorporate the best characteristics of pies, tarts, tortes and cakes.
Bakers pay attention to the pastry-filling balance. Selected pastry dough should not be overly dense, but strong enough not to fall apart upon layering. Fillings of fruits, nuts or other ingredients should balance sweetness and tartness.
As a rule, plyatsok is baked and cooled in a rectangular pan, and then cut into square, rectangular, or triangular servings. The top of the cake is often simply decorated with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or a coating of chocolate glaze, though for special occasions, the outside is garnished as well. But when cut into slices, thanks to the variety of layers, fillings and creams, the interior is bright, multi-colored, with an attractive pattern that resembles an embroidered Ukrainian shirt (vyshyvanka).
Plyatsok is more than a pastry. It is a part of Ukrainian culture, tradition and history that have been passed down from generation to generation. Plyatsky, often several, are usually baked for important holy days and special family events. For example, numerous versions are baked for weddings, sometimes as many as 15, because it is believed that the greater the variety of plyatsky on a wedding table, the greater the abundance newlyweds will have.
No word in English describes a multi-layered plyatsok correctly. It is a confectionery hybrid, prepared in discrete steps over several days. I chose this Poppy Seed Coconut Cherry Cake recipe because the ingredients are easy to find or substitute, each step is not difficult to make and, when combined, create a showstopping dessert to enhance my usual assortment of holiday sweets.
How I created this Poppy Seed Coconut Cherry Cake
All ingredients but one are readily available in the US.
DAY 1: Prepare tart cherries in syrup. In Ukraine, tart cherries are canned in juice or syrup; in America, tart cherries are canned in water, but only sweet black cherries are packed in heavy syrup. Although sweet cherries can be substituted for tart cherries, the cake will lose its characteristic tartness. To replicate the taste of a Ukrainian plyatsok, instructions for making tart cherries in syrup from frozen tart cherries and cherry juice are provided in the recipe text. Omit this step if sour cherries preserved in syrup are available.
Also DAY 1: Prepare poppy seed and coconut layers. Keep tightly wrapped at room temperature overnight for up to 2 days.
DAY 2: Prepare pastry cream filling: Cool to room temperature. Assemble tart. Refrigerate overnight.
DAY 3: Garnish, cut, serve and enjoy.
Lessons learned:
- The quarter-sheet pan I used was the closest in dimensions to the pan used in the Ukrainian recipe, so the resulting pastry layers are thicker. A larger pan, such as a 10-inch x 14-inch (25 cm x 35 cm) baking pan, will produce thinner cake layers.
- This recipe makes a big cake. It can be scaled down by half, which would work well with the smaller cake pans I used. This cake will be delicious whether it’s a full or a half recipe. It keeps well in the refrigerator for over a week and tastes better with each extra day.
- This is a rich cake, so a 2-inch x 1-inch (5.08 cm x 2.54 cm) slice makes a lovely, sweet treat at the end of a holiday meal.
- When ground, poppy seeds form clumps that should be broken up by hand or sifted through a fine-mesh strainer before adding to the remaining ingredients to ensure a smooth batter.
- I used 1 pound (454 g) of frozen cherries in this cake, but doubling the cherries would have been better.
- To make the cake moist, do not skimp on soaking each cake layer with cherry syrup.
This Poppy Seed Coconut Cherry Cake recipe has a perfect balance of pastry and filling, creating a delightful, visually appealing dessert. The poppy seed and coconut layers complement each other with cherries adding a delightful tartness to the cake. Drizzling each pastry layer with cherry syrup adds moistness and enhances the cherry flavor. The chocolate glaze provides a wonderful finish to the colorful layers and textures. This simple yet sophisticated dessert with its many flavors will be the highlight of my holiday dessert table.
Poppy Seed Coconut Cherry Cake, inspired by Onyshkevychi at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhGXhyiFvzc, translated and modified by Slava Johnson
For tart cherry filling and syrup: omit if sour cherries in syrup are available.1-16-ounce (454 g) package frozen tart cherries1-32-ounce (946 ml) jar Ocean Spray unsweetened tart cherry juice
3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
For poppy seed layers:
4 large eggs
7.1 ounces (200 g) granulated sugar
5 ounces (138 ml) neutral vegetable oil
7.7 ounces (207 ml) sour cream
8.3 ounces (150 g) poppy seeds
10.6 ounces (300g) all-purpose flour, sifted
2.09 ounces (10 g) baking powder
For coconut layer:
3 large eggs
3.5 ounces (100 g) granulated sugar
4 ounces (100 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
0.8 ounces (25 g) cornstarch
(100 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon coconut extract, optional
For pastry cream and filling:
1½ teaspoons gelatin
2 teaspoons cold water
13.5 ounces (400 ml whole milk
100 ounces (100 ml) cherry juice
1 egg yolk
5.3 ounces (150 g granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
0.7 ounces (20 g) all-purpose flour
07 ounces (20 g) corn starch
7.0 ounces (200 g) unsalted butter
pinch salt
16 ounces (454 g)tart cherries, drained from syrup
12 ounces (355 ml) cherry syrup for drizzling pastry layers
8 ounces (227 g) cherry jam
For chocolate glaze:
10.50 ounces (300 g) dark chocolate
7 ounces (200 g) whole milk
3 tablespoons (40 g) glucose
Preparing tart cherries and syrup: Omit this step if sour cherries in syrup are available. Thaw frozen cherries in a colander over a bowl to collect juice. Make cherry syrup by combining drained juice, 3 cups of cherry juice and 3 cups sugar in a medium saucepan and heat on low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Add thawed and drained cherries and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes 1 quart (946 ml).
Ingredients for making tart cherries in syrup
Homemade tart cherries in syrup and purchased jam
Preparing poppy seed layer: Line 2 -9-inch x 13-inch (23 cm x 33 cm) baking trays (also called quarter sheets in the US) with parchment paper. Set aside.
Ingredients for poppy seed layer
Grind poppy seeds in an electric coffee grinder until they turn gray and begin to clump. Sift ground poppy seeds through a fine sieve to break up the clumps.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until foamy, using a mixer or by hand. Add oil and sour cream and combine until smooth. Add prepared poppy seeds, baking powder and flour. Mix until smooth, and the dry ingredients are no longer visible.
Distribute batter evenly between the two lined baking trays. (This batter can be baked in one deeper pan and cut in half horizontally. I prefer using two pans for even layers.) Bake at 360ºF (180ºC) for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the baking trays on racks for 10 minutes, then invert the trays onto racks, remove the parchment, and cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap if assembling the cake on another day and store on the kitchen counter. Makes two poppy seed layers.
Poppy seed layer ready for baking
Preparing coconut layer: If coconut is in long shreds, break up into smaller pieces by pulsing a few times in a food processor.
Ingredients for coconut layer
Combine the eggs and sugar, whisking until foamy. Add starch, baking powder, flour, coconut and coconut extract, if using, and mix until smooth. Spread batter in one 9-inch x 13-inch (23 cm x 33 cm) parchment-lined baking tray. Bake at 320ºF(160ºC) for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in baking tray on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from tray to rack, remove parchment and cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap until ready to assemble cake. Store on the kitchen counter. Makes one coconut layer.
Coconut layer ready for baking
Baked coconut and poppy seed layers
Preparing pastry cream: (This version of pastry cream is thickened with gelatin in addition to the usual flour/starch. The gelatin stabilizes the pastry cream at room temperature and prevents weeping after refrigeration.)
Soften the gelatin in cold water, then set aside.
Combine milk and cherry syrup in a non-reactive medium saucepan. Reserve ½ cup of milk syrup mixture. Place the saucepan on low heat. While the milk mixture gently warms, in a separate bowl, combine the yolks, sugar, flour, and starch, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved milk mixture to help blend. Then whisk the yolk mixture into the warming milk, scraping the corners of the pan with a rubber spatula to ensure it is incorporated. Continue cooking the pastry cream over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching as it thickens. Once thickened, remove from heat, stir in softened gelatin until dissolved, and transfer mixture to a bowl to cool, covering the surface with film to prevent skin from forming. Cool to room temperature.
Pastry cream without added butter
Once pastry cream is at room temperature, place softened butter in the mixer bowl and whisk until smooth. Then beat a few spoons of pastry cream at a time into the butter until smooth and shiny until the pastry cream is incorporated, about 5 minutes. Blend in vanilla. (If pastry cream develops lumps, warm pastry cream by placing the bowl over simmering water (without the bowl touching the water) for a few minutes, beating with a hand mixer until smooth.)
Filling ingredients
Assembling the cake: Drain the cherries, reserving the syrup, for several hours in a colander set over a bowl. Save syrup for soaking cake layers. Transfer cherries to a paper-towel-lined baking tray to dry.
To ensure the cake sides are straight, it is best to assemble the cake on a purchased* or homemade cake board** and use an adjustable pastry ring.***
Assembling the cake in an expandable ring
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a cake board in the center. Place one poppy seed layer on the cake board and surround it with an adjustable pastry ring to keep the layers lined up as assembly proceeds.
Drizzle 8 tablespoons of cherry syrup evenly over the poppy seed layer. With an offset spatula, spread jam, then spread the remaining pastry cream. Dot the pastry cream with half of the cherries.
Top with the coconut layer. Press gently on the surface of the layer to adhere it to the pastry cream. Drizzle 8 tablespoons of cherry syrup over the coconut layer. Spread the remaining half of the pastry cream over the coconut layer, then dot it evenly with the remaining cherries.
Prepare the final poppy seed layer by spreading jam on the top surface. Invert and place this jam-coated side against the pastry cream. Gently press so the layer adheres to the pastry cream. Drizzle the surface with 8 tablespoons of cherry syrup.
Cover assembled cake, pastry ring and cake board tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, remove the cake from the refrigerator. Run a thin knife around the inside edges of the adjustable pastry ring. Remove pastry ring. With a sharp knife, even out the cake by trimming ¼ inch or more if needed from each edge of the cake and refrigerate the cake.
Chocolate glaze ingredients
Preparing chocolate glaze: Finely chop the dark chocolate and set aside. Add milk and glucose to a medium saucepan, stirring with a spatula until the glucose dissolves. Then, place on medium heat, stirring until it reaches the boiling point. Immediately reduce heat to low, add the chocolate and stir until it is completely melted and reaches a smooth and fluid consistency. Remove from heat and transfer the glaze into a measuring cup, cover with plastic wrap, and let it cool for about 15 minutes before using it. The ideal temperature is 91°F( 33ºC). Makes 2 cups. (Leftover chocolate glaze can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to use, just warm it for a few seconds in the microwave.)
Glazed cake
Once at the proper temperature, pour the glaze over the cake, spreading it to the edges quickly with an offset spatula. Let the cake rest at room temperature for an hour for the glaze to set. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cut into servings and garnish, if desired.
Serves 24 or more, depending on the size of the serving piece.
Poppy Seed Coconut Cherry Cake
*Amazon, 12 Pcs 14×10 Inch Cake Boards Rectangle White,
**To make a cake board, wrap a 10-inch x 14-inch (25 cm x 35 cm ) piece of cardboard with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
***Amazon, Guowall Rectangular Cake Ring Mold Extensible Pastry Mould Stainless Steel Adjustable Tiramisu Frame Big Size for Baking – (10-18) x (7.5-14) x 3.9 inch
Photo credits: Allphotos: Slava Johnson
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