Poppy seed and chocolate ganache cake

The origin of this rich poppy seed cake is in Hungary. And you can find different types of poppy seed cakes in Israel too, especially around the holiday of Purim.
The chocolate ganache on top adds a lot of flavor, but the cake is wonderful even without it.

Poppy seeds are available in bulk online, and at most Eastern European and Middle Eastern supermarkets. Alternately, you can buy a few jars of poppy seeds from the spice rack at any chain supermarket.

Note: Poppy seed pastries are very popular in Eastern Europe and Israel. To achieve the rich texture of the cooked poppy seed, the seeds need to be ground. The way to do it is with either an electric coffee grinder or with a blender, preferably a powerful one, such as Vitamix. As you grind the poppy seed they will become darker in color and will resemble almond flour in texture. Grind the poppy seed close to when you’re ready to cook with it, as it becomes rancid pretty quickly, especially when ground. If you have to grind in advance, keep it in a sealed container in the freezer until you’re ready to use.