If you love dessert as much as we do then you have to try these favorites. Lemon White Chocolate Cookies will give you that citrus flavor you have been craving. Or make this Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake for a sweet treat with coffee or tea.
If you are a fan of recipes made with poppy seeds, you are going to love this cake. It takes the flavors of the classic lemon poppy seed cake, but uses orange instead for a fresh orange flavor.
Those little poppy seeds make everything better, they add that light little crunch to foods. Of course, one of the downfalls is that they like to get stuck in your teeth. It’s an easy fix, just make sure to keep some floss handy.
Fresh orange juice brings some delicate citrus notes to this cake, but the orange zest is really what adds that tangy pop of flavor. That true orange essence! And for even more orange, add orange extract. Bake with more citrus in this blueberry lemon bundt cake.
The icing on the cake, literally, is the decadent chocolate glaze that drips over the sides of this moist cake. The flavors really come to life with that orange and chocolate combination.
What is Orange Poppy Seed Cake?
This refreshing orange poppyseed cake is made by adding fresh orange juice, orange zest and poppy seeds to a thick batter.
Pour all of that cake batter into a bundt pan and pop it in the oven until it becomes a moist bundt cake. Once the cake has cooled, add the chocolate ganache drizzle to the top of the cake. Voila, completed cake! To make it even more fancy you could add candied orange slices to the top. If you love this flavor combo try chocolate orange cheesecake or a layered chocolate orange cake.
Next time you get a craving for oranges, make this show-stopping orange cake recipe. It is perfect for every occasion!
Recipe Ingredients
For the Cake:
- Butter: You will want to use unsalted butter that has been left out a room temperature to soften.
- Flour: All you need is all purpose flour.
- Baking powder and soda: Make sure your baking soda and powder are fresh by putting a pinch into a small bowl of vinegar. If it fizzes it is still fresh.
- Salt: I use a fine sea salt or kosher salt.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar.
- Eggs: You will need 4 large eggs, preferably at room temperature.
- Vanilla: Make sure to use real vanilla extract not vanilla flavoring.
- Orange: Orange juice and orange zest from half of an orange for the cake. And the other half of the orange zest goes into the chocolate drizzle.
- Buttermilk: I really prefer using real buttermilk. But, if you don’t have any, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and pour in any kind of milk to fill to the 1 cup mark.
- Poppyseeds: Poppyseeds can be found in the baking aisle at the grocery store.
For the Chocolate Drizzle:
- Heavy cream: Heavy whipping cream will give you a nice creamy chocolate sauce.
- Bittersweet chocolate: You could also use semi-sweet chocolate.
- Butter: Unsalted butter that is right from the fridge.
- Oranze zest: Fresh zest from half an orange.
How to Make Orange Poppy Seed Cake
Here are the basic instructions to make orange poppyseed cake. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
STEP 1: Preheat the oven. Butter a bundt pan and dust on some flour, dumping any extra flour out. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
STEP 2: In the large bowl of a stand mixer (or with an electric mixer) cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Should take 3-4 minutes at medium speed.
STEP 3: Add eggs in one at a time, scraping the bowl down as needed. Continue to beat for 5 minutes. Then mix in vanilla extract and zest.
STEP 4: Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture, alternate adding in buttermilk with the orange juice. Once completely mixed, hand stir in the poppy seeds.
STEP 5: Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake. The cake should be golden brown. Check doneness with an electric thermometer it should read 205°F to not be over-cooked. If you don’t have a thermometer, use a cake tester or toothpick in the thickest part of cake, it should come out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake stand for 5 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
STEP 6: While cake is cooling, add the heavy cream to a small heat-proof bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Add the chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes. Add in the butter and the zest and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
STEP 7: Move cake from cooling rack to the serving plate. Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the cake and let cake sit for 5 minutes to allow the cake to set or put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to further harden the chocolate. Serve.
Tips for Success
- The best way to make sure the cake is cooked through is to check the temperature with a digital thermometer. The cake should be about 205°f. This will give you the most moist cake.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice and fresh zest is highly recommended for the best orange flavor.
- When adding in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients avoid over mixing the batter, it can lead to a denser cake.
- Make sure to cool your cake in the pan for 5-10 minutes to keep it from sticking to the pan.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of the chocolate ganache topping, use a cream cheese frosting, a dusting of powdered sugar or an orange glaze to top the cake.
- Use blood oranges instead of navel oranges.
- Garnish the cake with coconut, fresh oranges, or a sprinkling of poppy seeds.
- For an even more intense orange flavor, add a few drops of orange extract to the cake batter.
- Add almond extract for a different flavor.
- Add in some chopped walnuts or sliced almonds for more texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use bottled juice instead of fresh? Yes, you can use juice from the store instead. But, the cake’s flavor won’t be as fresh.
Can this cake be made ahead of time? It sure can be. It’s probably best to wait to make the glaze until you are going to serve the cake. But, just the cake will be good at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Can I leave out the poppy seeds? Definitely, then you will have a moist orange cake without poppy seeds.
Is it safe to eat poppy seeds? Yes, poppy seeds are very commonly found in many recipes. They are very safe to eat in moderation.
How to Store & Reheat
Let the cake cool and put in an airtight container. It should last about 5-7 days in the fridge.
How to keep at room temperature? You can store this cake without the glaze at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container or really tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
Can I Freeze Orange Poppy Seed Cake?
How to freeze poppy seed cake? Let the cake cool completely before wrapping with plastic wrap and putting into an air tight, freezer safe container. It can be frozen for 3-6 months, just be sure to label with the recipe and date.
How to thaw poppy seed cake? Thaw frozen baked cake in the fridge on a plate overnight or at room temperature for 1-2 hours or on a plate in the refrigerator overnight until defrosted.
Try these fruit recipes!
- Orange Cranberry Bread
- Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Orange Colombian Fried Pastry
- Mango Ice Pops
- Cranberry Lemon Bars
If you’ve tried this orange poppy seed bundt cake recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!
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Orange Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted, at room temperature
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest from 1/2 an orange
- juice from 1/2 an orange
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
For the glaze
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- zest from 1/2 medium orange
Instructions
- STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a bundt pan and dust on some flour, dumping any extra flour out. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- STEP 2: In the large bowl of a stand mixer (or with an electric mixer) cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Should take 3-4 minutes at medium speed.
- STEP 3: Add eggs in one at a time, scraping the bowl down as needed. Continue to beat for 5 minutes. Then mix in vanilla extract and zest.
- STEP 4: Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture, alternate adding in buttermilk with the orange juice. Once completely mixed, hand stir in the poppy seeds.
- STEP 5: Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. The cake should be golden brown. Check doneness with an electric thermometer it should read 205°F to not be over-cooked. If you don't have a thermometer, use a cake tester or toothpick in the thickest part of cake, it should come out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake stand for 5 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- STEP 6: While cake is cooling, add the heavy cream to a small heat-proof bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Add the chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes. Add in the butter and the zest and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- STEP 7: Move cake from cooling rack to the serving plate. Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the cake and let cake sit for 5 minutes to allow the cake to set or put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to further harden the chocolate. Serve.
Recipe Notes
- When adding in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients avoid over mixing the batter, it can lead to a denser cake.
- Instead of the chocolate ganache topping, use a cream cheese frosting, a dusting of powdered sugar or an orange glaze to top the cake.
- For an even more intense orange flavor, add a few drops of orange extract to the cake batter.
- Add in some chopped walnuts or sliced almonds for more texture.
- The frosted cake will last 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
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FREAKY FRIDAY
Hooray, it’s Freaky Friday (my favorite Friday)! If you are wondering what I am talking about, Freaky Friday is a blog hop that happens every quarter that was created by Michaela from An Affair From the Heart.
If you aren’t familiar with this event, I’ll explain it. A bunch of bloggers get assigned someone else’s blog within the group. But, shhhh, it’s a secret and you can’t tell anyone who you got. You then get to pick one recipe that goes along with the particular season and recreate it for your own blog.
Then on the day of the reveal, you get to share with your readers and everyone in the group, which blog you got (and who got you!). So fun, right?!
So go check out Susannah’s blog, Feast and West and make all of her yummy recipes!
See all of our 2023 Freaky Friday Summer Recipes
Hosted by – An Affair from the Heart- An Affair from the Heart – Ice Cream Cookie Cake
- The Culinary Compass – Honey Bun Cake Recipe
- Feast + West – White Tea Shot
- The Foodie Affair – Easy Poblanos Chiles Rellenos Casserole Recipe
- Hostess at Heart – Grapefruit Crush
- Leftovers Then Breakfast – Honey Biscuits
- The Speckled Palate – No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- The Wimpy Vegetarian – Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe
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