This Orange Poppy Seed Cake is a delicious twist on the traditional lemon poppy seed flavor you know and love. This version gets its vibrant orange flavor from fresh orange juice and orange peel. Drizzle on a citrus chocolate glaze for the finishing touch.

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.

Above view of orange cake with some slices on a serving plate with an orange slice and a striped towel.

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.

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.

Up close of the drizzle on the cake with a sliced orange in the back.

Next time you get a craving for oranges, make this show-stopping orange cake recipe. It is perfect for every occasion!

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?!

Above view of some slices of orange cake with a knife.

For this summer round, I got randomly assigned to Susannah’s blog Feast and West.

Feast and West is chock full of amazing recipes and is one of the most beautiful blogs. Really! Her photography is stunning, definitely go drool over all of her images!

Susannah is so super cute and I wish we were friends in real life cuz I know we would get along so well. We both have a love of the South, travel, and CATS!

She is a Southern girl, born and raised in Charlotte, NC. After going to school to be a graphic designer, she went to bartending school! So she is totally the one you want to hit up for those great party drinks!

I was in love with all of her drink recipes, like her mudslide cocktail, so chocolatey! Then she’s got some classics like gin and tonic or Jack and coke, perfect for a Friday night. She even has some virgin drinks like a virgin mojito and virgin Moscow mule!

Of course, she also has lots of food recipes too like blt waffle sandwiches, beer cheese dip and chicken tortilla soup.

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

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.

All of the ingredients to make the orange poppy seed cake.

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.

All of the ingredients to make the chocolate ganache that goes on top of cake.

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 by step instructions to make the cake.

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.

Step by step instructions to make the chocolate drizzle.

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.

Cake on a serving plate with some slices taken with an orange slice.

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.

Above view of orange cake with some slices on a serving plate with an orange slice.

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