Orange Poppy Seed Cake

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

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.

Prep Time20

Cook Time55

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert and Pastries

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 525kcal

Author: Tristin - Home Cooked Harvest

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.

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.

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Nutrition