Orange Poppy Seed Cake
This orange poppy seed cake is moist and flavorful with a tangy orange marmalade glaze on top. This easy recipe is perfect for any occasion and fun to make!
Orange Poppy Seed Cake
This orange poppy seed cake is light and fluffy and is topped with a sweet and slightly tangy orange marmalade glaze.
You'll find that this cake makes it a versatile dessert that can be enjoyed year-round.
Whether you're celebrating a holiday, hosting a brunch, or just craving a sweet treat, this cake is sure to impress with its vibrant flavors and beautiful presentation.
Ingredients for Orange Poppy Seed Cake
Flour: Both bread and cake flour are used.
Sugar: Used both in the cake and in the glaze.
Egg yolks & egg whites: Pull out of the fridge about 30-60 minutes before starting to allow the eggs to come to room temperature.
Butter: Pull this out at the same time as the eggs to allow it to come to room temperature.
Sour cream
Poppy seeds
Orange zest: Make sure you avoid the white pith when zesting an orange, as it is bitter.
Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract is preferred over imitation.
Baking soda & baking powder: Make sure it's fresh for maximum effectiveness.
Salt
Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites when beating them to stiff peaks.
Orange marmalade: Forms the base of the glaze.
How to Make Orange Poppy Seed Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease your cake pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the bread flour, cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Zest an orange and add the zest to the flour bowl mixture along with the poppy seeds. Stir together.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and ¾ cup of sugar together until mixed well.
Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the butter and sugar mixture.
Pour in the vanilla extract and mix everything thoroughly.
Now, combine the butter mixture with half of the flour mixture and blend well.
Stir in the sour cream and then add the rest of the flour mixture.
In another bowl, use a stand or hand mixer to whip the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on high speed until it turns foamy.
Slowly add in the remaining sugar while whipping until you see stiff peaks form.
Gently fold this egg white mixture into the cake batter, being careful not to over mix it.
Spread the cake batter evenly in the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. Use a knife to gently run around the edges of the pan. Turn the pan upside down over the cooling rack and give it a hard shake to pop the cake out.
You can keep it bottom side up if you like the look of the top.
In a small sauce pot, combine orange marmalade, water, and sugar.
Bring it to a boil while stirring continually. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and keep stirring occasionally as the mixture reduces by half.
Remove the pan from heat and spoon the glaze over the cake.
Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks to Make the Best Orange Poppy Seed Cake
Here's some tips & trick for making this old fashioned cake:
Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temp. It helps everything mix better.
Muffins: Want individual servings? Use a muffin tin instead of a cake pan and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
Lighter Texture: For a fluffier cake, be gentle when folding the egg whites into the batter. Overmixing will knock the air out and make the cake dense.
Precise Cutting: For neat slices, use a serrated knife. Let the cake cool completely so it doesn’t crumble.
Alternative Glaze: Use lemon juice instead of water in your glaze for a citrusy kick.
How to Store Leftovers
To store any leftovers, place the cooled cake in an airtight container or wrap it with plastic wrap.
You can keep the cake at room temperature for up to three days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
If you want to keep the cake for a longer time, you can freeze it. To freeze, wrap the cake slices individually with plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. This will keep the cake fresh for up to three months. You can also wrap the cake whole.
If you know you are going to freeze the cake, hold off making the glaze. Freeze the cake without the glaze and then after it's defrosted, make the glaze and add it.
When you're ready to eat, just let the slices thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature until soft.
Old Fashioned Orange Poppy Seed Cake Recipe
Equipment
- bundt pan (10”), tube pan (10”), or large muffin pan
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup bread flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 6 egg whites
- 2 sticks butter room temperature
- 6 ounces sour cream
- 2.5 ounces poppy seeds
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Spray oil (Pam)
Orange Marmalade Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
Cake Instructions:
- Set oven to 350°.
- Prepare baking pan by spraying with oil and sprinkling flour to help prevent sticking.
- Sift together the bread flour, cake flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl.
- Zest orange and add to bowl of flour.
- Add poppy seeds to bowl.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and 3⁄4 cup of the sugar together.
- Separate eggs and add egg yolks to the butter and sugar mixture. Add vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly.
- Combine the butter mixture with half of the flour mixture until thoroughly blended.
- Stir in the sour cream.
- Blend in the remaining flour mixture.
- Using and stand or hand mixer, whip the egg whites, salt, and cream of tarter on high until a foam is created. Slowly whip in remaining sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the egg white mixture into the cake batter. Do not over mix.
- Spread the cake batter evenly around the cake pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
- *If making muffins, prepare muffin pans with oil spray and flour or use muffin cups. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow pan to sit out until completely cooled on a cooling rack. Use a knife gently run around the edges of the pan. Turn upside down just over the cooling rack and give it a hard shake to pop the cake out.
- Top the cake with orange marmalade glaze. *I did not turn the bundt upside down as the top was so much nicer looking. There's no rules here 🙂
Orange Marmalade Glaze Instructions:
- In a small sauce pot, combine orange marmalade, water, and sugar.
- Bring to a boil, stirring continually.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir occasionally as the mixture reduces by half.
- Remove the pan from heat and spoon over the cake.
