Description
This Orange and Poppy Seed Cake is a soft and tender one-layer cake made with fresh orange zest, orange juice, Greek yogurt, and crunchy poppy seeds, finished with a creamy orange cream cheese frosting. It is an easy homemade dessert with bright citrus flavor and a beautifully moist texture.
Ingredients
- 210 grams (1 1/2 cups) plain or all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 200 grams (1 cup) caster or granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- Zest of 1 orange
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter, softened
- 250 grams (1 1/4 cups) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature and roughly chopped
- 375 grams (3 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- Orange zest, for decorating, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) standard or 320°F (160°C) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, poppy seeds, and orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract just until the egg yolks are broken up.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the Greek yogurt and milk. Gently mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the softened butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth and well combined.
- Add the fresh orange juice and mix until the frosting is creamy. Add a little more orange juice if needed.
- Generously spread the orange cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake and decorate with fresh orange zest.
Notes
- Greek yogurt can be replaced with sour cream. It helps keep the cake soft and tender.
- For the frosting, full-fat block cream cheese is recommended for a thicker consistency.
- Spreadable cream cheese can make the frosting quite soft or runny. If needed, use a buttercream frosting instead.
- Use fresh orange juice and zest for the best citrus flavor.
- Do not overmix the cake batter, as this can affect the tender texture.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American