From Nigel's Kitchen Table
Orange Poppy Seed Dizzle Cake
A moist orange and poppy seed drizzle cake with a delicate crumb and bright citrus flavour, perfect for afternoon tea.
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A pleasure to eat, this orange poppy seed drizzle cake has a soft, moist and delicate crumb. It’s deliciously moreish and one of my favourite afternoon tea treats, it gets rave reviews.
Classically this would have been a pound cake recipe – what is a pound cake you ask? It is quite simply: where flour, butter, eggs, and sugar are used in equal amounts, traditionally a pound in weight. The batter is typically baked in a loaf pan or a Bundt mold.
Over time, the ingredients for the cake have been modified to create a lighter and richer batter. This has included the use of leavening agents such as baking powder or bicarbonate of soda. Additionally, alternative fats like oil, sour cream, or yogurt have been incorporated. For this recipe, I am using slightly less egg, a little baking powder, oil and yoghurt to enhance the cake’s flavor and texture.
It’s delicious for breakfast, afternoon tea or whenever you want a treat alongside a cup of tea! The citrus flavour is just like adding a burst of sunshine to your day and if you liked this recipe you might like my Lemon crinkle cookies, Moreish lemon biscuits or my irresistible lemon drizzle cake, for anyone who loves zingy fresh lemon flavours.
RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
- EASE: one bowl recipe making it quick and easy with impressive results.
- TASTE: A sweet pungent citrus sponge with poppy seeds.
- TEXTURE: A soft moist delicate sponge with little bites of poppy seed.
- QUANTITY: 12 slices
- TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes (including 1 hour of baking)
INGREDIENTS
For this orange poppy seed cake recipe, all you need are these 10 ingredients:
- Neutral-tasting oil (vegetable, rapeseed or sunflower oil) – creates moisture, makes the cake light, and lengthens the cake’s life span. I prefer using oil in cakes where possible as oil remains liquid at room temperature, whereas butter solidifies and creates a much denser, less fluffy cake.
- Medium eggs – build structure and richness to a recipe. Make sure they are at room temperature before use.
- Oranges – natural flavouring.
- Caster or granulated white sugar – adds sweetness and structure.
Nigel Recommends
The Vanilla I Recommend
I recommend Taylor & Colledge vanilla products because they add a delicious depth of flavour while enhancing the other ingredients in the recipe. Choose from pure vanilla extract, vanilla paste or vanilla pods, depending on the recipe and the intensity of flavour you prefer.
- Natural or Greek yoghurt – adds moisture and creaminess to the finished cake.
- Plain (all-purpose) flour – builds structure.
- Baking powder – increases the volume and lightens the texture during baking.
- Poppy seeds – add flavour and texture.
- Icing sugar (powdered sugar) – adds refined sweetness to the bake.
Nigel Recommends
Don’t Skip the Salt
I always recommend adding a generous pinch of fine sea salt to your cakes. It balances the sweetness, softens any bitterness and brings out flavours such as chocolate, vanilla, fruit and spices. You should not taste the salt itself—it simply gives the finished cake greater depth and a more rounded flavour.
WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?
This recipe also works great with other citrus fruits, try lemon, lime or grapefruit.
- Poppy seed alternatives – If you are not so keen on poppy seeds, they can be left out or substituted for mixed peel, raisins, sultanas, currants or chocolate chips.
- Glazing – This cake also tastes amazing when glazed with orange marmalade. Simply warm the orange marmalade in a small pan or in the microwave before brushing over the cake.
Nutrition
Serving: One orange poppy seed cake slice
268.9 kcal
CALORIES · 13% DV
9.86 g
TOTAL FAT · 14% DV
41.55 g
CARBOHYDRATES · 16% DV
26.06 g
SUGARS · 29% DV
3.98 g
PROTEIN · 8% DV
70.45 mg
SODIUM · 4% DV
0.97 g
FIBRE · 3% DV
% Daily Values based on a 2,000-calorie diet
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and portion size used.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
This cake will keep well in an airtight container for 2-3 days in a cool place. Avoid placing it in the fridge as it will go hard.
Freezing: As the cold temperature makes the glaze in the sponge go hard, It is better to make this cake fresh on the day. Alternatively you can freeze it and the cake will have a much firmer texture than normal. A second option is to make the cake without the glaze. Unglazed cakes keep well wrapped in greaseproof paper and a layer of clingfilm or placed in a ziplock bag. Defrost at room temperature and then use a warm glaze to finish the cake.
EQUIPMENT SUGGESTIONS
For this recipe, it is optional to use a stand mixer, but it can be made without. Other recommendations include:
Easy to use – simply slice the lemon in half and then place it inside the dome with the cut-side facing down- Bring the two handles together to start juicing- The juicer will turn the lemon inside-out to get every last drop.
- Silicone spatula – I recommend these sturdy silicone spatulas because they are incredibly useful for baking and everyday cooking. Their firm handles make them excellent for scraping mixtures from bowls, dishes and frying pans, while the raised centre of the larger spatula gives it extra strength. You can find them and more of my favourite baking equipment in my Amazon Cake Making collection.
- Loaf pan – I recommend this professional 2 lb loaf pan, which is made from sturdy carbon steel with a non-stick coating and is perfect for baking banana bread, lemon drizzle cake, pound cake and traditional loaves.
RECIPE TIPS
Always use organic, wax free oranges where possible, which are free from growth hormones, chemical herbicides and fungicides.
Sudden temperature changes can cause cakes to sink in the middle, to prevent this avoid opening the oven door before 3/4 of the baking time, even if you need to rotate your cake.
When checking your cake, to see if it is baked, quickly slide it out on the oven shelf just a little, test with a skewer and if it comes out clean its ready. If it’s not quite done, you can push it back quickly for a few more minutes.
Orange Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake
- A 2lb loaf tin (see equipment suggestions on blog page)
INGREDIENTS LIST
- 100 ml neutral-tasting oil (such as vegetable or sunflower oil)
- 3 medium eggs (approx. 150g total)
- 1 large orange (juice and zest)
- 200 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
- 100 ml natural or greek yoghurt
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 200 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
Orange glaze:
- 100 g icing sugar (US powdered sugar)
- 2 tbsp orange juice
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 170°C fan / 375°F / Gas 5 and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment paper.
- Zest and juice the orange, reserving 2 tablespoons of the orange juice for the glaze.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sugar, salt, vanilla, yoghurt, orange zest and juice, until combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Sift the flour and baking powder over the top of the mixture and gently fold in with 2 tbsp of poppy seeds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
- Baking: Place in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes until golden and risen – the cake should split along its top. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean – if it doesn’t, return the cake to the oven for a further 5 minutes and repeat as necessary.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 6 minutes on a wire rack, then turn out and place back on the rack, over a shallow tray.
- Orange glaze: Start with combining 1 tbsp orange juice with the icing sugar, adding more orange juice as needed to get a glaze that is thick but not too runny. Pour the glaze over the warm cake. Remove the tray from underneath the rack and pour any excess glaze back over the cake. Return the tray underneath the cake, then leave the cake to cool completely before serving.
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