Serves 16
Orange and poppy seeds were made to go together in this deliciously simple cake.
The blog archives are a cake written testament to how much I love baking with oranges – just check out my Orange Yoghurt Cake, Orange and Sultana Cake, my Leftover Veggie and Orange Cake and my Easy Orange Tea Bread if you don’t believe me. There’s even an Orange and Poppy Seed Cake with Sour Cream Frosting, if you really want to push the boat out!
When my neighbour gave me an orange haul straight from the farm, I decided to give this recipe a bit of a makeover, adding some new photos, a new improved recipe and a value added Thermomix conversion. Seriously though, this cake is super easy, with or without a Thermomix!
This version of Orange and Poppy Seed Cake is a classic. It’s lovely and light while being marvellously moist, thanks to the soaking of the poppy seeds in milk and a generous dousing of the whole cake in orange syrup. If you want to make the cake a little extra, add a liberal splash of Cointreau to the syrup – it’s seriously good. I promise you this cake is full of orangey boom!
Do you love baking with oranges too? Have you got a favourite orange inspired recipe?
Ingredients
40g poppy seeds
¼ cup (60ml) milk
185g butter, chopped
rind of 1 orange, finely grated
180g caster sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ cups (225g)self-raising flour, sifted
½ cup (75g) plain flour
½ cup (60g) almond meal
½ cup (125ml) orange juice
Orange Syrup
80g sugar
juice of 1 orange
splash of Cointreau, optional
How to – Traditional
- Grease a deep 23cm-round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Combine seeds and milk in small bowl and stand for about 20 minutes.
- Beat the butter, sugar and rind in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in sifted flours, almond meal, juice and poppy seed mixture.
- Spread into prepared tin and bake for 50 – 55 minutes.
- To make the syrup, combine ingredients in a small saucepan, and stir over heat without boiling, until all the sugar is dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, without stirring for 2 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes and then carefully turn it onto wire rack over tray and pour the hot orange syrup over hot cake. Pour any remaining syrup on the tray into a jug and pour back over cake.
How to – Thermomix
- Grease a deep 23cm-round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Combine seeds and milk in small bowl and stand for about 20 minutes.
- Add the butter to TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add sugar and orange rind and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4. Insert butterfly and mix for 1 minute on speed 4, scraping down sides of bowl half way through.
- With the blades running on speed 3, add eggs one at a time through the hole in the lid, beating well after each addition. This should take about 30 seconds.
- Add the flours, almond meal, juice and poppy seed mixture and mix for 20 seconds on speed 4 or until well combined.
- Spread into prepared pan and bake for 50 – 55 minutes.
- To make the syrup, add the ingredients to TM bowl and cook for 5 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 2.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes and then carefully turn it onto wire rack over tray and pour the hot orange syrup over hot cake. Pour any remaining syrup on the tray into a jug and pour back over cake.
