Orange and Poppy Seeds Cake

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This orange and poppy seeds cake is soft, citrusy and has a delicate crunch. It's quick & easy to make, perfect with a cup of tea and won't hang around for long.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Worldwide

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 307kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Equipment

1 x 1lb loaf pan

Ingredients

125 g Baking margarine or butter (softened)
125 g Caster sugar Golden or white
2 Eggs large, free range
150 g Plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1½ teaspoons Baking powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
2 Oranges zest plus 45ml orange juice for the cake and 60ml orange juice for the drizzle topping
½ teaspoon Orange extract (optional)
1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
60 g Granulated sugar

Instructions

Grease and line a 1lb loaf pan with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 180℃/ 350℉
Finely grate the zest of the oranges. Reserve 1 tablespoon of it, then put the rest into a medium-sized mixing bowl and rub it into the caster sugar using your fingers.
Add the margarine/ butter and use electric beaters to cream the ingredients for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between each addition.
Add the poppy seeds, 3 tablespoons (45ml) orange juice and orange extract (if using). Mix in.
Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder into the bowl and use a large metal spoon to fold it in until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix the batter as the cake will turn out rubbery.
Spoon the mixture into a prepared baking tin and bake for approximately 30 minutes. It is cooked sufficiently once a cocktail pick poked into the centre comes out clean. If raw batter is still evident, return the cake to the oven for 3-4 more minutes and test again.
In the last few minutes of baking time, prepare the drizzle topping by stirring the remaining zest with 60ml orange juice and the granulated sugar.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes over the cake using a cocktail pick and then spoon the topping over the cake. Leave it to cool completely.

Notes

Use the correct tin size: This recipe requires a 1lb loaf pan. Do not put it into a larger tin as there will be insufficient batter to fill it adequately.
Measure ingredients accurately: The best way to do this is to use gram measures and use digital kitchen scales.
Zest the oranges before cutting them in half to juice them. It is so much easier this way around.
Add the drizzle topping as soon as the cake comes of of the oven: The drizzle soaks into the cake best when the cake is hot.
Cool before cutting: If you cut this orange loaf cake whilst it is still warm it is likely to fall apart. Wait until it has cooled completely.
Storage: This orange and poppy seeds cake should be stored in an airtight tin at room temperature, where it will keep for at least 3 days.
Freeze: Cut and wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 2 months. To defrost, pull out slices as required and let thaw at room temperature for several hours

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