This delicious Orange and Poppy Seed Cake by Nigella Lawson is a quick and easy dessert that combines the tangy freshness of oranges with the crunch of poppy seeds. Perfect for any occasion, this cake is light, moist, and topped with a sweet orange glaze for an irresistible finish.
Ingredients Needed
- 3 medium oranges, room temperature
- 1 cup (250ml / 8.8oz) plain yogurt, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 390g (3 cups / 14oz) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) poppy seeds
- 113g (½ cup / 1 stick / 4oz) salted butter, softened
- ½ cup (125ml) vegetable oil (canola or rice bran oil)
- 1 ½ cups (300g / 10 ½oz) white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (195g / 7oz) icing sugar (confectioners’ / powdered sugar)
How To Make Orange And Poppy Seed Cake
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) / 350°F. Grease a bundt tin with very soft butter, ensuring it’s covered in all the grooves and corners. Flour the tin and tap out the excess flour.
- Prepare the oranges: Zest the oranges until you have about 2 tablespoons of zest and set it aside in a small jug. Juice the oranges to get ⅔ cup of juice. Add ½ cup of the juice to the zest in the jug. Add the yoghurt and vanilla to the jug, whisking them together. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium for 1 minute until blended. Add the oil and beat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low until combined each time. Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times throughout. Add one-third of the flour mixture and mix on low until about 80% combined. Add half of the orange yoghurt mixture and beat until nearly combined. Repeat by adding the remaining flour, then the rest of the yoghurt mixture, finishing with a spatula to mix in the final portion of the flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix.
- Bake the cake: Pour the thick batter into the prepared bundt tin and roughly level it out. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached. Let the cake cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. Then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool to room temperature before icing.
- Make the icing: Mix the icing sugar with the remaining orange juice to form a thick but pourable consistency. Pour the icing over the cooled cake.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: Ensure your eggs, butter, and yoghurt are at room temperature for a smoother batter and better texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Once you combine the ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Grease and flour the bundt tin well: Make sure you grease every groove of the bundt tin and tap out excess flour to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Check the cake with a toothpick: Test the cake by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out with just a few crumbs, it’s ready.
- Cool the cake before icing: Let the cake cool completely before pouring the icing over it, so it doesn’t melt into the cake.
How To Store Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover cake cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: If you want to freeze the cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then place it in a freezer-safe bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours before icing or eating.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/10th of the cake)
- Calories: 292.3
- Total Fat: 8.9g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 35.3mg
- Sodium: 148.1mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 47.8g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.4g
- Sugars: 29.9g
- Protein: 5.9g
Try More Nigella Recipes:
Nigella Orange And Poppy Seed Cake
Description
This delicious Orange and Poppy Seed Cake by Nigella Lawson is a quick and easy dessert that combines the tangy freshness of oranges with the crunch of poppy seeds. Perfect for any occasion, this cake is light, moist, and topped with a sweet orange glaze for an irresistible finish.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) / 350°F. Grease a bundt tin with very soft butter, ensuring it’s covered in all the grooves and corners. Flour the tin and tap out the excess flour.
- Prepare the oranges: Zest the oranges until you have about 2 tablespoons of zest and set it aside in a small jug. Juice the oranges to get ⅔ cup of juice. Add ½ cup of the juice to the zest in the jug. Add the yoghurt and vanilla to the jug, whisking them together. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium for 1 minute until blended. Add the oil and beat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low until combined each time. Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times throughout. Add one-third of the flour mixture and mix on low until about 80% combined. Add half of the orange yoghurt mixture and beat until nearly combined. Repeat by adding the remaining flour, then the rest of the yoghurt mixture, finishing with a spatula to mix in the final portion of the flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix.
- Bake the cake: Pour the thick batter into the prepared bundt tin and roughly level it out. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached. Let the cake cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. Then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool to room temperature before icing.
- Make the icing: Mix the icing sugar with the remaining orange juice to form a thick but pourable consistency. Pour the icing over the cooled cake.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients: Ensure your eggs, butter, and yoghurt are at room temperature for a smoother batter and better texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Once you combine the ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Grease and flour the bundt tin well: Make sure you grease every groove of the bundt tin and tap out excess flour to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Check the cake with a toothpick: Test the cake by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out with just a few crumbs, it’s ready.
- Cool the cake before icing: Let the cake cool completely before pouring the icing over it, so it doesn’t melt into the cake.
Nigella Orange And Poppy Seed Cake