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Orange Poppy Seed Cake

Soft, bright, and layered with orange cream cheese frosting. It makes two 8-inch round layers, or four thinner layers if you want a tall, pretty cake.

Equipment

  • Two 8-inch round cake pans
  • Parchment paper
  • microplane or fine grater
  • Hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Cooling racks
  • Long serrated knife
  • offset spatula

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 5 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • Zest of 2 oranges
  • 6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup whole milk

For the Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 ½ cups full-fat cream cheese softened
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • Orange zest and slices optional, for decorating
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Prepare the pans. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and poppy seeds. Add the orange zest and whisk again to distribute it evenly.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, oil, eggs, vanilla, Greek yogurt, and milk until smooth.
  • Make the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until smooth. Do not overmix.
  • Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 28-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Cool. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto cooling racks and cool completely before frosting.
  • Make the frosting. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until fully blended and fluffy. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, then beat in the orange juice a little at a time until the frosting is light and spreadable.
  • Level and torte the cake. Once the cake layers are completely cool, use a long serrated knife to trim off any domed tops. Slice each layer horizontally in half to make four thin layers, if desired.
  • Fill the layers. Place three cake layers on a cooling rack and spread an even layer of frosting on top of each. Place one frosted layer on a cake stand or plate, then stack the other two frosted layers on top, keeping them level. Add the final unfrosted layer.
  • Crumb coat. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake to trap loose crumbs. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until the crumb coat is firm to the touch.
  • Finish and decorate. Spread the remaining frosting over the chilled cake, covering the top and sides. Decorate with orange zest, piped frosting, or twisted orange slices if desired.

Notes

Use room-temperature eggs, yogurt, butter, and cream cheese for the smoothest batter and frosting.
Zest the oranges before juicing them.
Mix the batter just until combined to keep the cake tender.
Weighing the batter as you divide it between the pans gives the most even layers. 
Variations: For lemon poppy seed cake, use lemon zest and juice instead of orange. For almond orange cake, add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the batter. For an orange filling, spread a thin layer of orange marmalade between the layers.
To make cupcakes, bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes. This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes.
Author: Katie Shaw