Vegan Orange Poppyseed Cake

Ever since we lived in Seville, I learnt to associate Spring with the smell of orange blossoms. And while traditionally Spring is not the citrus season, it is the time I like to make orange poppyseed cake. Probably because the infatuating scent of the orange blossoms just makes me want to translate that gorgeous smell into a beautiful, delicate cake: and eat it!

I know you are probably used to lemon and poppyseed cake but this is essentially the vegan orange twist of the classic. But, baking with orange is a little bit more difficult than baking with lemon and that's because I find it harder to infuse the mixture with orange taste. It's more subtle, not as strong.

Add too much orange juice and your cake will not bake properly. You will end up with an unappealing watery dough. Of course, we don't want that. Add too little orange juice and you will enjoy a sugary poppyseed cake, with no subtle taste of orange.

There are two ways around it as I discovered: one, you add orange essence to the cake. It's an elegant and easy solution, nothing wrong with that. Two, you add the zest of one orange to the mixture and the flavours of oranges will actually come through really well.

The issue with zest from orange is that not all oranges are suitable for seating. You need to make sure you purchase a bio orange. The first time I attempted this cake I had no bio oranges so no zest for my cake. I loved the taste as my husband doesn't particularly love citrus in baked items. So that subtle flavour was more enough. But I LOVE citrus in pretty much all food. I live for citrus, so in my second attempt, I added orange zest from a bio orange and what a difference that made!

There were stronger flavours and aromas of orange. It was like smelling the orange blossoms, right on my plate. Mission accomplished.

To make the cake a little more fun, I used a bundt cake shape because I really adore the result. It also seems to grow better, and the slices are usually taller. It's a very light cake, with a delicate chiffon texture, while still moist.

I love eating it with fresh oranges on the side and with a tad bit of freeze-dried raspberry dust on the top.

How to make orange poppy seed cake

Normally, the traditional version of orange poppy seed cake calls for eggs. I replaced the eggs with sugar-free soy yoghurt.

This vegan orange poppy seed cake is incredibly easy to make.

Preheat the oven at 175C / 350F.
In a small bowl, mix all wet ingredients together: yoghurt, orange juice, oil.
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seed, orange zest (if using) and salt.

Add wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Combine the ingredients with a spatula or a whisk.

Lightly oil a bundt cake shape and dust it with a little flour. Transfer the cake mixture to the bundt cake and bake in the centre of the oven for 45-55 minutes. That's all there is to the cake. Just make sure to read the recipe below to find our some extra tips and tricks.

Enjoy this gorgeous orange poppy seed cake and celebrate Spring with us.

This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.

Orange Poppyseed Cake

0

No votes yet

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins
• Total: 1 hour 5 mins
• Serves 12 people

Categories: Dessert Cusine: British

Description

This is about making orange poppyseed cake which is easy and vegan. Learn how to make a fluffy vegan orange poppyseed cake with this easy to follow recipe. It will become your Spring's favourite cake to make.

Ingredients

(USA / Metric)

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup vegan yoghurt
• 3/4 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup poppy seed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp orange zest * (optional)

Instructions

• 1. Preheat the oven at 175C / 350F.
     In a small bowl, mix all wet ingredients together: yoghurt, orange juice, oil.
     In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seed, orange zest (if using) and salt.
  2. Add wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Combine the ingredients with a spatula or a whisk. I like to use my standing mixer with the whisk. I find it that it creates some pockets of air in the mixture and the result of the cake is a little lighter and fluffier.
  3. Lightly oil a bundt cake shape and dust it with a little flour. Transfer the cake mixture to the bundt cake and bake in the centre of the oven for 45-55 minutes. Depending on your oven, the time it takes to bake this cake varies. I baked it in two different ovens and one needed 45 minutes, the other 55. Check if the cake is bake after 35 minutes: insert a thin skewer or a simple toothpick in the centre of the cake. If the pick comes out clean with no streaks of batter then the cake is baked. If it's not, put back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Repeat the test.
  4. When the cake is fully baked take out of the oven and let it cool, covered with a towel, in the bundt shape. After around 20 minutes, you can carefully remove the cake from the shape and place on a cooling tray. Serve with fresh oranges on the side and a few freeze-dried raspberry crumbs.

Notes

* While it's optional, the zest from the orange will give a more orangey taste to your cake. We tried it without and while you can still taste the orange, it's not very strong. It's more of a delicate, subtle taste. If you love the taste of orange and you really want it to come through, then we absolutely recommend that you add the zest of one orange (around 3 tbsp) in the cake mixture.

Nutritional Information

Total Nutrition Facts

Serves 12 people

Amount Per Serving
Calories 264
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11 g			14%
	Saturated Fat 1 g		5%
	Trans Fat 0 g		12%
	Polyunsaturated Fat 7 g
	Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 1 mg			0%
Sodium 206 mg			9%
Total Carbs 39 g			14%
	Dietary Fiber 1 g		5%
	Sugar 19 g		38%
Protein 4 g			8%
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 11% Calcium 8% Iron 8% Vitamin D 0% Magnesium 5% Potassium 2% Zinc 5% Phosphorus 12% Thiamin (B1) 19% Riboflavin (B2) 12% Niacin (B3) 9% Vitamin B6 3% Folic Acid (B9) 9% Vitamin B12 4% Vitamin E 6% Vitamin K 15%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @yuzubakes on Instagram and hashtag it #yuzubakes