Orange and Poppy seed Cake Recipe

Tall, tender and mois orange and poppyseed cake.

Course Dessert

Keyword orange and poppy seed cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 38

Servings pieces

Spread the poppy seed over a baking pan lined with parchment paper and toast for 10 minutes in a 350F preheated oven. Stir on the five minutes mark.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Set the oven to 320F and line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, making sure not to grease the sides.
In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, orange zest vanilla, and 1 1/4 cup of the sugar (250g) until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.
Gradually mix the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Only stir to incorporate; do not over-mix.
Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until frothy. About one minute.
With the mixer on high, gradually add the remaining sugar (1/2 cup, 100g).
Whip until you have a white, shiny, medium meringue. (the meringue will not hold its shape when you dip the whisk and lift it)
Fold the meringue into the orange/yolk mixture, then pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-38 minutes. The cake is ready when a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan. When ready to serve, run a sharp knife against the sides of pan.

Store the cake at room temperature for 3-5 days, covered.
To freeze, wrap the cake with plastic wrap, place it in a plastic bag, and freeze it for up to three months. When ready, unwrap the cake and let it defrost.
This recipe can be baked in one 9x13-inch pan, one tube pan (which increases the baking time to 38-42 minutes), or two eight-inch pans (which reduces the baking time to 15-18 minutes).
The orange can be replaced with lemon, milk, or sour cream.
It is very important that the egg whites are egg yolk (or any other fat) free, or else they will not be whipped. Separate the eggs when cold, wipe your bowl, and whisk with lemon juice.
When combining the dry and wet ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can lead to a dense cake.
Fold, don't mix. It is very important to fold the meringue into the batter gently. Folding means using a rubber spatula to scrape the batter from the bottom of the bowl and lift it over itself, repeating the process until the meringue is fully incorporated and no longer visible. This way, the cake rises tall and light instead of short and dense.